That Bloody Womanby Luke Di Somma and Gregory CooperAuckland Music Theatre17th July 2021 You had me at Fuck Fuck Fuckity Fuck. That’s not strictly true: you had me from the moment the house lights went down, when the wickedly, gorgeously clad cast strode out and the men sat down, silent, as the women took the…
Stage vs Page: or Why Not Both?
I’ve been thinking about artistic expression and validation: how I embrace the former and seek the latter. I’m a writer, but I’m also a musical theatre performer. This comes as a surprise to many people. Writing is such a solitary, introspective art, they say. How do you marry that with the intensely public display that…
Show Business for Shy People
Lee Child once said that "writing is show business for shy people". This quote resonates with me, particularly at the moment, as I am performing in The Phantom of the Opera at the famous Civic Theatre in Auckland. I've been doing musical theatre for many years, but a year or two ago I pulled back from…
The Singing Bellbird
Music has always informed my writing process. I'm a singer and have been involved in musical theatre for years, so it's hardly a surprise that I try to make my words sing and my sentences lyrical and easy on the ear. It’s important to me that my writing not only reads well, but sounds beautiful.…
Characterisation – The Naked Truth
Some of you will be aware that I do musical theatre. I've performed in many shows through the years including Chess, Blood Brothers, Jesus Christ Superstar and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. My latest role, however, is making me feel rather vulnerable. You'll understand why in a minute, but first let me take you back a few…
The Singing Scribe
I was on stage recently, belting out a parody of Bohemian Rhapsody with a group of fellow musical theatre-ites (fortunately it was a paid gig, which made it bearable), and it got me thinking about music and writing and the ways in which we humans express ourselves. I'm a trained singer and I've been involved in musical…
Patricia Bell, Author 