andrew allen
@mygrayne.bsky.social
Writer, director, actor, creative coach, list maker. Credits include ONE WOMAN ALIEN, YEAR WITHOUT SUMMER, FOUR PLAY, THE CITY OF DR MOREAU, THE HAUNTING OF GABRIEL CHASE
https://linktr.ee/andrewallen
https://linktr.ee/andrewallen
Reposted by andrew allen
I have a Patreon where for £5 a month, you get access to a huge collection of writing advice, behind-the-scenes stories on the writing of each of my books, a monthly newsletter, a chat forum, and general updates and early warnings of new books and events.
www.patreon.com/cw/GarethLPo...
www.patreon.com/cw/GarethLPo...
Gareth L. Powell | Patreon
writing novels and encouraging aspiring authors
www.patreon.com
December 3, 2025 at 8:42 AM
I have a Patreon where for £5 a month, you get access to a huge collection of writing advice, behind-the-scenes stories on the writing of each of my books, a monthly newsletter, a chat forum, and general updates and early warnings of new books and events.
www.patreon.com/cw/GarethLPo...
www.patreon.com/cw/GarethLPo...
Reposted by andrew allen
I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.
December 2, 2025 at 10:59 AM
I hope someone draws this wonderful story about Tom Stoppard's Arcadia and the power of the arts to help us see things differently, to the attention of our Education Secretary. Do read it, it will lift your spirits.
Advent Calendar Of Things That Bring Me Joy, Day 2
I think I only saw Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner in the last year or so.
I think I only saw Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner in the last year or so.
December 2, 2025 at 12:20 PM
Advent Calendar Of Things That Bring Me Joy, Day 2
I think I only saw Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner in the last year or so.
I think I only saw Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner in the last year or so.
Reposted by andrew allen
I read this every Christmas and the excellent BBC radio version is still available:
December 2, 2025 at 11:00 AM
I read this every Christmas and the excellent BBC radio version is still available:
Nothing like reading a two star review from The Stage for what sounds like a perfectly reasonable production where everyone looks like they’re having a lovely time to reinstill a bit of I Should Really Be Submitting More Work energy
December 2, 2025 at 11:06 AM
Nothing like reading a two star review from The Stage for what sounds like a perfectly reasonable production where everyone looks like they’re having a lovely time to reinstill a bit of I Should Really Be Submitting More Work energy
Rewatching Gremlins, spotting something interesting about Don’t Feed After Midnight. Not the time zone thing, we know that. But! These Mogwai are mischievous enough to steal food themselves, but they don’t: they sabotage the clock so Billy feeds them.
They abide by the rules themselves.
They abide by the rules themselves.
a close up of a gizmo from the movie gremlins looking at the camera
ALT: a close up of a gizmo from the movie gremlins looking at the camera
media.tenor.com
December 2, 2025 at 10:21 AM
Rewatching Gremlins, spotting something interesting about Don’t Feed After Midnight. Not the time zone thing, we know that. But! These Mogwai are mischievous enough to steal food themselves, but they don’t: they sabotage the clock so Billy feeds them.
They abide by the rules themselves.
They abide by the rules themselves.
Clearing the decks from the last Cast Iron Short Play Night and preparing for 2026 - lots planned: more short plays, acting classes, and improv drop ins - you in?
For now tho it’s an Acting Class tonight, working on duologues the actors themselves have penned …
For now tho it’s an Acting Class tonight, working on duologues the actors themselves have penned …
December 1, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Clearing the decks from the last Cast Iron Short Play Night and preparing for 2026 - lots planned: more short plays, acting classes, and improv drop ins - you in?
For now tho it’s an Acting Class tonight, working on duologues the actors themselves have penned …
For now tho it’s an Acting Class tonight, working on duologues the actors themselves have penned …
Have you seen that the latest @ironclad-creative.bsky.social
short story competition is open?
We are looking for short stories up to 6,000 words responding in any way to the prompt:
RESERVED
More details on our website!
www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstoryco...
short story competition is open?
We are looking for short stories up to 6,000 words responding in any way to the prompt:
RESERVED
More details on our website!
www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstoryco...
December 1, 2025 at 5:51 PM
Have you seen that the latest @ironclad-creative.bsky.social
short story competition is open?
We are looking for short stories up to 6,000 words responding in any way to the prompt:
RESERVED
More details on our website!
www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstoryco...
short story competition is open?
We are looking for short stories up to 6,000 words responding in any way to the prompt:
RESERVED
More details on our website!
www.ironcladcreative.org/shortstoryco...
Reposted by andrew allen
try to imagine the media firestorm if the military was conducting strikes and obama, clinton, or biden said "i dont know anything about it" and how the media just shrugs at trump saying the same thing.
talking to reporters last night, Trump claimed of Hegseth's double tap strike that "I don't know anything about it," then moments later claimed "I don't who you're talking about" when asked his plan to pardon the former Honduran president
December 1, 2025 at 3:50 PM
try to imagine the media firestorm if the military was conducting strikes and obama, clinton, or biden said "i dont know anything about it" and how the media just shrugs at trump saying the same thing.
Eleven years ago, I was preparing for the first night of my adaptation of The Snow Queen, a take mostly inspired by a Princess Who Was The Cleverest In The Kingdom (and is almost never played that way in every adaptation since):
thisisandrewallen.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/w...
thisisandrewallen.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/w...
Writing The Princess for The Snow Queen
We’re in the final furlong now. In just a few days, we have the first night of the New Venture Theatre’s Christmas show, a production of The Snow Queen. It’s very exciting, humbli…
thisisandrewallen.wordpress.com
December 1, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Eleven years ago, I was preparing for the first night of my adaptation of The Snow Queen, a take mostly inspired by a Princess Who Was The Cleverest In The Kingdom (and is almost never played that way in every adaptation since):
thisisandrewallen.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/w...
thisisandrewallen.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/w...
Advent Calendar of Things That Bring Me Joy, Day 1
Clue (1985) Somehow the first thing I saw Madeline Khan in. Has influenced me to the degree that when I wrote Four Play,
Clue (1985) Somehow the first thing I saw Madeline Khan in. Has influenced me to the degree that when I wrote Four Play,
December 1, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Advent Calendar of Things That Bring Me Joy, Day 1
Clue (1985) Somehow the first thing I saw Madeline Khan in. Has influenced me to the degree that when I wrote Four Play,
Clue (1985) Somehow the first thing I saw Madeline Khan in. Has influenced me to the degree that when I wrote Four Play,
Reposted by andrew allen
AI is great, pass it on.
November 30, 2025 at 2:08 PM
AI is great, pass it on.
Reposted by andrew allen
One of the most important things that Stoppard did was respect the intelligence of his audience. One of the early reviews of Arcadia said it was “too clever by three quarters“ and of course it isn’t, it’s just a play that doesn’t think you’re stupid.
November 29, 2025 at 7:05 PM
One of the most important things that Stoppard did was respect the intelligence of his audience. One of the early reviews of Arcadia said it was “too clever by three quarters“ and of course it isn’t, it’s just a play that doesn’t think you’re stupid.
Reposted by andrew allen
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
November 29, 2025 at 8:51 PM
"oh, don't forget to highlight, in bright red, the two-letter word in the tagline! the two letter word that's kind of the whole point of this clever ad campaign! the two letter word that links this show to the horror movie of the same name!"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
"no problem boss. i'm on it"
Reposted by andrew allen
Brand new on Dirty Feed: what happens when The Dick Van Dyke Show starts questioning its own worth.
Spoiler: it decides it’s pretty good, actually.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2025/11/i-do...
Spoiler: it decides it’s pretty good, actually.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2025/11/i-do...
November 29, 2025 at 9:27 AM
Brand new on Dirty Feed: what happens when The Dick Van Dyke Show starts questioning its own worth.
Spoiler: it decides it’s pretty good, actually.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2025/11/i-do...
Spoiler: it decides it’s pretty good, actually.
www.dirtyfeed.org/2025/11/i-do...
Reposted by andrew allen
here, Tom, take all the money that I have.
November 29, 2025 at 7:21 PM
here, Tom, take all the money that I have.
Tom Stoppard.
1937 - 2025
1937 - 2025
November 29, 2025 at 5:57 PM
Tom Stoppard.
1937 - 2025
1937 - 2025
Advent Calendars are basically Duolingo except if you miss a few days you don’t have a passive aggressive owl making you feel guilty you just get extra chocolate
November 29, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Advent Calendars are basically Duolingo except if you miss a few days you don’t have a passive aggressive owl making you feel guilty you just get extra chocolate
Just had three or four scenes complete with perfect dialogue & decent world building drop into my head.
Regretfully, it’s not for anything I’m currently writing. Indeed, this would be technically filed under A New Idea.
Regretfully, it’s not for anything I’m currently writing. Indeed, this would be technically filed under A New Idea.
November 29, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Just had three or four scenes complete with perfect dialogue & decent world building drop into my head.
Regretfully, it’s not for anything I’m currently writing. Indeed, this would be technically filed under A New Idea.
Regretfully, it’s not for anything I’m currently writing. Indeed, this would be technically filed under A New Idea.
Reposted by andrew allen
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
November 28, 2025 at 3:28 AM
i know WHY this is but that just makes it even more of a kick in the pants lmao
No Cast Iron Acting Class this week - but we return for the last two sessions of the year on Tuesday 9 December & Tuesday 16 December! Still some spaces left, and it’s been a great stack of sessions so far!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/andrew-all...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/andrew-all...
November 28, 2025 at 12:28 PM
No Cast Iron Acting Class this week - but we return for the last two sessions of the year on Tuesday 9 December & Tuesday 16 December! Still some spaces left, and it’s been a great stack of sessions so far!
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/andrew-all...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/andrew-all...
Happy #LetterboxdFriday! Time to post your #LastFourWatched #BabyDriver #TheMummy #CivilWar #WakeUpDeadMan #AKnivesOutMystery
November 28, 2025 at 11:56 AM
Happy #LetterboxdFriday! Time to post your #LastFourWatched #BabyDriver #TheMummy #CivilWar #WakeUpDeadMan #AKnivesOutMystery
Heading out into town to do some work, some of which involves writing. Which would be fine, except I’m pretty sure one of my contact lenses is beginning a slow journey around the back of my eyeball
November 28, 2025 at 10:37 AM
Heading out into town to do some work, some of which involves writing. Which would be fine, except I’m pretty sure one of my contact lenses is beginning a slow journey around the back of my eyeball
Reposted by andrew allen
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."
November 27, 2025 at 2:30 AM
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit. It's the only way to be sure."