Script Surgery: Father and Friend

Written by NBR on April 16, 2022

FATHER & FRIEND

By David Persiva

This months Script Surgery sees the same script read …. TWICE! And no, this is not because we are getting old and lazy (cheeky) but because here at Northbound Radio, we are passionate about equality and diversity and pushing boundaries in new writing. Therefore, the same script will be read back to back. Cast A first, then Cast B. Question is, can you tell who the script was originally written for? What themes does this bring into question? Is there a noticeable difference?

FATHER & FRIEND CAST LIST

CAST A
Ed – Bethan
Dave – Chloe

CAST B
Ed – David
Dave – Olly

Narration
Gavin Duffy

DAVID PERSIVA – Writer

is an actor, writer and musician from London. Theatre credits include: Twelfth Night and King Lear (The Minack Theatre, Cornwall); Olly’s Prison and Blood Wedding (The National Theatre of Malta); As You Like It and The Roaring Girl (Shakespeare’s Globe/Royal Conservatoire of Scotland); The Witch of Edmonton and Scorched (Royal Conservatoire of Scotland). Television and film credits include: The Electrical Life of Louis Wain (Amazon/Film4), Kiss Me First (CH4/Netflix); The Lost Pirate Kingdom (Netflix) Dixi3: Game of Dixi and Dixi4: Friends4ever (CBBC). Writing Credits: David is a regular writer for Anna Barbara Films in Los Angeles, including contributions to their upcoming Feature Film My Mental Health is Fine, starring John Cleese. Other screen work includes Father & Friend (Fever Dream); & Birthday (Anna Barbara Films). David wrote & directed his first TV pilot Stranded in Copenhagen in 2021.

Us is his first play.

BETHAN MADDOCKS –

Bethan is a Welsh actress and singer, graduated from Rose Bruford, with further studies undertaken at New York Film Academy. Theatre credits include: Diwrnod Heb Ei Debyg/Canrif (National Theatre Wales), The Taylor’s Daughter (Welsh National Opera), Romeo and Juliet (Young Shakespeare Company), Your Unfortunate Servants (The National Archives – radio play), The Pirate Queen (NYFA), The Bureau of Lost Things (Theatre 503), Table (Stratford Circus – directed by Anna Ledwich), Mask of the Red Death/Fall of the House of Usher (Brockley Jack), Naked Dictators (Edinburgh Fringe) and The Lost Boy (Catherine Wheels). Shortly before lockdown in 2020, Bethan was due to open Hedda Gabler at Greenwich Theatre and has since undertaken an MA degree in Drama and Movement Therapy at RCSSD, graduating this Summer.

CHLOE WALSHE –

Chloe trained at LAMDA. Chloe’s theatre credits include; Sun (Sadlers Wells/ World Tour), Pygmalion (English Theatre of Frankfurt), The Man Who Had All The Luck (Kings Head), Trilogy (Barbican), Anna Weiss (The Space), Triptych (New Diorama), REDPILLED (Arcola), I Need To Vent (Cockpit), Rule of Submission (Tabard).

Short film credits include; Undomesticated, Silentville, Virtue, The People Next Door, The Walk.

OLLY ROY –

Olly Roy trained at The Guildford School of Acting and graduated in 2017. Since graduating he has worked on several indie features and short films. Last summer he appeared in a new piece of theatre performed at Above the Stag theatre.

GAVIN DUFF –

Gavin trained at Rose Bruford College of Speech & Drama. Recent theatre includes: The Warehouse, Professor Bernhadi and The Road to Damascus with Foreign Affairs; Affection with Outbox Theatre; Macbeth with Rift; Comedy Of Errors, Romeo & Juliet with Merely Theatre. Recent films include How to say hello; the death of Don Quixote. TV includes Grange Hill, Health & efficiency and Crimewatch File.