Leon Fleming is the writer of Kicked in the Shitter, one of three brand new pieces debuting at Omniwrite
Leon is originally from Castleford in West Yorkshire, and is now based in Leeds. He is thrilled to be working with director Scott Le Crass again on his new play Kicked in the Shitter as a continuation of their working partnership of the last few years, including: Sid, which is about to open at the Arts Theatre, London West End; Ode to Sid and 125: The Man on the Clapham Omnibus. He is three-time winner of the Jersey Arts Trust New Plays Project (2010-2012) and the Channels Islands Radio Drama Competition (2010), and is also co-creator of Plays Rough; a monthly platform for new theatre writing which takes place at the Jersey Opera House and is now in its fifth year.
What is the piece about?
I want to sound clever and say something meaningful about subtext and a wider picture of the world we live in played out on a human scale, but actually this piece really isn’t that complicated. It’s about a man and women; a brother and sister, who like so many people in the country today are struggling to cope with their environment. Like a quarter of the population they are living with mental health difficulties which are specific to each of them, while at the same time trying to juggle the obstacles of their daily lives in a country eaten alive with austerity, rampant with unemployment; where mental health provision seems to be an afterthought and the safety net of the welfare state that previous generations built to catch us all, is ripped ragged with holes so large that those who lose their balance fall straight through.
While in part there is no doubt that this play is a cry of disgust at our current and previous governments, it is also about people doing what people do when they are in trouble; holding onto each other to prevent drowning because there is nothing else left to hold on to.
How have you found the support at Omnibus?
Omnibus have been wonderful from the moment I mentioned I had begun writing this piece; giving encouragement and sending requests for information on how the play is getting from the excellent literary department here; long before I was invited to present it at Omniwrite. In fact right from meeting Literary Manager, Saffron Myers when she came to see my one man play Sid last August at the Camden Fringe Festival, she has taken on not just an interested but a massively supportive role in my work. You don’t get that everywhere, and it really changes your outlook when you know that there is someone interested in the work you’re putting out; it makes the whole thing feel less solitary.
How important is Omnibus in developing your work?
There are a lot of scratch nights out there and they’re fantastic. I used to co-run one myself, and they are so important for testing out new techniques and working out how best to structure a short play for example. But generally they are for short, self-contained pieces of work, and often for plays written specifically to a theme for that particular event. For someone like myself who might be working on a larger project over a longer period of time, but wanting to test out part of what I’m working on to see If I’m on the right track; to be invited to take part in Omniwrite is huge. With Omniwrite I am fully supported in terms of director, actors, rehearsals etc and all the expense of such things, and my work will run alongside that of two of my peers – if I dare presume to call them that – and I know there will be an audience; which I can watch while they’re watching what I’ve been part of creating. Omniwrite has gained such a fantastic reputation as well, which means getting industry professionals to come so I can audition my work before them is so much less difficult than it might be otherwise. If it wasn’t for Omniwrite I would have to hire a venue, beg director and actors to present my piece to an invited audience in order to get some feedback. So all in all, I’m very well aware of just how important Omniwrite is to someone like me and to my work.
Whats next and how can people follow you?
It’s actually a very exciting time for me. As well as Omniwrite, my one-man play Sid – which I mentioned earlier – opens at Above the Arts in London’s west end for three weeks from 19 September. Although it does make it all a bit stressful, I’m really pleased they they’ve coincided the way they have; one play reaching a kind of climax, just as I’m ready to start going public about a new one and looking for a home for it. The gaps in work can be excruciating, so when things get busy like this it’s wonderful; the busier I am, the happier I am.
I suppose twitter is the best place to follow me at @leonfleming I’m very active on Twitter, so you don’t have to follow me for long to know what I’m up to and what I’ve got going on, as well as what I think about just about everything. You can also follow Sid at @sidtheplay on Twitter or /sidtheplay on Facebook. I don’t put out newsletters or anything, but if anyone wants to get in touch with me directly, they can catch me at leon@leonfleming.co.uk
Any shout outs?
Where do I start? Scott Le Crass is number one, always. He’s the director of Sid and is also attached to Kicked in the Shitter, so will be directing the extract for Omniwrite. After that Saffron Myers, your Literary Manager who is such a magnanimous source of support; I look on her not just as a friend, but as a kind of fairy godmother to all playwrights. (I hope she doesn’t mind me saying that). Marie McCarthy, the Artistic Director here as well, who was not only very supportive while we were first rehearsing Sid last year, but who allowed my work to be part of the 125 Anniversary Celebration at Omnibus a few years ago. The whole team at the Omnibus in fact; everyone is so lovely and supportive. There are so many other people I would mention if I could (and if I could remember who they all were); some who are friends and colleagues, and some within the industry who I don’t know well yet, who have been incredibly supportive of my work to date and continue to be. I had always hoped coming into the arts that I would be part of a generous and loving community; and I’m lucky to say I haven’t been disappointed yet.
