A PLAY written by Westbury resident, Michelle Slade, has been broadcast on BBC Radio Wiltshire this week as one of the winners of the radio station’s competition, Ten Tiny Plays. Her play, “What a way to make a living”, which is set in Westbury’s Conservative Club, was one of 10 winners chosen from 200 entries.
BBC Radio Wiltshire worked in partnership with the Wyvern Theatre in Swindon back in 2019 to find the best playwrights in the county – the catch was the play had to be two minutes long, only have two voices, and be set in Wiltshire.
Covid restrictions meant the play couldn’t be performed live as originally planned, but the BBC have made sure the plays are finally heard and they have broadcast the 10 selected plays this week. Michelle’s play, ‘What a way to make a living,’ was broadcast on BBC Radio Wiltshire on Tuesday 18th January, but can be found on the BBC Sounds website/app.
Michelle said, “The play is based around the fact that the Conservative Club used to, and still does, host live music. One time, many years ago, there was an impersonator who was really bad let’s say.
“His wife would be sat in the audience with her hands clasped as if in prayer, in the hope that he would get through an act and not be too drunk!
“I found I had some spare time because of lockdown and when the competition came on the radio, I thought, ‘I’ll give it a go’ and I don’t know why, but I kept thinking about this terrible act, but it seemed to work.”
The BBC explained that a company of five actors from the country played a wide variety of roles and gave life to the words and images provided by this “exciting range of playwrights.”
You can listen to Michelle’s play, ‘What a way to make a living’, as part of Ten Tiny Plays on the BBC Sounds app or website
