ANDREW BISS

Yes, the day has finally arrived: ‘ Monologues They’ll Remember You By ’ is officially released! It’s been a long journey, I have to say: The search to compile the best monologues within my body of work; the task of selecting what to include and what to omit; creating introductions to each piece, defining the setting, tone and character; and writing the introduction to the book itself, along with other supporting materials. But it was all worth it in the end, and I’m proud and confident to put this book before the buying public, safe in the knowledge that what I’m offering is a truly valuable and unique resource for any actor. One of the things that really sets this book apart is that not only does it contain a large array of monologues you won’t find anywhere else, it also provides a guide on how to approach your monologue search from an entirely new perspective. Though the monologues included are separated into male and female monologues (40 male, 40 female) of varying age ...

I’m happy to report that 'Monologues They'll Remember You By' debuted at the number one spot on Amazon in new releases in Acting & Auditioning when it first went “live”, providing an auspicious start to the book’s release into the market. Though the official release date is still a few weeks away (September 14th), it’s available for pre-order in both paperback and e-book editions on Amazon, so if you’d like to be one of the first to receive a copy when it hits the presses, so to speak, get your order in now by clicking here .

At long last I have a new book coming out. This particular book, however, is quite different to anything I’ve released in the past as it’s a text book . I’ve been working for some time now on assembling a book of monologues for actors of all levels taken exclusively from my back catalogue of plays, and I’m pleased to report that the official launch date is now within sight. Since I already had numerous monologues of mine published in various trade publications (with another one on the way), the idea to create a book of my own seemed like a logical move. The only hesitation I had about embarking on such a project was the sheer size of the task ahead of me. But, never having been one to shy away from a challenge, earlier in the year I began the lengthy process of reading through all of my plays and selecting what I considered to be the best contenders for inclusion in the book. When I’d whittled the list down I found I was left with a substantial total of 80 comedic, dramatic...

'The Craft' will receive another London staging when Bigger Fish Theatre's SHORTSTUFF2 production is reprised at the acclaimed Theatre503 on July 5th, 2017. The theatre is renowned for presenting groundbreaking new plays, winning an Olivier Award in 2010 for its production of Katori Hall's 'The Mountaintop.' And don't forget that the initial production of SHORTSTUFF2 will be taking place at the White Bear Theatre in Kennington, London, on June 26th, 2017. Tickets for that event are available here . Tickets for the Theatre503 production are available at the theatre's website here . I wish the casts and crews of all the plays involved in SHORTSTUFF2 all the very best, and of course to my fellow playwrights in the show, Fran Bushe, Janice Hallett, Barbara Lindsay, Alasdair Melrose, Micah Smith, and Ruby Thomas.

I’m very happy to report that London ’s Bigger Fish Theatre will be producing ‘The Craft’ as part of its SHORTSTUFF2 production at the White BearTheatre on 26 June, 2017. This will mark the 15 th production of the play to date and this production in particular promises to be an excellent one.  That said, I should point out that neither Jude Law nor Charles Boyer will be in the cast lineup, or any inhabitants of London Zoo for that matter.  Bigger Fish Theatre was formed in 2017 by Charlie Burt, Michal Horowicz and Alasdair Melrose with the aim to produce original drama and music theatre. All three met at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and are clearly blessed with frighteningly high levels of taste and discernment having chosen to produce The Craft⸮ I only wish I could be there in person to see it, but instead I’ll just wish the cast and crew and everyone involved in the production to break a leg! Details on purchasing tickets will be availabl...

My short play ‘Carbon-Based Life Form Seeks Similar’ will be produced this coming weekend as part of the Tortilla Entertainment Company’s new short play festival Tortilla Twister 2017. The event runs May 19, 20, and 21, and takes place at the Alliance Francaise, Bangalore . Full details are available here . The five-minute version of the play is now available in the anthologies 105 Five-Minute Plays for Study and Performance from Smith & Kraus Publishers and 5-Minute Plays (Applause Acting) from Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. This marks the first time I’ll have had a play produced on the continent of Asia and I’m very grateful to Anita Mithra at Tortilla Entertainment Company for making this possible.

If the title of this post brings to mind images of intimate, candlelit gatherings of Dublin ’s polite society making small talk while sipping on Negronis and Pink Ladies, allow me to clarify. ‘Cocktail Conversation’ is a one-act play I wrote some years ago now – in 2002 to be precise – but which is sadly just as relevant today as it was back then. It was written in response to a dispiriting news article I’d read which attributed a new rise in HIV infections among young people to advances in antiretroviral drug therapy (commonly referred to as “drug cocktails”). The perception had begun to form among the younger demographic of the gay community that HIV infection wasn’t really such a big deal anymore since these drug cocktails essentially allowed you to live forever  – or at least to a close approximation of a normal lifespan. The play is written as a comedy, but is subtly underpinned by a sobering reality in the lives of its two protagonists. It’s centered around two young...