Newsrevue

I'm hearing more than a few gripes about a certain stage show that recently asked the group for submissions.

The pet peeve of a writer is not receiving feedback on a submission but it's worse when a group of writers submit and then appear to recieve not even a basic courtesy email acknowledgement for reciept of material. Worse than that is when the submission is sent to a group of writers / actors who have also been through the horrible cycle of silent rebuff and know what it feels like. That they then willingly pass this feeling on to fellow writers, who have enough rejection to contend with from production companies and broadcasters is (being generous here) unthoughtful.

That the call came from a member of this forum and that questions asked (in the original thread asking for submissions) were ignored is icing on the cake.

The excuse that too many submissions were recieved for email acknowledgement is invalid. In these days an automated email response is basic website setup.

Personally writing for these type of shows is pointless. First, the money is a pittance and paid rather hesitantly. Second, the show and its actors garner the praise whereas the writers providing the material seem inconsequential. Third, if the creative genius is within the core stage group why does it need submissions from outside?

There is one stage show that pays on time but the money is still a pittance when you consider that the organisers are getting a 'very' nice wage from your work.

So please, NewsRevue (and other shows), if you ask for submissions at least treat your writers with a bit more respect. If you're busy, or swamped, automate it. If you're not, then go hang your head in shame. And remember, when you're next treated badly by others in the biz, you have no just cause for complaint.

Hello Mr Slag. I used to write for this show for about a year, and have to say it was months before i got any sort of reply. After that they were pretty good, though I didnt recieve my first payment from them until about six months after they first used one of my sketches. And then it was some six pound pittance, even though theyd used one or more of my sketches every week for that period. It was nice to get my stuff performed, but it really doesnt seem to be that well organised in truth. Especially if you dont live in London so dont take part in the meetings and get togethers. The Treason Show, a similar stage production, on the other hand is always very friendly and will keep in regular contact with you, even providing feedback on sketches, general info and, on more than a few occasions, personal thanks for hard work done. I havent sent anything to either of these shows for about a year now, but if you are a writer just e-mailing your stuff out to them, then the Treason Show is certainly the most friendly, personal and professionally run production. And no, they havent paid me to say that, in fact I actually doubt Ill provide material for either production again, but thats because Ive been there and done it now and Im concentrating on other things.

I have been writing now for newsrevue for about 2-3 months but havent managed to send many sketches in and frankly have had very little feedback on anything except when I said I might be coming down to watch them and if they had any idea on any B&B's.

and quite embarrassingly have had none of them performed but its also finding time to write for them I found sometimes I had to rush because topical stuff as mentioned in there first email doesnt stay topical for long.

and matt how might I contact this treason show they sound very good.

Hi Paul and Matthew

Yes, Treason was the show that I mentioned as Head and Shoulders above its contemporaries. Respect to them.

I've always found them sharp, responsive, and excellent in their suggestions as to the material they are looking for. I've had a few things done with them but the money and the time isn't a great incentive especially when I need to develop more important areas, such as my atrocious networking abilities.

It's really disappointing when I hear from other writers that they are treated shabbily by people high up in the biz but it's worse when people making money off other peoples hard work treat their fellow comrades with the same disrespect.

Six pounds? I know the feeling. It's weird that i felt a strange pride when i had my first six pounder cheque when I should have felt utter indignation. Without writers like you and Paul, those shows and the actors would be on their arses.

Paul, there's a link to the Treason Show on my Links page.

cheers for the heads up slaga

Thanks SlagA for the help and I have sent both you and matt a myspace invite.

Having been involved with News Revue for several years and Treason from the beginning, I concur with much of what has been said. Unfortunately, though, that's just the system and there's sod all anyone can do about it. For instance, recently there was a situation - well, the last run actually - where the cast decided that performing wasn't enough and decided to write the entire run bar half a dozen items themselves vis-a-vis "star in it, write the theme toon and sing the theme toon". Thus pulling off the amazing feat of getting double bubble. Anyone else smelling an incestuous rat here, and not for the first time.

Anyway I fired off an 'Angry of Mayfair' email and forwarded it the entire mailing list. I actually got a lot of support but it's made f**k all difference except probably getting myself blacklisted.

Treason's a fairer system. Mark Brailsford is ex News revue and although encountered teething problems in the beginning, these days the show does at least acknowledge material and writers.

Money is always crap because that's just the way things are and if anybody thinks they're going to make any real money out of it then they've been watching too much Channel 4, the poor deluded fools.

And finally......

Love the Slaggs - what bloody nice blokes they are too.

Ah, that was you with that e-mail, I got that in my inbox. Bloody actors.

Yes, I am Sparticus!

Hey Baumski, I can't be that nice because i've just remembered i forgot to reply to your last email. Sorry, will reply tomorrow.

Thanks for not bringing that up in this thread and making me look like an utter 'nana.

I actually didn't know you could get paid... then again money is the last thing on my mind when it comes to writing anyway, just because I love doing it so much.

I've sent an Email to the Treason show hoping to get a reply sometime next week lets see how it goes with these guys.

Understandable baumski it's just even abit of feedback would be nice so I could improve my writing style for them, making sketches longer or shorter it's basically helping them to help me at the end of the day. that's why the sketches have slowed down to newsrevue I feel I'm not good enough at writing for them.

Paul, stop beating yourself up. Maybe your stuff's not up to it or maybe it is but don't, whatever you do, judge yourself by the shortcomings of News Revue. They have their limitations just like everyone else.

Have you ever considered that material they receive might go over their heads or the songs just too obscure for them to do? I cottoned on to the latter after I wrote ‘If I Could Torch All The Animals’ to the tune of ‘If I Could Talk To The Animals’ during the BSE crisis. It got rejected because the musical director didn’t know the song. So a really good satirical song was rejected out of hand because the MD had a limited repertoire and hadn’t heard of the musical ‘Dr Doolittle’.

However, if any doubt remains about the quality or standard of what you have written, then here is a simple way of finding out. Just take your completed manuscript and stick in a draw over night (or two if you haven't got the pressure of a deadline). Then when you go back to it you'll see it with fresh eyes and you'll know immediately if it's any good or crap. First reaction is key and it works. I came across this handy hint after reading Neil Simon's autobiography. He wrote the 'Odd Couple' and 'The Goodbye Girl’ so I think he must know something about the writing game.

Go for it and "UP THE REBELS!

I hear you guys. I've have written for both these shows and have to say that while I'm not exactly sipping pink champagne for breakfast (I will 'stick to a modest range of breakfast wines'(black books))I am grateful that these shows have given me my first 'break' and a certain confidence in knowing that it wasn't just me who thought something was funny but that a paying audience laughed at something I'd written. It's far from a system geared towards writers and as long as you go in knowing that you are going to spend hours and hours writing and tweaking stuff that won't get used, you shouldn't be too crushed. Anyway, what IS good can always be recycled into another submission somewhere. Topical stuff is tiring though. Give us more non-topical shows someone.

By the way SlaggsA&B loved your best before end soap vid!

I suppose you have a valid point there baumski I'm actually terrible at writing "funny" songs so I don't bother I just send in the sketches.

come to think of it I could post some on the forum and see what you guys think. I'll have a route and see what I can find and post one.

Ok I posted "george and tony chat" hope you like it.