Putting The House in order

Micheál Jacob's long career as an executive producer and script editor encompasses a plethora of television and radio comedies, including Birds Of A Feather, Two Pints Of Lager And A Packet Of Crisps, Goodnight Sweetheart, My Family, Eyes Down, Thieves Like Us, The Smoking Room, Not For Turning and Dead Canny. He is co-creator and producer of The House.

With an agreed storyline, and a first draft script arriving shortly, I have now started thinking about the project from a producer's perspective. Storylines and first drafts and hilarious but unusable, unbroadcastable jokes are the fun bit. Making it happen is the essential bit.

Aside from a good script, the three crucial elements are a recording location, an audio fiction specialist and sound designer, and a cast. Plus of course, a budget.

Because the show takes place in a house, recording in a house makes sense, so the search is on for somewhere suitable. While some soundproofing is possible - bedding is very effective - the house has to be in a quiet street, handy for public transport, and big enough for six or seven people not to be falling over one another.

While we don't yet have the house, we have an award-winning producer and sound designer who is going undertake the recording and editing, so the show will be in excellent hands. During my first years in Manchester I script edited many dramas for Radio 4 and Radio 3, and our audio person for The House was the sound designer for most of them.

She is going to provide the equipment, and also the cafetière.

This is reassuring for me, since while I've made a lot of television, and produced live sketch and storytelling shows, making audio is a skill that I haven't acquired. I've been around while stuff is happening, but as far as the technicalities are concerned, I'm purely on the creative side. Every production needs a Young Mr Grace.

For the cast, my first port of call was people I know and have worked with before. A micro-budget production doesn't allow for a casting director, never mind phone auditions. It has to be on a 'can you do this on this date?' basis.

Indeed, the characters were designed with three specific actors in mind, while still being characters capable of being portrayed by people other than the particular three. It helps that the creative world of Manchester isn't vast, and that people know people who know people, so if one of the three isn't available, there will be someone good to approach.

On the day, Tim and I will direct, as much as direction might be necessary. And a joy of audio is that actors don't have to learn the script, just read it, so that we can try out lines and see if suggestions might work.

---

If you haven't already, register your interest in the project now