the

media course, not specifically about making films, though – a huge error on my part – and I was useless at it. I meandered through, enjoying life but not doing anything significant. I was just lazy, I had no motivation.

“I passed by 2% and that was only because I did really well in the parts related to making films or writing them.”

Having moved back to the North East, he tried a different course and made some films with people he met there, one of which won an award and spurred him on to move to London. In his 20s he was writing furiously while working in Wetherspoons to support himself. With people he met through a writing course, he created a company called Joined Up Writers, creating plays for the Old Red Lion Theatre in Islington – “tickling success” when BBC radio offered to mentor him.

“I was struggling in my head at the time and thought they didn’t mean it so, after a couple of meetings I didn’t follow it up,” he said. Returning to film, he wrote scripts for shorts and found fresh success in an industry that often moves at a glacial pace.

“One of the shorts was screened at the Raindance film festival and I got noticed by a producer who asked me to write an 18th century drama about the first black boxer in Britain,” said Mark.

“It’s called The Gentleman, but the producer who was involved was also producing The Expendables, which became an unexpected success, so they went off in that direction and my film didn’t get made. There was lots of promise, lots of fun, but I was sad because, had it come out, I’d have been paid a lot more. “I currently have four different versions of it – a play, a six-part TV series, the film and a monologue in my desk.”

Further successful writing jobs followed, before Mark decided he wanted to get back behind the camera.

“I had always wanted to be a director first, rather than a writer, but I had to write my own scripts because no-one else would, so I fell more into writing,” he said.

“In 2015 I made a short film called Corinthian, which did well continued on Page 25 from Page 12 at festivals and I liked doing it. We did that on a tiny budget and through that process I worked out how to shoot a feature in 10 days. So I called up my mates, told them I’d write parts for all of them and they all said yes.

“That was my debut feature Guardians – shot in the house in Limehouse, where I live, and featuring St Anne’s Church and the Queen’s Head pub, where we shot from 11pm-4am.

“It was a very silly comedy and won quite a few awards, which set me on the path I’m on now. Through that film I met my producing partner Laura Rees. Our next project was a film called Limpet and then the pandemic arrived and just killed our plans dead. Fortunately I’d got a couple of writing jobs, which tided us over a bit but as soon as they finished, I was going crazy with nothing to do.”

He called Laura up, who suggested doing something with a small cast in a vineyard where she was staying. Plucking an idea about two suspicious guys who break down and end up on a farm from his archive, the pair set about assembling a bubble of cast and crew for what would become

Dead On The Vine

“We got together this crew of incredible people who were desperate to do something,” said Mark. “They liked the script and Laura called in some old favours, so we had this amazing crew – being in a vineyard in the middle of summer was also quite appealing.

“It was 77 acres, you could be outside, socially distanced and in an incredible environment. The film almost has the feel of a western about it – Fargo was a big in uence. Theses two chaps, one of whom has had an epileptic seizure and is unconscious for the first 20 minutes, come to a vineyard where the two women owners are preparing for a make or break wine tasting evening to save their business.

“Certain things happen, bits of violence pop up, some revelations occur that cause everyone involved to make some very important life choices and moral choices about how they want the rest of their lives to go – do they want to save their businesses, their lives or each other? It’s a darkly comic thriller – certainly not grim.”

With work nearly complete, Mark and Laura entered the film in writer and director Kevin Smith’s first Smodcastle Film Festival in New Jersey.

“Two people who saw it there randomly described it as if Reservoir Dogs had been made by the BBC,” said Mark. “Kevin Smith has been an inspiration to me – his film, Chasing Amy, was one of those movies that gave me a boost when I was at university. I saw it and thought: ‘I want to write like that’.

“I first met Kevin while he was walking his dog in the small town where the festival was held, and I was completely nervous about approaching him. My friend David had no such qualms and went right up to him – he was lovely.”

Dead On The Vine won in three categories including best actor for Tom Sawyer and ensemble cast – including Mark’s partner Victoria Johnston who he lives with in Limehouse, close friend and frequent collaborator David Whitney and Sheena Browne.

“I am one of those people who gets disappointed if I don’t win at awards ceremonies,” said Mark. “At Smodcastle, I thought there was a significant difference in the reception our film got compared to other entrants and I thought we might take something home.

“But you still can’t be prepared for the moment when you win. When we got best ensemble, we sat back, pleased. Then when Tom won best actor it was even better.

“But then we won best drama and I was in a daze and didn’t realise what was happening. The rest of the cast had legged it up to the stage, and I was right behind them: ‘This one’s mine’.

“Then I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t want to be a sycophant, so I just garbled some pleasantries about the crew deserving the thanks because were all in a bad place and they really stepped up, coming into an unknown situation – then a legend like Kevin Smith had said what we made was good, and it made it all worthwhile.”

Dead On The Vine is set to get its UK premiere in east London later this year although exact dates and times are yet to be confirmed. Readers can watch Mark’s first feature Guardians via Amazon Video. Laura and Mark continue to work on the production of Limpet

He said: “Dead On The Vine was never really meant to exist – we see it as a bonus film because it gave us purpose and saved our sanity over the lockdowns. It really shows off what I can do as a director and Limpet is a bigger film so hopefully people might trust us with a bit more money with that on the CV.”

Go to markacbrown.com for more

Scan this code to nd out more about Mark’s work

Wapping - Limehouse - Shadwell what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where?

Troxy Limehouse

The American rockers bring their black leathers and latest concept album – The Phantom Tomorrow – to Limehouse. Support is from Lilith Czar. Feb 25, 7pm, from £41.45, troxy.org.uk

Where?

Half Moon Theatre Limehouse

KIDS | Gift

This love song to nature for babies and their grown-ups explores the interconnectedness of life on the earth. Suitable for those aged 0-2. Feb 24-25, times vary, £7, halfmoon.org.uk

Where?

Wilton’s Music Hall Wapping

Pianist Tom Marlow plays along live to the Buster Keaton classic as the great comic performs more than an hour of hilarious stunts on the big screen. Feb 28, 7.30pm, from £8, wiltons.org.uk ash back

This is Kul Acharya, chairman and founder of Holy Cow which has just opened its second dine-in restaurant on Limehouse’s Narrow Street – a fusion of Nepali, Indian and British cuisine. Check it out holycowonline.com

Scan this code to read our interview with Kul and to nd out more about Holy Cow in Limehouse want more? @whar ifelive what’s on things to do, places to go, people to see

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

by Jon Massey

STAGE | The Blue Whale

Loser in love Lewis meets a girl online. Eager to prove himself he takes on a series of challenges set by her and nds himself in a high stakes game. Feb 23-25, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk

Where?

Poplar Union Poplar

COMEDY | The Breakup Monologues

Comedian Rosie Wilby presents a live recording of her podcast as she and her guests look back at their best and worst romantic breakups. Feb 23, 7.30pm, £10, poplarunion.com

Where? The Space Isle Of Dogs

STAGE | The Wolves

This coming of age drama focuses on nine adolescent female athletes as we follow the team’s unfolding story. Based on Sarah DeLappe’s novel. Mar 4-11, 7.30pm, £15, space.org.uk ash back

This is Nadia Piechestein, creator of TLZ Movement – a clothing brand that repairs and reworks much loved garments. Working from Craft Central on the Isle Of Dogs, she customises pieces and teaches sewing tlzmovement.com

History isn’t something that exists trapped between the pages of dusty books, for Matthew Jameson. The playwright, actor and director doesn’t just see echoes of the past in the present – for him, it’s much more immediate than that.

So his forthcoming production at The Space on the Isle Of Dogs may be the story of what happened between February and October 1917 as the Tsar was overthrown and the communists rose to power. But it’s something else as well.

“I didn’t want Ten Days to be a piece of historical theatre, something that happened more than 100 years ago, which we can only learn lessons from,” he said.

“These kinds of things are ongoing around us, so I wanted the play to be in a contemporary setting – Europe 2023 – scarily close to where we are now.

“The characters are in modern dress and we have a diverse cast who will better re ect our own times than Russia in 1917. We also have a lot of video and tech to help to convey some of the scale of the events we want to portray.”

The production is set to run on various dates at the east London arts centre from March 14-25 with performances at 7.30pm and a pair of Saturday matinees at 2.30pm.

Matthew said: “People should look forward to something epic – it’s a story that covers the breadth and scale of the overthrow of Russia’s ruling family, the establishment of a provisional government and the eventual rise of Lenin and the Bolsheviks.

“It has a cast of 10, of which I am one, and we’ll all be playing multiple roles. Among others, I’ll be Vladimir Antonov-Ovseyenko the unlikely leader of the assault on the Winter Palace – a slightly ba ed, befuddled and depraved man.

“

Ten Days is something I’ve been working on for about a decade. I completed a masters in dramaturgy part-time over the last couple of years and the focus of that was on creating a play as a final project – this was the vehicle to complete it.

“It’s gone through various iterations and I’d never uite finished the draft, but through doing the course, I’ve now completed the whole thing – redrafting, streamlining and editing to re ect the ongoing chaos the world seems to be experiencing.”

Matthew isn’t new to putting real events from the past on stage. Raised in the North East, he’d always wanted to be a performer and became involved with a company called the Heretical Historians whose play The Trial Of Le Singe brought him to The Space for the first time in 201 .

“That was as a visiting actor, but I really enjoyed being part of this institution,” he said. “The play was about the story of the Hartlepool monkey and we were doing this post-Brexit, re ecting the idea of a con icted, anti-European England. That’s when I first found The Space and I’ve never really left.

“A lot of the Heretical Historians’ stuff was telling previously untold true stories from history nomination time David’s Play gains recognition from O West End awards

The Space’s 2022 production of David’s Play – inspired by the life of Isle Of Dogs resident David Grindley has been nominated for an O e in the awards new Access category.

Produced by the east London arts centre and starring David himself, the show joins 11 others on the shortlist including work from the National Theatre and the Barbican.

“‘To have been recognised with an award nomination is a great accolade for The Space and David, we wanted to celebrate this by releasing the digital version of the show we performed last summer,” said Adam Hemming, artistic director at The Space.

David’s Play will be available on demand until March 26 for £12. Go to space.org.uk

Years Matthew has been working on Ten Days, set to get its debut at The Space in March where is it?

Scan and bringing them to life for a modern audience. Ten Days like an extension of that. It’s a new company – BolshEpic Theatre – and it’s all about bringing the truth of history to life and making it accessible.

“A lot of my previous work was focused primarily on comedy and entertainment. Now I feel there’s a lot of stuff happening in the world that requires our response to be a bit more measured and serious.

“Within that, telling the story of the Russian Revolution is something that is directly relevant to the present.

“Although there’s a lot of entertainment in the story we’re telling, there are also more serious parallels we need to explore, and you can’t do that simply through comedy, although it does help the medicine go down.

“There is the war in Europe at the moment and the apparent collapse of some democracies across the world – it’s been exhausting to keep up with what’s been happening while writing.

“What I want is for audiences to be able to take a look at what it means to live through a crisis and to ask: ‘What hope can we have for democracy?’.

“Ten Days doesn’t give a definitive answer to that, we just present what happened. In Russia back then there was mass indus-