The Writers of Wales Database

STENNETT, ROGER

Website: web.mac.com/roger.stennett

Roger was born in Cardiff and now lives in Almondsbury near Bristol. His childhood was largely spent ‘backstage’ in Variety theatres; his father is the comedian Stan Stennett. Roger read History at Christ’s College, Cambridge-M.A (Cantab); his Director of Studies was Simon Schama. He is a former British Schools Champion, International Athlete, Welsh High-Jump Record holder and Cambridge Athletics ‘Blue’ and is a Black Belt and British Aikido Board Martial Arts Instructor.

Roger studied for Postgraduate qualifications as a Psychotherapist, combining ‘talking therapies’ with Hypnotherapeutic ‘trance’. His main areas of professional therapy work are around Trauma, Addiction, Anxiety, Stress and Depression. Roger has also undertaken additional studies and professional qualifications in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Neuro-Linguistic programming (NLP) and Solution Focus Brief Therapy (SFBT), and often finds himself integrating elements of creative writing/dramainto treatment. Roger runs specific courses and workshops combing creative writing/drama and therapy. To read his ’Life Scripts’ workshop leaflet, please click on the link at the bottom of this entry. 

He has worked with creative writing in a number of community settings, including intensive one-to-one work with prisoners in Dartmoor, and running writing/improvisational workshops on the theme of “Hearing Voices” with schizophrenic patients in N.H.S hospitals. Before becoming a freelance writer in 1984, Roger was a professional arts administrator, and Director of the largest regional Arts Funding organisation in Great Britain – South West Arts. As part of his family Production company, for several years, he helped to programme, run and promote two 365 seat Theatres/Cinemas, in Tewkesbury and Hereford.

Roger is a former Chair of the Children’s and New Media Committee of The Writers Guild of Great Britain, and is a Member of Academi.

Review:

“..Roger Stennett is a man of many talents. He has written for Theatre, Radio, Animation, Television and Film, and has taught Creative Writing. He is the only man in the world to have written for both The Royal Shakespeare Company and Sooty. Born into a theatrical family, he grew up with sword-swallowers, people who danced with bears, half-clad chorus girls, and his best friend was a chimpanzee called Gilbert. Is it any wonder he’s a fascinating entertainer, who imparts a wealth of knowledge in a delightful, informative way.  To steal a quote he borrowed from Dylan Thomas,“He made my toenails twinkle…”
Arts Festival Review


Selected Publications:
Just a Matter of Time (Celtion, 1976)

Theatre Plays:

• Philby     
  Royal Shakespeare Company/The Royal Exchange
• All The Arts of Hurting     
  Nottingham Playhouse
• Preserves      
  The Playwrights’ Company, Bristol
• Scouting For Boys     
  Bristol Old Vic, and touring nationally
• Out Of the Sun     
  The Nuffield Theatre. Published Amber Lane Press
• The Blood That Sings     
  Theatre Wales; The Sherman Theatre, Cardiff
• Dreaming of Eden     
  Nottingham Playhouse
• Tomorrow, Just You Wait and See     
  The National Youth Theatre of Great Britain
• Mooncalf      
  The Guildford School of Acting & Dance
• We’re Off To See The Wild West Show     
  Plymouth Theatre Royal & Hampshire Youth Theatre
• Princess Caraboo     
  Orchard Theatre Company, Devon; Regional tour
• Love Loyalty      
  Proteus Theatre Company, Hampshire
• Impossible Loyalties     
  Proteus Theatre Company, Hampshire; Regional tour
• Snakes and Ladders (6 X 30 mins)     
  The Finborough Theatre, London
• The Interview & No More I Love You     
  Torrington Arts Centre, Devon
• Sooty’s Magical Mystery Tour     
  Children’s Theatre; National Tour & Savoy, London
• The Brighton Belle (Musical)     
  Brighton Actors’ Workshop / Brighton Fest
• Thank You Wales, We’ll Let You Know (Musical)     
  The Welsh National Youth Theatre

Film and Television:

• Midsummer      
  Film Screenplay 2008
• My Generation     
  Film Screenplay 2008
• Transference      
  Film Screenplay in development 2008/09
• Paradox Road      
  Film Screenplay in development 2008/09
• Birds of Passage     
  Screenplay commissioned by Bryan Forbes
• One, Two, Three     
  Linked television dramas, ITV
• Very Small Business     
  Single comedy film, ITV
• The Gibbet Inn     
  Period comedy
• 1927       
  Film about FA Cup Final. Commissioned by ITV
• All That Glitters     
  Two scripts for proposed ITV Children’s series
• Prince Madoc      
  Historical Documentary BBC 2 (‘Chronicle’)
• Fit For a Queen     
  Documentary Feature series, for BBC 2.
• Amazing Animals     
  12 x 30 minute Natural History/CGI for Disney Channel

Radio Drama, Stories and Features:

• Stardust      90 min
  Radio play about Glenn Miller. BBC R4
• The High Frontier     90 min
  Radio play about Cosmonauts. BBC R4
• Ghost Writer      30 min
  Radio play about a Computer. BBC R4
• Princess Caraboo     60 min
  Radio play set in 1817. BBC R4
• Twice Nightly     
  Archive Hour doc about Variety Theatre. BBC R4
• Billy & Bonzo’s Journey    5 x 10 min
  “Stories For Wales”. BBC R 4
• Writing Workshops     5 x 30 min
  Presenter. BBC R4
• Jane Austen’s Bath     30 min
  Documentary feature. Presenter BBC R4
• Leslie Thomas  - Novelist   30 min
  Documentary feature. Presenter BBC R4

Animation&Children’s Work:

• Zippi & Zac, Toucan Detectives    13 x 10 min
  ITV and Video Collection
• Brum       13 x 10 min
  ITV and Ragdoll Productions
• The Final Frontier     
  Series for children with special needs. Ragdoll Productions
• Watership Down     30 min Script for series.
  ITV/Decode (Canada)
• Avenger Penguins     7 x 30 min scripts/2 series
  ITV/Cosgrove Hall
• Fantomcat      5 x 30 min scripts/2 series
  ITV/Cosgrove Hall
• Trash       
  Pilot script for model animation. Cosgrove Hall
• Trolls       
  30 min script for A-Film (Denmark).
• Marco & Gina      30 min script.
  The European Broadcast Union.
• Digit & Download     
  Animated series developed with/for UNICEF.
• The Jellabies      40 x 4 min
  Pre-School C.G.I educational segments.
• Henry Pea and His Family Tree   
  30 min pilot script commissioned by ITV
• Bamboo Bears      
  2 x 30 min scripts on Endangered Species
• Hot Rod Dogs. Cool Car Cats    1 x 30 min script.
  Dave Edwards Studios/ITV
• Oscar’s Orchestra     2 x 30 min scripts.
  Collingwood Prods/BBC.
• Sooty’s Amazing Adventures    15 x 10 min scripts
  Also Script Editor. ITV
• Grandpa Stan      
  Live Action series for young children. Central TV
• Sooty and Company     30 min script.
  Puppets. Matthew Corbett. ITV
• Attila The Hen      
  Creator & Producer – Animated series proposal
• The Parrots of Penzance    
  Creator & Producer – Animated series proposal
• Barnacles      
  Creator & Producer – Animated series proposal
• The Bunker Bunch     
  Creator & Producer – Animated series proposal
• Fantastic Max     
  4 books for BBC Enterprise / Mike Young Prods
• Pony Club      
  6 books published by Andre Deutsch
• “Magic Books” Project    
  Hasbro/Texas Instruments/Disney
• Wuzzo Goes Flying     
  Development work for Philips Interactive Media

Other Writing:

• The Three Fates     
  Poster Poem project
• The Fatherhood Roadshow    
  Community writing project with single fathers
• Annie’s Story      
  Video project about Radiotherapy for children
• Tomorrow      
  Video project to secure funding for a Welsh Festival

Projects in Development:

Radio

• Butterfly Dreaming     
  A play about a Samuraireincarnated as a woman
• The Quest    
  A play about C.G. Jung and Homer’s Odysseus

Theatre

• On the Couch      
  A one-man,black-comedy about a Psychotherapist

Television

• White Collars     
  Proposed Drama series about The Fraud Squad
• The Monster Club     
  Proposed Drama series about Crypto-zoology
• Slightly Foxed     
   “X-Files meets Last of The Summer Wine”

University Tutoring
Bristol University Department of Film and Drama:

• Founder of the 2-year Diploma in Creative Writing For Performance
  Commenced 2004
•  Visiting Screenwriting Tutor for M.A. in Film & Television
• Continuing Education. Evening and weekend classes run in the Drama Dept over several years

Bristol Old Vic Theatre School:

• Radio Drama courses for Technical Students. Held 4 times a year. Teaches and directs radio plays

Bournemouth University (Bournemouth Media School):

• Visiting Tutor (from 2003) on B.A. in Screenwriting
• Visiting Tutor ( from 2003) on M.A in Screenwriting
• Visiting Tutor on Writing for Animation
• Visiting Tutor on M.A. Course in Radio

Oxford University:

• Summer School (OUSSA) tutor for week long courses in 2007, 2008, 2009
• St Edmunds Hall – Scriptwriting Workshops
• Workshops run for The Oxford University Diploma in Creative Writing
• Workshop leader/Oxford University Examiner for M.St ( Master of Studies) in Creative Writing

Cambridge University:

• Performance Writing Workshops. 2001 and 2003

The Northern Film School ( Leeds Metropolitan University):

• Animation writing Masterclass.Visiting tutor and advisor on a new Animation Degree 2009

The University of The West of England (Bristol):

• Creative Writing Summer Schools 2003-2007

The University of Salford (Manchester):

• Master classes for M.A Film Screenwriting students 2008-2009.

The University of Glamorgan (Cardiff):

• Master classes and directing rehearsed readings of M.A film screenplays. 2008-2009

Dartington (University College, Falmouth):

• Guest lectures,and writing master classes planned for 2009
• Associate Lectureship. Creative Writing 2009 B.A and M.A. Courses
  

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