The Writers of Wales Database

WEBB, DEREK

Glanteilo, Llandilo, Clunderwen, Pembrokeshire SA66 7XR. 
Tel: 01437 532688.  Fax: 01437 532978. 
Email: derekwebb@me.com
Website: www.derekwebb.co.uk

Playwright, dramatist. writer, poet. Born in Kent, now lives in Pembrokeshire with his wife and young son, having moved from Surrey in 2001 to get away from the M25. Derek’s first stage play Dog Eat Dog was produced by the South London Theatre in 1998, his second Bringing Back the Bluestones was premiered in Pembrokeshire in 2002. He has also written three other full length stage plays, Stalker, Ad Nauseam and Out on a Limb, as well as several one-act plays.

Derek has written several radio plays, two of which have been produced and a third is currently in production. Derek has also dramatised a large number of children’s books for audio, including The Minpins by Roald Dahl starring Joss Ackland and Charlotte Cornwell; Esio Trot by Roald Dahl starring Annette Crosbie and Michael Williams; several Enid Blyton ‘Famous Five’ and ‘Secret Seven’ stories; and 80 minute dramatisations of children’s classics including The Secret Garden, The Railway Children and The Incredible Journey.  His retelling of ’Jonah and the Whale’ was included on The Whales Song and other stories read by Helena Bonham-Carter for Random House Tellastory.

Derek has written two full length children’s novels; The Virtual Reality Machine and Is. He has also written several shorter pieces for younger readers and a series of audio/book packages for children learning to read, called ’Popplejoy and…’. Derek writes videos for a wide variety of organisations including the Green Dragon community bus service, and the Stackpole Centre in Pembrokeshire, and environmental videos for the National Waterfront museum. He also writes and directs commercial and corporate videos. He has had more than 50 poems published in a variety of magazines such as Smiths Knoll, Envoi and Staple.

Selected Publications:
Stage Plays
Dog-Eat-Dog (South London Theatre, 1998)
Bringing Back the Bluestones (Queens Hall, 2002)
Man’s View (New Theatre Publications, 2008)
Celebulite (New Theatre Publications, 2008)
Who’s Joe? (New Theatre Publications, 2008)
Goodbye Simon (New Theatre Publications, 2008)
CCTV (New Theatre Publications, 2010)
Getting the Breaks - Play for Youth Casts (New Theatre Publications, 2010)

Children’s Books
Is (Troll Carnival, 2010)

Audio
The Defence of Malta (Enigma Productions, 1989)
Jonah and the Whale (Random House, 1993)

Video
Cymuned Gynaliadwy – A Sustainable Community (National Waterfront Museum, 2007)

Dramatisations
The Minpins by Roald Dahl (HarperCollins Audio, 1993)
Esio Trot by Roald Dahl (HarperCollins Audio, 1993)
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (Hodder Children’s Audio, 1997)
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit (Hodder Children’s Audio, 1998)
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford (Hodder Children’s Audio, 1999)

Radio Plays
Waiting for Gordon (Hosiprog Productions, 2006)
One in the Eye (Hosiprog Productions, 2007)
Valentine’s Day (Wireless Theatre Company, 2008)
Wireless Monologues (contributor) (The Wireless Theatre Company, 2008)
Channel Hopping (Hosiprog Productions, 2009)




Is (Troll Carnival, 2010)

When Isabel Williams first joins Class 2F of St Leonard's School, she seems so tiny and insignificant, that no one takes much notice of her. The only person to make immediate friends with her is Robert Morgan. But when the class has a science lesson, in which they are asked to design different types of bridge, she amazes everyone by contradicting Mr Phillips the teacher. No longer the timid schoolgirl, she dares to argue with him, insisting that she knows more than he does.

That is only the start of an increasingly bitter conflict between her and her teacher. Robert is confused by her attitude and even more confused by the extraordinary revelation she makes to him during a trip to view the first tunnel under the Thames. She believes herself to be none other than Isambard Kingdom Brunel reborn.

After this revelation she demonstrates extraordinary knowledge of engineering and, with increasing passion, assumes the personality of Brunel. Robert becomes more and more irritated by her behaviour, not knowing what to believe. At the same time, he discovers that aspects of her home life aren't true. The friction between her and her teachers culminates in a violent argument about Brunel's final massive project - the Great Eastern - and Is disappears. Only Robert knows where she might have gone.

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Eligible Writers on Tour subjects offered:

1. Poetry reading
2. Writing for radio and audio
3. Adaptations

AGE RANGE: All