On today’s episode, I’m joined by writer Bethany Henry Gemmell for a special end-of-year conversation. It felt like the perfect way to close out the final episode of 2026—thoughtful, generous, and deeply inspiring. This marks Bethany’s second time on the podcast (or, as I like to call it, the Chai Room), and it was such a joy to reconnect.

In this episode, we dive deep into the dramaturgical process, with Bethany leading the conversation around working as dramaturg on the second audio series of Chai with Rai, An Ode: Reframing the Classics, now streaming on Patreon. We also explore the “grass is greener” mindset, Bethany’s upcoming projects—including a new play and a new novel—and then shares valuable advice for emerging playwrights, freelance creatives, and dramaturgs.

You’ll also hear a snippet from Catherine, the short story Bethany wrote for the very first storytelling series, Symphonies of Beaded Threads.

Bethany's bio:

Bethany (they/he) is a Northern playwright. They explore themes exploring family, our relationship to media, and humanity's capability to be good and evil. Examples include being a co-writer for Royal Court Theatre's Listen Local project in 2019, 'WOLF' at Theatre503 in 2023, and 'well, you could be a guy (non-binary edition)' for Baron Court Theatre's Queering the Canon Festival in 2023. Their most recent project was 'The Trial of Thomas Greene' at Hope Mill Theatre for Qweerdog Shorts/Hope 200 Festival in 2025. They were selected for Young Vic's inaugural 2022/23 Creators Program, Soho Theatre's 2023/24 Writers' Lab, and for Nottingham Playhouse's Amplify Program in 2025. Their audio-duologue 'Catherine', dedicated to and involving their mum, is now featured in the Chai With Rai exhibition at the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre.

They have provided dramaturgical support for community companies like Neurospace Theatre and Wild Forest Theatre from 2020 to 2023. Now, they're developing their dramaturgical skills by supporting artists for An Ode: Reframing the Classics.

Topics Breakdown:

• "Grass is always greener on the other side" mentality.
• Starving artist vs life experience and the success metrics we place on ourselves.
• Evolution of personal artistic storytelling.
• Playwriting with and through ADHD playwriting.
• Exploring time and thoughts as a playwright.
• Dramaturgy process for An Ode: Reframing the Classics.
• Reflecting on the Chai with Rai's Summer exhibition 20245 in London/
• Theatre 503 Rapid Writers response to Stray Dogs by Theo Chester.
• The Royal Court Theatre’s Listen Local Program.
• Dramaturgy process / advice for emerging talent.

To Listen to Bethany's audio short story CLICK HERE.

To subscribe to Patreon and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.

Social:

Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_/ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/hgemmellian/ & https://twitter.com/hengemmell

Links:

Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage &

https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_

Guest: https://creatorsprogram.youngvic.org/member/11946

Hope you all enjoyed it and Thank you for tuning in. To Subscribe, share, follow my work and everything else is listed above.

Continuing on with introducing you to the writers behind the new Chai with Rai series An Ode: Reframing the Classics- welcoming to the Chai room Punya Rajput.

She wrote a short story titled The Sabhā No Longer Stands which reimagines Draupadi, not as a divine heroine, but as a woman confronting the shame, jealousy, and emotional labor imposed on her by a heteropatriarchal world. Through a deeply affective conversation with Krishna, she lays bare the moral contradictions, expectations, and embodied violence present in society. Her body becomes a site of symbolic control, her desires policed, her identity fragmented.

P.S- you can stream the story now on our Patreon channel HERE. Speaking of this episode we definitely discuss mythology, Punya’s storytelling experience, she was in the midst of her masters- so discussing academia and creativity. The path and trajectory of an actor in India vs UK . So, I cannot wait for you to listen to this episode and just get some good ol nuggets.

Punya's Bio:

Punya is a freelance creative who believes in the power of stories—on stage, on screen, and on the page. A proud member and ambassador of the National Youth Theatre, she’s brought her love for performance to short films, ads, and creative spaces in both India and the UK.

With a background in sociology and a master’s in education policy, her work weaves together research and creativity. Her dissertation explored drama-based pedagogy and how emotion, imagination, and connection shape how we learn about gender.

She hopes to tell stories that spark something—joy, reflection, maybe even a little magic.

Big feelings, big laughs, and a strong belief that everything’s better with a little chaos and a lot of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Topics Breakdown:

• Storytellers and Styles of writing that have shaped an understanding of text and building worlds as a storyteller.
• Balancing surrealism, subtext and access as a storyteller.
• Process as an actor.
• Working and process as a South Asian Actor.
• Working as an actor in India vs in the UK.
• Passion for storytelling and connection to mythology .
• The writing and audio story The Sabhā No Longer Stands for An Ode: Reframing the Classics .

To listen to the short story, subscribe to Patreon and become a Patron/ supporter of Chai with Rai.

Social

Myself: https://www.instagram.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://twitter.com/chaiwithrai_ & https://www.tiktok.com/@chaiwithrai

Guest: https://www.instagram.com/punya_rrajput/ & https://www.instagram.com/noirae00/

Links

Myself: https://www.raimuitfum.com/chaiwithraihomepage & https://linktr.ee/chaiwithrai_