BRITAIN'S MOST BIZARRE BENEFITS SCANDAL

Listen to The Countess, an audio play by Paul Kalburgi

This verbatim play tells the true story of self-styled, 'Countess' Mariaska Romanov, a Harlesden woman who led an extraordinary double life; claiming to be both a direct descendent of the Russian Royal family and her very own paraplegic twin sister - Marianne Johnson. After conning Brent council out of nearly £200,000 in fraudulent benefit claims, the decade-long web of lies was finally unravelled in a six-week trial dubbed ‘stranger than fiction. Told through exclusive interviews with the people at the centre of the story, illuminating transcripts and extensive research.

OUT 20 JUNE - Listen and follow here.

What’s one thing you can do today to move your writing forward? In this bite-sized episode, guests from last season share actionable steps to stay empowered, productive, and creative.

🎭 Join Paul for the Almost The Birthday Party book launch and live reading – Thursday 5 June, 7:30PM at Calder Bookshop & Theatre, Waterloo. Includes a copy of the playtext and a glass of bubbly!

🎟️ CLICK FOR TICKETS 🎟️

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

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In this episode of The Writer’s Toolkit, we delve into the world of horror theatre at GrimFest, a month-long festival in October that celebrates the macabre at the atmospheric Old Red Lion Theatre in London. I chat with festival organisers Jack Robertson, the theatre's Artistic Director, and Nina Atesh about what makes the Old Red Lion the perfect venue for the genre, and Jack reveals opportunities for playwrights at the theatre. Plus, I’m thrilled to announce that a newly extended version of my dark comedy, Almost The Birthday Party, will enjoy a 10th-anniversary revival as part of this year's festival lineup!

BOOK NOW for Almost the Birthday Party at GrimFest!

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with the Old Red Lion Theatre

• Visit the website
• Follow on Instagram @orltheatre
• Follow on X @orltheatre

Connect with GrimFest

• Visit the website
• Follow on Instagram @grimfestuk
• Follow on X @GrimFestUK

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

This week on The Writer’s Toolkit podcast, we're exploring what community means for playwrights with special guest Kimberley Andrews of London Playwrights. Kimberley shares the inspiring journey of London Playwrights, which started as a simple blog and has grown into a comprehensive resource for a global community of writers. Plus, Paul and Kimberley offer a bounty of practical tips on how to find, build, and engage with your writing community. Grab a notebook and pen—there's plenty to take away from this episode!

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with London Playwrights

• Visit the website
• Follow on Instagram @londonplaywrights
• Follow on X @LDNPlaywrights
• Follow on Facebook @londonplaywrights
• Listen to the podcast, Playwriting Real-life

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode of The Writer's Toolkit, we journey to Australia for an inspiring look at the dynamic playwriting collective, 7-ON. I chat with Ned Manning, a seasoned playwright and founding member, to uncover how seven writers, driven by their passion for theatre and a commitment to supporting each other's work, came together to form this collaborative force. Ned reveals 7-ON's unique process, where positive thinking fuels creativity and empowers each member, and offers a glimpse into some of their diverse and exciting projects, including the much-mentioned, Thus Spake Zarathustra.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Ned

• Visit Ned's website
• Follow Ned on Instagram @nedmanning
• Discover Ned's book, Playground Duty
• Discover Ned''s debut novel, Painting the Light

Connect with 7-ON

• Visit the 7-ON website
• Seven Darts from Currency Press
• No Nudity, Weapons or Naked Flames from Federation Press

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode of The Writer's Toolkit, I chat with David Brady, Artistic Director of The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in London’s Kentish Town, and Farah Najib, whose play Maggots enjoyed a successful run at the theatre earlier this year. Farah shares how she seized the opportunity to stage her play at The Lion & Unicorn, and how it resonated with audiences. David offers insights into the evolving fringe theatre landscape and provides invaluable advice for playwrights and theatre makers aiming to get their work on stage.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Farah

• Follow Farah on Instagram @farah_najib_
• Visit the Fight or Flight Productions website

Connect with David

• Visit the Lion & Unicorn Theatre’s website
• Follow the Lion & Unicorn Theatre on Instagram
• Visit the Proforça Theatre Company website
• Follow Proforça Theatre on Instagram

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

In this episode of The Writer’s Toolkit Podcast, we shine a spotlight on the vibrant playwriting scene in Aotearoa New Zealand. Join me as I reflect on my time in New Zealand and share insights from three special guests: Murray Lynch, director of Playmarket NZ, discusses opportunities for playwrights; Keagan Carr Fransch shares the development journey of her play Dimensions in Black; and Nathan Joe explores his creative process with Scenes from a Yellow Peril. We also highlight the Robert Lord Writers Cottage, a cherished residency in the former home of New Zealand's first professional playwright.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Discover more about Robert Lord

• The Robert Lord Diaries
• The Robert Lord Writer's Cottage residency
• Three Plays by Robert Lord

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch

Following last week’s episode about the trailblazing playwrights' collective 13P, this episode brings you the rest of my conversation with 13P member Winter Miller. Winter shares the challenges and triumphs of self-producing her Off-Broadway play, No One Is Forgotten, which premiered at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater in 2019 and has recently been adapted into an immersive opera by The Dallas Opera. Winter emphasises the importance of building a strong team, ensuring fair compensation, fostering diversity, and effective fundraising strategies. This episode is a must-listen for any playwright considering self-production, offering inspiration and actionable steps to bring a play to the stage on your own terms.

Connect with Paul

• Buy the book, The Writer's Toolkit
• Visit Paul's website
• Connect on Instagram @PaulKalburgi
• Connect on Twitter @PaulKalburgi

Connect with Winter

• Visit Winter’s website
• Follow Winter on Instagram
• Follow Winter on X
• Discover Winter’s plays
• Buy Winter's children's book, Not A Cat

Discover more about No One Is Forgotten

• Buy the published play text from Concord
• Listen to the opera
• Read the Playbill article about financing the production

Support the show!

This podcast is fuelled by coffee. If you'd like to support the show, please send some writing juice via the link below.

• Buy me a coffee
• Make a donation

Want to advertise or sponsor the show?

Click here to get in touch