In an age of mindless doom-scrolling, app alerts and algorithms, it's important for us to retain (or regain) control of our news consumption. We have infinite information at our fingertips but often feel bombarded by information we don't want and coerced into consuming content we don't need. To gain more from media, we can seek …
Category: Reflections
Home office beauty
Like the rest of the world, I've been working at home for months. I often debate, however, whether I'm working at home or actually sleeping at work. Sixteen hours of every day are spent sitting or lying in the same 3 metre by 6 metre space; my home office and bedroom are one and the …
What is repeat writing?
SOMETHING inside you desperately wants to write -- and keep writing, despite the embarrassment, financial uncertainty and accusations of attention-seeking (and "wanting to be famous") it might bring. You just feel a need to put your ideas into words, to share your stories (and those of others) and to pour out your heart. But there …
Crystal’s Ladder
A Short Play by Shane Worrell CHARACTERS RICHIE, a man sitting at home waiting for his internet to be installed CRYSTAL STEPHANIE ELLIOTT, a recently deceased former distant step-relative of the “world’s biggest movie star”, Clayton Chilton FEMALE TV PRESENTER, co-host of This Morning MALE TV PRESENTER, co-host of This Morning MAINTENANCE MAN, a guy …
The social media sidekick
A Short Play by Shane Worrell CHARACTERS KRYSTAL, manic, stylish social media celebrity CRYSTAL, Krystal’s enthusiastic new social media sidekick The setting is a lounge room. A couch is situated in the middle of the stage, facing the audience. On it, CRYSTAL sits, engrossed in her smartphone. She hears a knock on the door. She …
Farewell, my home
I take this moment to farewell my childhood home, which my parents have sold. They are moving to what is, frankly, a nicer house. It is a wise move that I fully support. I wish them all the comfort in the world, long into their retirement. I have immense love for our home – and …
Old Friend
Old Friend, let's traverse our memories, all the way together, Pretend we're small again and we've no storms to weather, Forget I ever hurt you -- and I'll forget that you hurt me, Old Friend, let's find new homes in this long, lost city. Old Friend, can we forget our one distant, disastrous year? Pretend …
They Use Violence, We Use Force
A Ten-Minute Play by Shane Worrell CHARACTERS ZACH, the incoming communications officer at the Ministry of Peace ALICE, the outgoing communications officer at the Ministry of Peace STANWELL, the communications department head at the Ministry of Peace The scene is a comfortable, lightly furnished office, typical of a high-ranking government official. The wall is adorned …
The Mount Pelee Survivors’ Club
This is written from the perspective of Ludger Sylbaris, who gained fame as the only* survivor of a volcanic explosion that killed some 40,000 people on the Caribbean island of Martinique in 1902. Mr Sylbaris survived because he had been arrested the day before the explosion and locked in a police cell underground. He was …
Shane Worrell 