@carolinebirduk.bsky.social Thought you might like to know that customers who bought your poetry also drive forklift trucks and study physics at GCSE. Wish my demographic was as varied as yours!

Much overdue reorganisation of my bookshelves is happening (I’m in hyper-procrastination phase with three separate writing deadlines approaching). These are all poetry books, didn’t realise I had so many, now going in their own very prominent section rather than being mixed up with everything else.

A playlist of studio demos and workshop recordings from the first draft of Wildfire Season, an existential musical about highland firefighters. youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Last video from the Tell-Tale Hound demo sessions. This one's a moody act two number that gets a bit metal at the end (and anyone missing seeing me pant like a dog, just keep watching). Some good facial expressions from Felix in this one! youtu.be/XYwIbk2ud1k

This song was a lot of fun to make. Felix and I last duetted thirteen years ago and ended up punching each other (in the music video) so it felt good to record a song about friendship. In the musical it's sung by two women but feelings aren't gendered things so here it is gruff! youtu.be/Xssj_dt7RcM

I got together with some of the Bedlam Six (with Felix Hagan depping on drums and keys) to record a few demos for new musical The Tell-Tale Hound. Here’s how the opening currently sounds: youtu.be/n-_ngLZFmuw

Never too early for a poster! I love this image by @valliard.bsky.social. This show’s very dear to my heart, based on a notorious Bedlam Six song I wrote in 2007. Producers who like folk horror, panting dog puppets and fast lyrics get in touch!

This is one of the best shows I’ve EVER seen, can’t recommend it highly enough!

Some shots by Andrew Ab of my recent studio recording session with Felix Hagan and some of the Bedlam Six, making demos for new folk-horror musical The Tell-Tale Hound.

It’s been ages since anyone wanted to interview me (used to happen quite a lot believe it or not!) so I had such a lovely time doing this with @shaunpanda.bsky.social, talking about the music I love and the projects I’m working on (and inevitably Coraline!). open.spotify.com/episode/2gfv...

Haven’t recorded with Felix Hagan since we made the Jocasta soundtrack album 8yrs ago (before all his many Operation Mincemeat awards). We’ve had a lovely day ROCKING like we were still in our twenties. Looking forward to sharing the results with everyone!

In another universe it is the final night of the Coraline tour, I’m at the Lyceum theatre watching a show I wrote performed to a full house. In this universe I’m on standby duty at a neighbouring fire station!

I recruited Alan Cumming into the SFRS

Me and my girl

These people have to account for the deep hatred and revulsion they feel when watching others act out of sincerity, courage and compassion. It threatens and bewilders them, so they must explain it away as something they recognise and understand: moral vapidity and self-absorption

Wishing the indomitable Mincemeat team all the love and luck tonight for the Tonys.

Reading a treatment for a new musical from a book writer friend and I love this simple character description: Romantic. Grandiose. French.

For anyone interested in my new musical, here are four contrasting demos from the first draft. If you have a Bedlam Six itch that needs scratching, track four's probably the one for you! There are also little introduction videos to each one on my instagram. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

Please support disabled people who are facing having their access to work cut. This means that they will lose the jobs and careers they have worked so hard for, and their voices will be harder to hear. For those who want the link through it’s tinyurl.com/AtWLetter

This girl

Recording demos for #WildfireSeason. The brass WILL cause tears.

Something very suspicious about this little group

Best looking fire crew in Dunvegan

Send to your MP if you want to stop the continued persecution of trans people.

This new project has totally cured me of the Coraline disappointment. I still adore the songs I composed for that show but in the end it was always someone else’s. Wildfire Season feels like something only I could write. I'm absolutely thrilled by the interest it's getting in the theatre community!

Of course I’m not surprised Mincemeat has four Tony Award nominations, actually I’m surprised it doesn’t have more. Congratulations Spitlip!

Going back into the studio with some of my old Debt Records comrades in a couple of weeks, a thing that gives me such unbridled joy. Here’s one we recorded recently (a song from a cancelled show - basically therapy!). youtu.be/F-bR10gH9co?...

I’m at @thestage.co.uk Future Of Theatre conference today in London. If any of my Bluesky connections are there do come say hello!

Getting a few scenes on their feet and choreographed was really thrilling but the biggest relief at this stage is that the script works! It works! Needs a lot of rewrites but it works!

Last day of #WildfireSeason workshops. What an absolute joy this has been. What brilliant people and what a gorgeous theatre.

It would’ve been Coraline’s press night tonight. Who better to spend it with than @zinnieh.bsky.social!

I’m so excited about this musical. This workshop is so much fun. Anna Russell-Martin and Jami Reid-Quarrell are amazing! #WildfireSeason

Trans people have always existed, and will always exist. A court ruling cannot change this fact. However, it will impact the safety and legal protections for trans women - a marginalised community facing disproportionate levels of discrimination, harassment and violence.

Dream team for my workshop of #WildfireSeason at Edinburgh Festival Theatre Studio.

Day one of #WildfireSeason workshop was such a joy. Wonderful to have brilliant actors bringing the script to life so enthusiastically and really fun having my two jobs collide like this. Although it’s not the first time music and firefighting have combined, remember this? youtu.be/yZFSjqk5Y8A?...

In Edinburgh doing some last minute rewrites before tomorrow’s workshop. Forgotten how relentless @zinnieh.bsky.social’s cats are!

One good thing about being at wildfires pretty much every waking hour for the last week is that it completely distracted me from realising that Coraline would’ve been in previews now. Good to be busy and not be getting all morose about our lovely cancelled show.

Anyone else think this has “theatre promo image” for #WildfireSeason written all over it?

Took two days and eight crews to get this wildfire out. My crew did one eleven hour shift the first day, slept for two hours then did a ten hour shift. Exhausted!

Spent almost eleven hours with Dunvegan fire crew at this cute little roaster last night. No shortage of material for #WildfireSeason musical.

This time next week I’ll be at the first (hopefully not last!) workshop for my new musical #WildfireSeason. It’ll be a nice change from being at ACTUAL wildfires!

So pleased for the Benjamin Button team for their Olivier awards. Such a brilliant big-hearted musical.

My crewmate Miriam, looking like she’s doing the photoshoot for the greatest rock album ever.

The irony is not lost on me that the primary delay to finishing the first draft of my new musical #WildfireSeason is that I keep getting called out to wildfires!

When you’re trying to write a musical about firefighters but the pager interrupts. So hard to work in these conditions!

Happy UK Mothers Day. Here’s an aggressive song about maternal affection, the orphan of a cancelled musical. youtu.be/F-bR10gH9co?... #mothersday

For fifteen years I’ve been sharing the Bedlam Six’s 2010 single “Mother (why did you raise me this way?)” pretty much every UK Mother’s Day. Well we got back together to record a sequel, so you can send this one to the mums in your life tomorrow if you want to. www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-bR...