The first preview for ‘Only the Men’ was last night and I thought this might be a good time to list some of the things I like about my job (in no particular order):

- Hearing the first titter of laughter from an audience because of a line I’ve written.
- Having strange ideas and seeing them turn into reality (well, not really reality but you know what I mean).
- Seeing an actor turn a piece of household furniture into a mountain and believing every second of the climb.
- All the amazing people who work in theatre.
- Working with Katherine.
- Learning lots of new things all the time.
- Finding all the different ways that collaboration can happen.
- Music.
- The stomach churn before a show starts.
- Applause.
- Having an idea, researching it, sitting alone and writing it.
- Discovering what other people find when they read what I write.
- Surprise.
- Occasionally making myself cry when I write something sad.
- Seeing characters come alive when great actors get inside them.
- Discovering what audiences find when they see what I have written performed.
- Sucking people in to an intense emotional experience.
- Sitting at the back of the rehearsal room, watching and listening.
- Making things.
- The moment when the stomach churn relaxes.
- Having a pint after.