Blog: A Different Kind Of Interview

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Yesterday lunchtime I headed across town to A University Campus In London to do an INTERVIEW for an MA in Playwriting And So Forth that I've applied for. On the way I thought "Should I not have done some more formal preparation for this?" but then realised that I've spent the past TWO MONTHS not only THINKING about it, but running through INTERVIEWS about it in my head. Also, I thought, they'd seen my SCRIPT and whatever they wanted to know I ought to be able to TELL them. It's not, I reassured myself, a JOB interview - I'm paying them to EMPOWER me with THORTS.

Being a) SUPER KEEN b) middle aged I arrived 15 minutes early, which caused all sorts of commotion. The chap at the reception desk rang around LOADS of people to find someone to deal with me, and sent me back over to another building, where a man who looked EXACTLY like a Lecturer In Novels came to meet me. "I lecture in novels!" he said, "What questions would you like to ask?" "I rather thought you'd be asking me," i said - he didn't realise I'd come for an Actual Interview, so went back upstairs and got someone from MY section of the course, who came down a few minutes later and took me back to the original building, where I waited while she fetched my FILES.

It may sound like a bit CHAOTIC, writing it down like this, but the main thing that struck me throughout the five minutes described was how HELPFUL everyone was trying to be. A total of FOUR different people (including the receptionist at the second building) were trying to sort me out, and it was all really caused by an EXCESS of help.

So, we went into a ROOM and had an INTERVIEW, which was a LOT of fun. When filling in the application form I thought that, as I was applying for a course in NARRATIVE I might as well include one in the "Why do you want to do this?" bit, so briefly mentioned the story of how I got a place at an MA in Playwriting back in 1991 so couldn't do it, and this was the first question ASKED by the Interview Lady, and I was thus DELIGHTED to be able to tell her the whole story again. I was delighted to tell MANY stories in fact, although I had to be on my guard and she was INTERROGATIVE. Whenever I'd say something like "... and I learnt all sorts from that" she'd say "Like what?" It was harder work than, say, a fanzine interview, but thanks to the many many Daydream Interview Rehearsals I had ready answers.

I was also really really REALLY pleased when she said she'd enjoyed the script - I'd sent a copy of "Moon Horse" and was a bit worried that it was TOO SILLY, but she seemed really pleased with it and said all SORTS of nice things, which modesty prevents me from repeating here, hem hem, but GOLLY it did make me happy. The only place I fell DOWN really was when she asked me what PLAYS I'd been to see - I reeled off a few we'd seen in Edinburgh, but wasn't really getting away with it. Eventually I had to say that I'd not had much TIME due to all the GIGGING (which is TRUE), and then she asked how I'd manage THAT alongside two nights a week doing an MA.

I then found myself saying out loud something I've only really said in my HEAD or at HOME - "I'm going to have to do a lot less gigs". It felt RIGHT to be saying it "officially" like this, so I'll say it here too - if I do get to do this MA I'm going to be doing a LOT less gigs over the next couple of years. Hopefully the same number of Vlads gigs - that's very do-able! - but not many solo gigs, so hey! The Kids! If you're hankering to see me, make sure you do before September, there won't be so many chances after that!

What is that distant sound? Is it the distant rumble of MILLIONS of THE KIDS booking tickets and/or offering me emergency gigs? Or... er... not?

Anyway, she then moved on to telling me more about the course itself. It sounded TERRIFICALLY exciting and EXACTLY the sort of thing I'd like to do. I fear I may have just sat there GRINNING and NODDING MANICALLY at everything, as it all sounded so GRATE, and I ended up having to go "Er... no, it all sounds brilliant!" when she asked if I had any more questions. I'm sure that's not right!

We shook hands and I wandered off back to the tube station full of IDEAS and HOPES. I'd bloody love to do this course, I really hope they agree!

posted 22/3/2012 by MJ Hibbett

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