Episode 14: Vinay Patel

Chris chats to playwright and screenwriter Vinay Patel. Among other work, Vinay wrote An Adventure at the Bush Theatre in 2018 and has also written several episodes for Doctor Who. He also wrote Murdered By My Father (BBC One), following which he was selected as a 2016 BAFTA Breakthrough Brit and the film was nominated for several BAFTAs (including the win for Best Actor for Adeel Akhtar).

Topics include: shifting attitudes during lockdowns; the relevance of Chekhov during the pandemic; how COVID-19 may appear in future writing and entertainment; how Vinay became a writer; the importance of backing yourself; almost not writing Murdered By My Father; the differences between writing for theatre and writing for television; striking a balance between staging large-scale productions versus small-scale productions; dream projects for the future; Vinay’s advice for aspiring writers.

Photo credit: Helen Murray