Plays

“Phil Olsen’s The Chat Room was perhaps the most intriguing work of the night; a surreal, Lynch-lite short journey into an unusual town. How does Joy know Ike’s favourite dish, even though he’s never been in her café before? What caused the mysterious craters that Harlowe (TV actor David Lonsdale, best known for Heartbeat) is giggling about over his daily toastie? It was well-realised, funny, a little disorienting, and the pay-off was satisfying.”

—Vicky Anderson, reviewing ‘It’s Play Time’ for Made Up Liverpool

Six short plays including Phil’s ‘The Chat Room’ were preformed at Lantern Theatre Liverpool in October 2014.

The Chat Room

Phil’s short play ‘The Chat Room’ was performed at Lantern Theatre Liverpool in October 2014.

Chosen through a competition organised by Liverpool’s Writing on the Wall, he participated in a series of monthly workshops led by scriptwriter Julian Perkins and literary agent Diane Culverhouse. His resulting play was staged alongside five others in October 2014.

Curtain call at Lantern Theatre Liverpool
Curtain call at Lantern Theatre Liverpool. The six writers take to the stage at the end of ‘It’s Play Time’ (Phil is third from left).

Fleeing Town Forever 

Phil’s short play ‘Fleeing Town Forever’ was performed at Lantern Theatre Liverpool in January 2015.

It was staged alongside five other writers’ short plays to a full house. The event was the culmination of a Lantern Theatre Writers’ Development Group, of which Phil was a member between 2014-15.

A pair of fake magazines, props from the play Fleeing Town Forever
A pair of fake magazines used as props in Fleeing Town Forever. ‘Perky PPI Callers’ and ‘Scantily-Clad Scaffolders’ were available at the late-night petrol station.