Mark Griffiths is a playwright (The Lullaby Witch, The Impossibility Club and The Queen of Horror ) and a published author (the “Spy Toys” and “Space Lizards” series). He is also a dedicated Douglas Adams fan. He wrote a play about Douglas Adams named “We Apologise for the Inconvenience – an infinitely improbable play about Douglas Adams”.
“It’s 1984 and Douglas Adams’s editor has locked him in a hotel room in a desperate attempt to get the reluctant author to finish the 4th book in his popular Hitchhiker’s Guide trilogy. Notoriously bad with deadlines, Adams is far too busy distracting himself with Life, the Universe and Anything Else Apart From Writing to care, including reflections on his failed Hollywood career, PG Wodehouse, evolution, his relationship with the Pythons and the fine art of tea-making. Will he make the deadline? (Clue: no.) Oh, and there’s a talking duck in it.”
If we had any doubt left, in an interview on View From The Cheap Seat website, Mark Griffits confirms he’s a huge Douglas Adams’ fan: “Seeing the TV version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I was 10 completely blew my mind. Here was a show that was funny, surprisingly dark (people often forget that nowadays!) and scientifically literate. His voice – that combination of Wodehousian chattiness and scientific language – was hugely appealing and made a tremendous impact on me. I wouldn’t say you need to be a fan of someone to base a play on them. You just need an interesting slant or story to tell. I came across the incident the play is based on (Adams being locked in his hotel room to get him to finish a book) in Nick Webb’s biography of Adams Wish You Were Here. Webb even suggests that it might make a two-hander play! When I read that I thought, I write plays, I’m very interested in Douglas Adams. If anyone has to write this play, it’s me!”
It’s on in Liverpool on 21 and 22 Nov and Manchester on 25 Nov. You can book here :
https://www.fatsoma.com/room-5064-productions
Interview with Mark Griffiths on View From The Cheap Seat website: https://viewfromthecheapseat.com/2017/09/21/spotlight-on-we-apologise-for-the-inconveniences-playwright-mark-griffiths/
