Merry New Year.

The year started with my SF horror short story ‘Heat’ being published as part of KZINE issue 8 (Kimota Press), edited by Graeme Hurry. Graeme has released three excellent issues of KZINE this year, recently introducing guest editorials from the likes of Stephen Gallagher and Mark Morris, which have both proven hugely worthwhile additions to great array of stories from up-and-coming and established genre writers.

I was also delighted to be published as part of the mighty Terror Tales series, edited by best-selling author and all-round good guy Paul Finch. My horror short story ‘The Offspring’ appears in Terror Tales of Wales (Gray Friar Press), which is a strong edition of an already prolific and robust catalogue of regional short horror collections. I remember picking up the first collection at my first Fantasycon in 2011 and loving it, so it’s slightly surreal to now be part of one. It was a great honour and thrill to be published alongside such legends as Stephen Volk, Tim Lebbon & Priya Sharma among many others, making a writing ambition become a reality. Huge and grovelling thanks to both Graeme and Paul for their support and for letting me get my words out there.

I was also very pleased to be part of Wattpad’s ‘Featured List’ this year. ‘The Good Death Guide’ has reached an astonishing 70,000 reads across the year, with hundreds of lovely comments and reviews from Wattpad users. It’s great to have my work read by so many people and be part of a wonderful community of writers. I’d be a fool not to try and capitalise on the story’s success, so early in 2015 I plan to release an extended version of the story as part of a small short story collection on Amazon, entitled The Good Death Guide & Other Tales, for a very tiny fee. One of the short stories featured is co-written with my partner Ellen Gallagher, so is particularly special to me. If you pick up a copy, I hope you enjoy it.

I was also lucky enough to see two of my plays appear in London theatres this year. The Probleming, a horror comedy, debuted at the Tristan Bates Theatre in the West End, and my SF comedy Pilgrim Shadow returned to the stage at the Dugdale Centre in North London later in the year. I also directed Ray Newell’s lovely comic farce A Recipe for Disaster alongside Pilgrim Shadow in a double bill at the Dugdale. It was a privilege to once again work with the immensely talented Adam Joselyn and Cliff Chapman this year, as well as to meet and work with actors Emma Stirling and Robert Ashford. I can’t wait to work with you all again the near future.

I also had a great Fantasycon this year with the Gallagher clan, and was delighted to connect and reconnect with so many writers that I admire - those I missed I hope to see next time. I’m not worthy.

I hope 2015 is just as busy, if not busier. Two brand new theatre productions are in the works, and I’m currently working on a number of spec scripts for TV and radio in order to broaden my arsenal and hopefully, eventually progress into writing for audio and the screen. As well as my short story collection, I’m also working on some other fiction projects, including a graphic novel and new short stories, and welcome any other opportunities that come along on the way.

The Double Bill

My science fiction comedy Pilgrim Shadow and Ray Newell's A Recipe for Disaster (which I am directing) begin a run as a double bill next week at the Dugdale Centre in North London. Tickets are still available, so if you're interested head to www.dugdalecentre.co.uk to book yourself some tickets!

Rik Mayall.

A bit late I know, but as Rik would say - 'piss off, who cares'. I'm not going to try and spin you a yarn – I'm just going to tell you the facts.

I didn't know Rik - I'm just another fan who never met him. I was brought up on 80s and 90s British comedy, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that from the ages of seven to fourteen, I wanted to be Rik Mayall. The first comedy script I remember writing was an episode of Bottom. I was about 10 at the time, did it with another boy who had the same fixation with it as me. We’d write it, act it out – brilliant fun. The script itself was shit, but it was brilliant fun. Around the same time I had a lot of confidence issues. I was an insecure little kid, always nervous about the next day, thinking ahead of all the things that could go wrong. Quoting and repeating put-downs I heard on Bottom to bullies was my only defence in an all-boys secondary school that felt like some kind of dystopian prison. My group of friends at that school were all Bottom fans - that was our common ground. In 2003, I saw Bottom live in Hammersmith with two of those friends, who cosplayed as Richie and Eddie for the evening. It was the final tour that Rik and Ade Edmondson would ever do together, so I’m glad I saw them perform together when I had the chance.

My plays have been compared to Bottom on more than one occasion, which I can only take a great compliment. Rik Mayall's work on The Young Ones, The Comic Strip, Blackadder had a profound influence on not just my writing, but my sense of humour, who my friends are, my career, and my personality. If Rik Mayall hadn’t have been a thing, I may have ended up an accountant. Close shave. Recently, I bought The New Statesman box set, and it’s like discovering Rik all over again. His effortless charisma, his paranormal comic timing, his presence – this man could make anything funny. I can’t imagine how amazing it would have been to work with him, or even just going for a pint with the one-man comedy tornado that was Rik.

Rik is the first of my personal heroes to die, and he won't be the last, but he just might be the greatest comedian who ever lived. No-one was a good as Rik in his prime.

Pilgrim Shadow / A Recipe for Disaster. Comedy Double Bill. The Dugdale Centre, 20th, 21st, 22nd November 2014.

'The Future Boys are back! This Autumn will see the return of PILGRIM SHADOW, Steve Jordan's acclaimed science fiction comedy play from last year's Camden Fringe Festival. Join Tyler and Gary, the Future Boys, as they embark on a quest for a lost treasure haul in the far reaches of the galaxy.

The show will run as part of a double bill with Ray Newell's A RECIPE FOR DISASTER, with both plays starring Cliff Chapman and Adam Joselyn. So, even if you've seen Pilgrim Shadow before, there's a whole new play as part of the bargain! 

The show will run for three nights, 20th, 21st and 22nd November 2014, at the Dugdale Centre in Enfield, North London as part of a joint production between Bad Bat and the Enfield Theatre Co-Op. And guess what? Tickets are on sale NOW.' - taken from badbat.co.uk

The Probleming Reviews

★★★★ '...the quality of Jordan's writing has always been in his characterisation, ensuring each is given just as a particularly well-crafted arc as the plot. Here, the trio are unravelled in just three, well-considered and tightly-crafted scenes that do justice to the whole piece... Just round the corner, you could plonk your cash down for (Jeremy Dyson's) Ghost Stories. Yet if the audience on my evening is anything to go by, you could save a good £30 a ticket. The laughs come thick and fast, in all different varieties. Whether you love the cheesey, slightly nerdy references Jordan seems to revel in or the swears intelligently placed like landmines across the place, this has 'em all... Jordan cares for his characters, well-evidenced throughout, and juggling a trio well. Scripts are, frankly, impeccable... it's this continued attention to detail that makes Jordan's writing such a great investment at any level.' - Views From the Gods.

'Steve Jordan's best play yet. A diverting blend of comedy and horror, with a nice line in really foul-mouthed profanity.' - Andrew Cartmel, novelist and screenwriter.

'The chemistry between Gallagher and Stirling is rather like French and Saunders in the days of old or if you prefer a sitcom example, like Baldrick and Blackadder... Joselyn is note perfect as the socially-awkward Dave, whose cheerful demeanour is offset by his strange behaviour. The best thing about The Probleming though is the characterisation of all three parts. None feel underdeveloped and all have their moments to shine. Some of the biggest surprises come from unexpected moments of pathos that creep up on you between the laughs.' - Female Arts

'Atmospheric... Adam Joselyn as Dave is spot on with a combination of social awkwardness and ambiguity and comes with a childlike enthusiasm about his passion. Emma Stirling as Cynthia is sarcastic and cynical and her superiority complex shows through. And the cheerful and naive Nicole, played by Ellen Gallagher is positively infectious.' - The Public Reviews

Horror times!

Tickets for my new play, THE PROBLEMING, a comedy horror, are on sale now. The play runs from 28th July to 2nd August at the lovely Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden as part of Camden Fringe 2014. The play tells the story of three unlikely friends ghost-hunting through their university grounds at night, and discover more than they bargained for! You can buy tickets from the theatre's website.

For more info, posters, news and other bits and pieces on THE PROBLEMING, visit Bad Bat Productions.

Continuing the horror vibe, TERROR TALES OF WALES, the latest anthology from the eponymous series edited by bestselling author Paul Finch, is on sale now on Amazon. The anthology features a short story of mine entitled 'The Offspring'. The book looks to be selling very well - many thanks all who spent their hard earned cash on it!

It's going to be a busy month!

Terror Tales of Wales

I'm delighted to say that my short story THE OFFSPRING will be included in TERROR TALES OF WALES, the next instalment of the TERROR TALES series - a collection of regional British horror anthologies edited by bestselling author and screenwriter Paul Finch.

I'm already a big fan of the series, so have a story included in such a great collection with so many true masters of the horror genre is a big deal for me. A huge thank you to Paul for the opportunity.

The book, which will be released in June, is available to pre-order now on the Gray Friar website. Here's the back-cover blurb.

Wales – ‘Land of my Fathers’, cradle of poetry, song and mythic rural splendour. But also a scene of oppression and tragedy, where angry spirits stalk castle and coal mine alike, death-knells sound amid fogbound peaks, and dragons stir in bottomless pools …


The headless spectre of Kidwelly

The sea terror off Anglesey

The soul stealer of Porthcawl

The blood rites at Abergavenny

The fatal fruit of Criccieth

The dark serpent of Bodalog

The Christmas slaughter at Llanfabon

And many more chilling tales by Stephen Volk, Tim Lebbon, Simon Clark, Priya Sharma, John Llewellyn Probert and other award-winning masters and mistresses of the macabre.

Previous books in the series include -  TERROR TALES OF THE LAKE DISTRICT, TERROR TALES OF THE COTSWOLDS, TERROR TALES OF EAST ANGLIA, TERROR TALES OF LONDON and, my personal favourite, TERROR TALES OF THE SEASIDE.

Interview with The New Current

'Writer & director Steve Jordan recently spoke with The New Current about Bad Bat's upcoming debut production, THE PROBLEMING.

'Was it challenging writing a horror comedy play?

While writing my style of comedy has always come naturally to me because I grew up on classic British sitcoms, the horror aspect is more challenging. I think there’s a lot more funny comedy out there than genuinely scary horror, so we want to make sure we don’t short-change our audiences with something half-heartedly spooky. When the play moves into horror, expect edge of your seat stuff.

I think SHAUN OF THE DEAD and SCREAM are two excellent examples of of the genre, though SCREAM is often billed as a straight-forward slasher, I see it more as a incredible parody of one (in a good way) - there's a reason why the two genres are such common bedfellows. In my mind, they can both fold seemlessly into the other.'

Read the entire interview on their website, HERE. Tickets are on sale now.' 

taken from bad bat.co.uk

The Probleming - Tristan Bates Theatre, 28th July - 2nd August 2014. 7.45pm.

'Bad Bad Productions is delighted to announce that our next theatrical production will be THE PROBLEMING, a horror comedy by Steve Jordan. The show will run at the Tristan Bates Theatre in Covent Garden for six evening performances, from Monday 28th July to Saturday 2nd August 2014 at 7.45pm. The show will be part of this year's Camden Fringe Festival, and will star Emma Stirling as 'Cynthia', Adam Joselyn as 'Dave' and Ellen Gallagher as 'Nicole'.

For Cynthia, university life is a living nightmare. She hates her peers, her campus and she's beginning to hate herself. Her only ‘friend’ is Nicole - a scatterbrained party girl who gravitated towards Cynthia because of a shared loneliness. In an effort to move up the social ladder, they join the only student society that appealed - the Speculative Analysis Society (Spec Anal for short) - a group that seeks to prove the existence of the paranormal. As it turns out, it’s not a group at all; just a fella in a bow-tie named Dave, a lone ghost enthusiast who believes that the isolated rural campus of Trent Park University is haunted by the spirits of the witches that were once burnt on the grounds of the campus. Cynthia’s sceptical, but the trio venture out into the seemingly endless fields at night. Is the tale a harmless fantasy? Or will they uncover a deadly truth?'

This will be Bad Bat's first Camden Fringe run, though the team have had years of success at the Fringe as part of ManMoth Productions. This will be the team's second run at the wonderful Tristan Bates Theatre, a lovely theatre in the heart of London's West End. We're delighted to be opening the Camden Fringe at the Tristan Bates as their first show of the festival. We aim to be a tough act to follow. Expect laughs, scares and a whole bunch of fun.

Tickets will be £10, and go on sale on the 1st of June 2014. Check back soon for details on how to book and more info about Bad Bat productions!'  Taken from badbat.co.uk

'The Good Death Guide' makes the Wattpad Featured Story List

What a busy week! My short story THE GOOD DEATH GUIDE has been chosen by Wattpad to be a part of their ongoing 'Featured Story List'. The story was previously short listed in the Fine Line Short Story competition in 2011, so it's great that the story is finally reaching a wider audience.

The list promotes content reviewed and approved by staff and an editorial review board, so it's very exciting to be chosen. My story has already garnered nearly 2,000 reads, which is unbelievable really. Wattpad currently hosts over 16 million writers, so is a great platform to have fiction read by a huge audience, and the staff work hard to find work to recommend to their growing users.

I currently have four other short stories available free to read on Wattpad, mostly science fiction and fantasy. If you get a chance to read them, I hope you enjoy them!

KZINE issue 8 out now

KZINE issue 8, featuring my science fiction horror short story HEAT, is available now on amazon. Click here for further details.

It’s terrific to have been selected for publication for a second time in such a great genre magazine, catering for those who enjoy a wide range of diverse genre fiction like myself.

HEAT tells the story of a teenage girl who babysits an anti-social boy genius with an unhealthy obsession - pro wrestling.  I hope that the tale really hammers home the expression ‘a little knowledge is a dangerous thing’.

This story has a bit of everything I love in it. It took time and effort to get it right, and I’m extremely happy with the end product. I'm thrilled it's found a platform where it will be read, and hopefully enjoyed. And if you enjoy it, a review on Amazon saying so would be hugely appreciated.

Casting Call

'We are now accepting applications for the lead role in THE PROBLEMING, Steve Jordan's new horror comedy play. Please click HERE to apply. We’re looking for someone professional and committed to take on our lead role and become a crucial part of our small but extremely successful (even if we say so ourselves, and we do, often) team. The closing date is 15th Feb 2014.

We will be announcing further details in the next couple of months - can't wait to tell you all about it!' from the Bad Bat website.