A friend of mine’s father – a well known and successful actor – advised his son to steer clear of the theatre as a profession and set his sights on something less … uncertain. Needless to say my friend ignored his father’s advice and became a theatre director.
I can’t say I advised my own brood not to follow in my footsteps, though I was certainly full of misgivings when they did. The three of them pitched themselves into the media world: two of them as actors and one as a tv journalist. I must say I’m pleased that none of them decided to be a writer, given the UK writers’ average earnings. To make any kind of a success you need to be lucky. I have never been out of work in my career and for any writer that’s a hell of a blessing.
To date, though, none of my kids has any money to speak of. It’s the price you pay in 2023 for being actors, writers, directors, anything artsy. But they are to a man and woman fulfilled in their careers and that is priceless. Mind you, the two actors do have second strings to their bows, all vaguely related to their chosen professions. Very wise and a necessity these days for any actor.
The reason I mention all this is that my latest book – The Occasional Joseph Kemble – is about a theatrical dynasty. They appear not to have a care in the world. The grandfather is famous and revered, the father is well known and successful, the younger members up-and-coming. But then…
Into this almost idyllic setting steps a beautiful and enigmatic Argentinian woman. Isabella Morales. She attaches herself to one of the boys and sets about destroying the family. Simply because she can. And as the father, what does Marcus Lawlor do about it? What can anyone do, when evil, masquerading as true love, enters stage left? Not much.
The family is saved by the steely manoeuvres of the mother. Who else! It strikes me that the mothers of artsy families support many a dynastic troupe and in the process pick up a lorryload of pieces. Think Miss Ellie in Dallas (if you can go back that far!) It’s archetypal. The soap opera side of dynasties. Check out those familiar names on television and you’ll find many an offspring taking leading roles.. Then ask yourself who keeps them going. Nine times out of ten it’ll be the mother.
The Occasional Jonas Kemble is a departure for me from The Nathan Hawk Murder Mysteries. White Crane is the latest in the series and, incidentally, there’s a huge family element to Nathan Hawk’s life. Albeit at a distance. I’m halfway through writing another – the seventh.
That’s proving difficult, just at this moment. One of my sleeping partners and silent advisors – Lex – passed away last week and is now planted in the wood along with the rest of the family’s pets – or dynasties.
He’s in the company of dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits and a bearded dragon. There’s even a tarantula spider among them – my daughter’s constant companion when she was ten. She now has her own dog dynasty.
There’s another television great I’m late catching up with. Better Call Saul. God knows how I missed it. The writing and acting are superb. Vince Gilligan, the writer, has once again turned everything on its head, as he did with Breaking Bad. You find yourself rooting for the guy who does everything wrong for the right reasons. And hating the guy who does everything right for the wrong reasons. The dialogue is breathtaking.
