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A bit about ... Maria Roberts
by Conrad Astley21/ 7/2005
SALE-based playwright Maria Roberts sees her first play performed as part of the 24:7 festival - a week-long event which starts on Sunday and sees 105 one-hour plays performed at non-theatre venues such as pubs and clubs. White Wedding will be performed at the Kings Arms in Chapel Street. She is also working on a collection of short stories.
The first thing I do when I wake up is ... Roll
over and go back to sleep.
Ideally I would spend every day ... In the country
going for a walk and then going back to my computer and writing
stories.
If money was no object I would ... Probably buy a
house in the middle of nowhere, grow crops and live the good
life.
The greatest gift I have ever received was ... My
seven-year-old son Patrick. He's very loving and he's got an
enormous smile.
My one piece of advice would be ... Be happy with
the moment you're living in, and try not to want too many
things.
My first job was ... A bingo caller in Urmston
when I was 14.
I'm scared of ... The dark. I sleep with the light
on when I'm on my own.
I'm excited by ... Reading a book or seeing a film
or piece of theatre that's really unique. It seems like
everything's becoming mass produced so it's nice when you come
across something genuinely different.
If I could go back in time and do one thing again it would
be ... When I was growing up my mum used to say I should
stand on my tiptoes and stretch to help me grow, because we came
from a small family. She also said I shouldn't smoke and I should
eat my greens. I didn't listen to any of it and now I'm small, so
I'd go back and do that differently.
I love ... The rain. It seems we don't get enough
good rain here any more. There used to be days when it would chuck
it down and I don't think we get that any more. I really like going
out and playing in the puddles.
I hate ... I don't really hate anything but I
dislike hierarchy at all levels, either with the class system or in
employment.
You have to read ... Eve Green by Susan Fletcher.
It's on the Richard and Judy book list which automatically puts you
off but it's written in such a delicate way that's really
fresh.
Everyone should listen to ... Richard Ashcroft
every day. I do.
You must watch ... Millions by Danny Boyle, or
Jamon, Jamon - a Spanish film that had Penelope Cruz in it when she
was very young.
If I could be anyone else I would be ... I don't
think I'd want to be anyone else.
My biggest inspiration has been ... A book called
Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi, about a man who's just about to leave
his wife.
The first time I fell in love ... I think I was
15, but then I've fallen in love so many times since that it seems
pretty difficult to figure out which one is love.
I think God is ... A puppet master - just an
enormous entity, and sometimes life is a bit of a game.
I think the death penalty is ... Wrong. I don't
think one human ever has the right to say another should die.
My epitaph would be ... Hopefully it'll be: "She
was happy and she fulfilled her dream." There might be something to
do with sleep as well because I do like to sleep in the
afternoon.
Fur or faux? Faux.
Mayonnaise or salad cream? Mayo.
Eastenders or Coronation Street? Neither -
Emmerdale.
Daily Mail or Guardian? The Guardian or The
Independent.
Harry or William? William.
United or City? I'd have to say City because I
used to be a United fan but they became too greedy so I withdrew my
support.
Chav or scally? Scally.
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