The Story Behind the Script - Pews and Paranoia

I first came up with the idea for Pews and Paranoia in June 2015. I had been reading about the journalist, Georgi Markov, who had been assassinated in London in 1978. Many of you may not know his name, but the manner of his death was like something out of a spy movie: he was injected with a pellet of resin from the tip of an umbrella. That was enough to set the cogs turning in my head! As I recall, I had also recently watched Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much, and in hindsight that will have filtered into my imagination, too. For a while I had wanted to explore the paranoid fears of a man who was in over his head, and I had found my starting point!

I’ve always been interested in the use of a “femme fatale” in fiction, as I feel that they inject great potential into a storyline. They can be sultry, sophisticated, sexy or downright scary, but they add flavour and increase tensions and conflict in a dynamic way. Pews and Paranoia was my first attempt at creating such a character; I have created many more since, but I regard this initial character with fondness as I look back.

Upon re-reading the story, it is clear to me that I over-indulged in the history of the piece somewhat. I was reading history at the time as a student, and I was enamoured with the political intrigue surrounding the Soviet Union. I must say that Jonathan and his script writer, Andrew Faure, have done a wonderful job with The Hack, as it now skilfully bypasses this stumbling block!

As a side-note, I was living with the esteemed Mr, Le Roux at the time of writing, and so he had the dubious honour, (or perhaps the punishment), of reading the first drafts of Pews and Paranoia. He was kind enough to encourage me and drive me to complete the story, and for that I am extremely grateful. I was touched when Jonathan expressed a desire to produce a short film based on the story once it was finished, and I am honoured to be a part of this process. Jonathan and Andrew have done a fantastic job updating the setting and I am excited to see how The Hack will turn out! 

If you wish to read the original short story, you can find it here.