We sat down to chat with Linda Walton to see what’s she’s been up to since winning the 2017 Screenwriting Award at Churches Making Movies. In addition to working on several new projects, she has a new grandchild and has become a full time writer. She and her adoring hubby were heading from their London home to vacay in Antigua when I called her, but she took time out for this quick interview.
Linda has been very busy with her writing projects, all of which sound super intriguing. King Babylon, the musical for which she won the 2017 Best Screenwriting Award at CMM, is drawn from the book of Daniel in the Old Testament. The musical film explores the exciting story through the medium of pop/rock music with comedy provided by the arrogant diviner and hapless cousin of the king. Following in the footsteps of global sensation, Joseph and his amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, King Babylon seeks to engage and entertain audiences of adults and children alike the world over.
“After I won the prize at CMM, it opened up two doors to have my script read by two major Hollywood production companies Pureflix and Affirm. It was a great honor to have feedback on it. I am making some changes, then I will resubmit,” said Walton.
Walton is contemplating staging a production of the script; however, she is finding it difficult to find a theatre in the UK willing to do so.
“A hero with strong faith is something we just don’t have the same market for as you guys have over there,” she said. “There’s a real antipathy towards anything with praising God at the moment. Lots of theaters wouldn’t touch it. Audiences want something much more secular. That is what I am up against so we have to be clever.”
Walton is considering staging the project with students as a way to gain support to enter the professional. It won’t be the first time that she has worked with students. Walton was commissioned in 2012 to write The Salsa Sisters for a young people’s troupe. The play, set in 1950s Cuba, is about sisters who were talented musicians who wrote and sang Salsa music which was somewhat scandalous in the 1950s Cuba.
“Women just didn’t do that then. I liked writing about strong women doing something very interesting.”
Walton continues exploring her interests in strong women with The Scandalous Mrs. Norton, a screenplay, about Caroline Elizabeth Sarah Norton, an English social reformer in mid-nineteenth century who after leaving her husband in 1836, was denied visits with her children.
“She took to the process of changing the laws which eventually led to the passing of the
Custody of Infants Act of 1839.”
Walton comes back to her musical roots with Girl from La Boca set in the Red Light District of Buenos Aires. The story is about a successful artist who wants to use his art to clean up the district, but finds himself looking for his true love who is dating a mafia boss.
“He wins her love and escapes the bad guy,” said Walton.
It had its first reading earlier this month at one of London’s leading theater schools. “It’s so exciting to hear your work – that’s when it really comes alive," said Walton.
Having given up her full time business, Walton is now delighted to be writing full time. This means she can work on several pieces at the same time. “My finances are tighter but the joy and fulfillment I get from writing is more important, plus I feel it’s my calling and I’m being faithful to God.”