Wake up people! It’s the 21st Century.

It’s the age of the internet, mobile phones, voice over IP, iPods, iTunes, DVD, BluRay, YouTube… You name it. Theatre is irrelevant in this modern age. Isn’t it?

Not to me. And it shouldn’t be to you!

Theatre is more relevant than ever. Or in my opinion, it should force it to become even more relevant and accessed by far more people.

Technology is great and I’m the first person to admit that I’m a complete gadget freak! But it has its weaknesses. And the one weakness it presents today is the one that it aims to remove: Distance.

Technology aims to remove the problems entailed by distance; you can talk to your Auntie in Australia, order that amazing new games console from the US and have it delivered to your door. All of which is great.

But when do you actually come face-to-face with someone?

We’ve moved into a world where we communicate over the ether. And it’s become too easy.

If you’re afraid to tell someone something uncomfortable, you can fire off a quick email – that way you don’t have see their face when they receive that news. Some people have even been fired by email and text!

And we are strange creatures. We need entertaining. And we demand varied entertainment all the time. You may be able to entertain your dog with a ball on a daily basis, but offer that to a human being, and they’ll soon get bored (unless they’re a premiership football player – or is it the £60,000 per week that keeps them entertained).

We have now placed that distance into our entertainment. The public love TV. They love the movies. They love DVDs. And YouTube is fantastic! But where are the real people?

MP3 players have revolutionised the way we listen to music. The internet supports that revolution. But every die-hard music fan will tell you there is nothing like a live performance.

The flaw we have with TV entertainment is plethora of ‘Live!’ entertainment. But it keeps theatres going. What am I talking about? This attraction of drawing a theatre audience if you take a TV show and add ‘Live!’ to the end of it…

‘The Fast Show.’, ‘Little Britain’, ‘The Mighty Boosh’, What Ever TV Sketch Show Is En Vouge’… stick a ‘Live!’ on the end and the box-office is going to be flooded with calls.

Unfortunately, the people that go and see those shows don’t think that other forms of theatre are going to entertain them the same way.

More unfortunately… They’re right.

Theatre is elitist.

A sad fact but true.

I aim to reverse that.

I write plays that I want to see. Plays that make me feel as entertained as watching my favourite SitComs on TV – but more so. Because it’s going to be live in front of me. Plays that will give me as big a buzz as hearing my favourite track played by my favourite band at a live concert – sharing it with others, rather than limit myself to enjoying it in the living room with my family.

So you won’t find any hidden symbolism in a blood-stained sofa indicating the futility of change. You’ll find something that is there to entertain an audience.

I do insert messages into my plays. But that is not the reason to see one. I want you to see the play because it will entertain you – live! If you walk away from the theatre with a new perspective on a subject – all the better. But did you enjoy yourself this evening.

I want to take theatre back to people, not to an elite minority. Read one of my plays and see what I am talking about. Even better – put one on in your local theatre. Or if you want to do the very best thing… Buy a few tickets and take your friends and see a JaysPlays.