Quite honestly, I don't know what the other crew member is, exactly. I mean, yes you have the Alpha, Female Alpha, Right Hand, Joker, Tech guy(thank you "Furious 7" for that list).
But that's if you have a big heist crew.
The Gutter Rats aren't a Big Heist Crew.
So I'm not sure what exactly Jago's "role in the crew" is.
But I do know he's reckless, and passionate, and the youngest, so I guess that makes him...the Heart?
Maybe?
Anyway....
Jago LeValle is the final member of the Gutter Rat crew. Like everyone else, he has an animal parallel(because everyone in the Sherwood Cycle does). It's a squirrel.
I know, I know, I've said before how I feel about these bushy-tailed--things but this particular animal fits Jago's persona. Squirrels are symbols of passion, preparedness, ambition, peace, joy, and lightheartedness). See? Perfect fit.
And in my head he looks like this:
This is Hnery Golding, from "Crazy Rich Asians", "Last Christmas" and most recognizable currently as Snake Eyes in the "Snake Eyes" reboot (which BEAUTIFUL, by the way, I don't care what anyone says). Mostly it's the sound of his voice that I adore. There's something in his speech pattern and tone register that just seems to scream "Jago" at me. (Also, he's related to a certain person in the Sherwood Cycle, so that's cool)
Here's his soundtrack:
Push It, by Rick Ross
Kingdom (feat. League of Legends), by JAXON GAMBLE
Starts Right Here (feat. Kenny Mason & Foreign Air), by League of Legends
Caught in the Fire (feat. Sam Tinnesz), by Tommee Proffitt
Not because he's bigger or stronger than anyone else in the Gutter Rats (ok, fine, there's only three in the crew but still)
But because this is a man who has Intimidation down to an Art.
You know those characters in films and tv shows that just stand in a corner and the first time you see them you think "oh, crap, that is so not someone I ever want to screw with"?
Well, that's Bellamy.
To a T.
He's one of those people who when they say jump, they expect to hear "how high".
Except the Scorpion's Nest isn't ever among those people, so that's fun!
For someone who's perfected the Art of Intimidation, Bellamy has an interesting animal parallel. It's--a rabbit.
Doesn't look very harmless, does it? But, if anyone has ever read or seen "Watership Down"(both the BBC/Netflix miniseries and the frankly terrifying 1970s animated film) you'll know that rabbits can be downright deadly. They have vicious little claws that can slice their attackers like nobody's business and are certainly animals you don't want to piss off even if they do look all cute a fluffy.
Rabbits symbolize survival, divination, wit, psychic abilities, abundance and protection, which are all facets to Bellamy's personality. He might look totally harmless, but if you threaten the Gutter Rats, you're dead before you hit the floor(sometimes literally).
Bellamy's model is someone that I adore watching onscreen, whether he's running around in 16th-century leather armor, or disabling bombs in Iraq, or meekly helping a very creepy Ben Barnes carry out his plans to take over the world(I actually felt really bad watching him do this, poor guy).
This is Luke Pasquilino from BBC's "Musketeers", Netflix's "Shadow and Bone", and BBC's "Our Girl"--among other things. Having seen and loved him in all of these roles(including the meek crony of Ben Barnes, see above) I would love to see him lock horns with the Scorpion's Nest.
Made For The Battle, by UNSECRET & GAITS(originally, this was just part of the soundtrack, but the more I listed to it, the more it sounded like Bellamy, so there you go)
Won’t Go Down Easy, by JAXON GAMBLE
Bad Boy For Life, by Black Rob, Mark Curry & P. Diddy
So remember when I said that "Scorpion's Nest" had a heist type plot?
Well, one of the things in a heist-type plot has to do with rivalry either between the heroes and the villains or with in the heist crew, or with another crew pulling the same job.
This particular plot deals with the latter.
The Scorpion's Nests is going head to head with the Gutter Rats. Which is kind of amazing. The particular crew is rougher around the edges than the Scorpion's Nest, but they're also a bit more polished in terms of how they work together(since this is Declan/Enzo/Mai pre "Nottingham's Legacy", and all). They even have their own theme tracks:
Reckless, by JAXON GAMBLE
Dangerous, by UNSECRET and Manafest
Remember the Name, by Fort Minor
Every successful crew has to have a leader--the "Brains" as it were. In this particular instance, the "Brains" of the Gutter Rats is:
Petra.
I love this woman.
Ok, fine so I tend to "love" all of my women characters, so this isn't a new sentiment. I haven't written a female character yet that I despise(ok, some of the villainesses are kinds icky, but that doesn't mean they aren't fun to write).
Petra is shrewd and tenacious and level-headed and maybe just the tiniest bit self-sacrificing. She's protective of her fellow Gutter Rats and will do anything to keep them alive.
Literally anything.
In my head, she looks like this:
This is Anna Popplewell, known for the Chronicles of Narnia films, the television show Reign, and most recently as the narrator for AJ Pearce's Emmy Lake Chronicles(which--even though there's only one book so far unitl the second one comes in...August, I think?--are fantastic, by the way)
Petra's soundtrack is relatively short at the moment, but still pretty good. It gives a little insight to her personality:
They're back with more demands, because of course they are.
Declan was introduced in first play in the Sherwood Cycle(which has gone from being titled "Lure of the Fox", to "Locke and Cage" and is now permanently called "Beyond Sherwood"); and Enzo and Mai where introduced in the final Sherwood Cycle play(Nottingham's Legacy).
Now they get their own show.
And I'm not upset about it.
Because, you know, Dark Horses and all of that.
Only this time, it's the Scorpion's Nest before they were actually "The Scorpion's Nest."
Yes, I know I've said before how much I loathe The Origin Story, but this is one I can actually get behind, since it doesn't deal with Well Established Characters or any of that.
Plus, the little devil in my head loves throwing people who have little to nothing in common into the same room and watching them hash it out.
Because of course I do.
Thanks to "Nottingham's Legacy" I have most of the Scorpion's Nest soundtrack figured out, but recently, there have been a couple of new additions which I love, such as
Here We Go, by Chris Classic
Who's Gonna Stop Me (feat. Yung Youth), by Tommee Proffitt
Animal I have Become, by Three Days Grace
La La Land, by Adam Jensen
Gladiator, by Zayde Wolf
Running For Your Life, by UNSECRET
We Runnin (feat. Beacon Light), by Tommee Proffitt
Eat Them Apples, by Zuzi Woo
THE BADDEST (feat. Bea Miller), by K/DA, (G)I-DLE, and Wolftyla
Pain, by Adam Jensen
Here I Am(feat. Brooke), by Tommee Proffitt
Dangerous Game(feat. Sam Tinnesz), by UNSECRET
Lowlife, by Adam Jensen
I Am Legend(feat. Colton Dixon), by Tommee Proffitt
Ain't About You(feat. Kiiara), by Wonho
Chills, by Why Don't We
Rescue(feat. Raine Wilder & Svcerina), by Tommee Proffitt
Cocaine Shame, by Adam Jensen
Better Together(feat. Sam Tinnesz), by UNSECRET
Undefeated(feat. Beacon Lights), by Tommee Proffitt
Wolves, by Coasts
Ok, fine, so apparently there have been quite few additions to the soundtrack and I'm not upset about that either 😜
So what is "Scorpion's Nest" going to be about?
It's a Heist Play
Which is fun.
And they go head to head with another group of outcasts(more on them later)
I guess the thing I'm most excited about, though, is that I love these three so much I'm over the moon that I can write a play that focuses on just them.
So for the next little bit I get to share little tidbits with y'all and this little playwright is very excited about that!
Blame the Revision Cave and crazy Day Job(because apparently, the beginning of the year means it time for Massive Project Overhaul because of course it does).
One thing I've noticed as I've been writing this Sherwood Cycle, is that they all take place at specific times of the year--in different seasons, which is cool. Observe:
Wolves of Sherwood: Midsummer
Beyond Sherwood(previously entitled "Locke and Cage"): Late autumn[November]
Nottingham's Legacy: late Winter[actually around Candlemas/Groundhog's Day]
And, my current project:
Robbing Hoods/Out of Nottingham(can't decide which title actually fits, so right not it's both--thank you ADD): Early spring[Beltane]
Even before I knew what it was, I loved that word: Beltane--so fun to say! I first got an inkling of what it was when I saw the mini-series "The Mists of Avalon"(based on Marion Zimmer Bradley's brilliantbook of the same name, shot and released in 2001, but which I didn't see until 2012 or thereabouts.). Without spoilers, the festival of Beltane revolves around two significant events in the novel/mini-series and that's only one of the things that facinated me.
The interesting thing about Beltane is that it's been confused with Midsummer--they're actually two different days. Beltane comes before Midsummer, and marks the beginning of the season, while Midsummer marks--well, the middle of the summer.
Beltane is usually held on or around May Day, as a significant celebration between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. It's also referred to as The Great Marriage, and this made it a popular time for weddings and handfastings, which involve the exchange of vows and rings.When a couple was handfast, it meant that they were together of their own free will(sound familiar Robin Hood fans? ok, fine, it happens in Outlander too, but that's not what this post is about)
The fires are very sacred during Beltane. All other lights are doused when the bonfire is lit. It's believed that the fires of Beltane can destroy harmful influences. Sometimes people jump over the flames or the embers and after it has died down, they rub ashes on themselves or sprinkle it over their crops or livestock to increase protection.
Another part of the fire ceremony to ward off harm involves the May Queen and the Green Man. The May Queen is represented by a girl or a woman dressed in white to symbolize the stillness of nature as well as purity, strength, fertility and the potential for growth (now who does that sound like?)
The Green Man--yes, it's almost always a man--is usually a sculpture, usually of a face, surrounded by leaves or vegetation sprouting from it's head. Sometimes he's called "the keeper of forests and woods"(who does that kinda sound like?). And yes, he's green.
Both the Green Man and the May Queen are symbols of rebirth, both are asked to give up part of themselves in order to enter the human realm and start the growing season.
Other traditions of Beltane are May Games, Maypoles and May bushes. These were usually branches of a rowan or hawthorn tree that were decorated with flowers, ribbons, etc, and sometimes the May Bushes were burned in the bonfires.
There are still Beltane festivals in Scotland and Ireland today. The Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival is one of Scotland's major tourist attractions and it's very difficult to get into it unless you move fast and early.
Doesn't that totally sound like something Robin Hood and Company would be in to?
One of the things I occasionally do is clean out my "Writer's Closet".
Except it's now more of a room than a closet. I always have a writing wall, where I write things about the project I'm working on--characters, scene outlines, music, bits of dialogue, etc--and that wall gets more and more full until I finish the initial draft of the project, when I pull all the 3x5 cards off the wall and start with a "clean slate", as it were.
But because a wall has only a certain amount of space, I have to create files on my laptop and in various notebooks that are then stuck in my filing cabinet or my cloud drive or whatever because I'm the type of writer that keeps everything.
And one of the things I keep is a list of possible titles for my project.
I can count the number of times the first title for a project stuck on the finger of one hand.
With the Sherwood Cycle, every single of the scripts has gone through at least three title changes, and not just because I can never make up my mind about anything(thank you ADD).
Recently I came across a little post-it note I scribbled on while
writing "Wolves of Sherwood", and there wasn't one title one it. There
were four.
Four different titles crammed onto this tiny piece of paper.
I really used to bother me when a thing like this happened, but not so much anymore.
Sometimes, my gut tells me the title doesn't work.
Sometimes, my characters tell me the title doesn't work, and why(yes, I'm on speaking terms with all of them, it's an author thing, just go with it)
And sometimes it's just a Place Holder Title because you have to call it something other than that-one-project-i'm-working-on-but-can't-explain-cause-it's-complicated.
(Yes, I have called a few projects this before. Also a thing)
Another thing that I've learned over the past couple of years is that a title doesn't just have to work for you--sometimes it also has to give some kind of clue on how to market your project.
Box office sales plummet, cast and crew suffers, and the film either "comes back via word of mouth/DVD(or in the case of "The Princess Bride", VHS" or disappears from existence except as an article on Google or whatever.
Because I'm the type of weird person who cares about that kind of thing, and I like to make things easier for all parties concerned, when I'm in the revision process one of the things I look at and constantly tweak and re-write is the title.
I've spent the past couple weeks prepping, which includes last minute present check and delivery, annual holiday audiobook listening, "Lion in Winter" and "A Christmas Carol" viewing (because DUH!!!!), and past family home videos. And there is nothing quite so amusing as watching your baby brother running down a beach while holding the back of his swimsuit so that it won't slide down his stick of a body to make your holiday.
But I digress.
It's time your you, dear readers, to meet the new characters in the Sherwood Cycle. Starting with Kenna.
Kenna is Declan's twin, and about as opposite to Declan as she can possibly be. She's as fiery and snarky as the rest of the Sherwood Wolf Pack and it's so much fun to pit her against Declan because I'm a sucker for sibling rivalry. It's almost like Braelyn/Jean-Luc, but not quite. Twins have a different dynamic.
Whenever I see Kenna in my head, I see this gorgeous woman.
This is Thalissa Teixeira, from "The Musketeers", "Millionaire Ransom", and "National Theatre Live: Yerma." Fierce and fiery with the ability to hold her own, any time I see her on the screen I'm riveted. Plus, I'd love to see her and Declan's model onscreen together.
As always, here's more of the writing soundtrack, starting with Act II:
Between the Wars, by Allman Brown
Pain, by Three Days Grace
Without You, by Breaking Benjamin
No Mercy(Feat. isotope), by UNSECRET
Younger, by French Wives
Failure(Aurora Version), by Breaking Benjamin & Red
Cold Blooded (feat. Sam Tinnesz & Hulvey), by UNSECRET
You know the awesome thing about writing "Robbing Hoods"?
Ok, fine, one of the many awesome things?
Mini versions of characters pop up.
Which is fantastic!
I know in Hollywood-land it's possible for celebrities to play roles that are considerably younger than their actual ages, but sometimes that just isn't possible(see who dances around in my head for DeClaire in Wolves to see what I mean).
So this means that I get new pictures in my head of all the "mini" versions of Jean-Luc, Cassian and...DeClaire.
I know--shocker to me, too. Apparently, no one wanted to be left out.
Which is fine.
Mini Jean-Luc: Aidan Gallagher
aka "Number Five" from "Umbrella Academy". Great with the snark!
Mini Cassian: Joel Dawson
aka "Georgie" from "Mary Poppins Returns"--isn't he adorable?!?!?!
Mini Mei: Thaddea Graham
From Netflix's "A Letter for the King", BBC's "Us" and the upcoming "The Irregulars"(like, Sherlock Holms' "Baker Street Irregulars"!!!!!!!!!) The characters this girl plays are feisty and can kick A$$!!! Mini DeClaire: Andrew Mattarazzo
aka "Gabe" from the second half of the sixth season of "Teen Wolf". Because I think he totally looks like a mini version of Toby Kebbell.
And, as always, here's more soundtrack bits:
Ghost, by Halsey
Gonna Be a Legend, by The Phantoms
Le monde est a rende, by Louis Delort
At My Best (feat. Hailee Steinfeld), by Machine Gun Kelly
Don't Wanna Fall, by Seven Lions, Last Heroes, and HALIENE
Hypnotic, by Zella Day
How Can I Forget, by MKTO
With You, by Tyler Shaw
Fires, by Allman Brown
Un monde a changer, by Nyco Lulliu
Desert Rose, by Sting
The Campfire, by Peter Crowley
The Archer, by Taylor Swift
Technicolor Beat, by Oh Wonder
Arms Around Me, by Starley
The Reckoning, by UNSECRET
Blood and Glory, by Audiomachine
Tell Her I Wasn’t Scared, by Dan Thiessen & Epic Music World
Except now I've back and the beginning (since I write things backwards, remember?) and now I "get" to write my own version of the Origin Story.
Yay.
Now,
I love a good origin story, don't get me wrong, but so far as mythic
heroes like Robin Hood are concerned, it kind of feels like the first
season of a new tv series--it'll either become a Critics Darling And
Soar To New Heights or Crash And Burn.
Obviously, I want the former to happen, rather than the latter.
The good news is that since I know how everyone ends up, I don't have to work so hard to eek exposition out of new characters.
What
I get to do instead is turn the clock back far enough so that the
lessons already learned and the relationships already formed are nil.
And ohmigosh that's hard.
But also, ohmigosh it's fun!
Like, characters that end up as hardened veterans and mature adults are in their pre-teen years(Jean-Luc and Cassian)
And
I get to find out how things that are significant later in the cycle
(like the wolf howling thing) actually started(which is one of cutest
bits of dialogue I've written so far)
And I get explore the creation of relationships that already existed later in the cycle( like Will and Elodie's, which has been...interesting.)
So
long as everything goes according to plan(unlikely, since my characters
seem to have a penchant for taking over the story rather than nicely
play out what I planned for them--which I am not complaining about...too
much), I'll get over my aversion to Origin Stories by writing this
one.
Or I might just decide that Origin Stories will always exist and I need to deal(the far more likely scenario).
For now, I'll be happy that I get to go back to Nottingham and Sherwood
as depicted in the classic tellings of the tale (so far, still early
days yet.)
While I'm at it, here's some more soundtrack samples:
Thief, by Ansel Elgort
Like a Man, by Louis Delort
Kingdom, by Young Tribe
Fight for My Survival, by The Phantoms
Wanted Dead or Alive, by Chris Cagle
Ain't No Rest for the Wicked, by Cage the Elephant
I'm finally writing the first play in my "Sherwood Cycle"--my own adaption of "how Robin Hood became Robin Hood".
Except it's not.
There is no "man transforming into outlaw and then hero" montage.
There is no "steal taxes off with his head" screaming sheriff(ok, fine, there kind of is, but not in the usual way).
But there is a lot of combat and derring-do and snarky asides(because of course there is).
And I'm loving it.
Because Locksey's in this one.
And Will
And Elodie
And Marion and Gisbourne
And Malbete
And Declan and Enzo and Mei
And Jean-Luc and Cassian.
Which means there's not very many character tidbits I can share that you haven't heard before.
And that's fine.
All that means is that I can share other spoilers instead.
And the soundtrack of course, because there's always one of those. Starting with the Themes of all the Characters(most of which you already know, but still worth a re-listen, right?)
Wolves, by Rag ‘N’ Bone Man[Main Theme]
Live Forever(feat. Cheat Codes), by Liam Payne[Main Theme]
Outlaw, by The Phantoms[Will]
Born This Way, by Bear and a Banjo[Will]
Pretty Waste, by BONES UK[Elodie]
Plain Gold Ring(Live), by Kimbra [Elodie]
Gallows, by Kate Garfield [Malbete]
Bad Things, by The Phantoms [Nazaire]
Warrior Concerto, by The Glitch Mob[Locksley]
Horns, by Bryce Fox [Marion]
Let It Bleed, by Adam Jensen [Declan]
Looking for Trouble (feat. Anna Mae), by UNSECRET [Mei]
Arsonist's Lullabye, by Hoosier [Enzo]
Stronger(feat. Black Violin), by The Phantoms [Kenna/Cassian]
