They say that two heads are better than one, and that is definitely true about me and my writing partner Jodie Prenger. We started writing together while appearing together in the musical Fat Friends and along with our wonderful colleague Natalie Anderson we set up House In The Road Productions to develop our writing for stage and screen.
"Jodie Prenger & Neil Hurst (both established actors), met on the set of Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends The Musical. They instantly clicked and began throwing ideas around for various projects. It wasn’t long before they realised that together they were a strong writing team and those ideas started jumping off the page and on to stages and screens across the UK. Beginning with their comedy podcast series Mishaps Podcast, they have since gone on to write numerous projects for Theatre, TV and Radio. In addition to writing both story and dialogue, both Hurst and Prenger are established song writers whose witty lyrics and catchy tunes never fail to bring the house down. With a strong flair for comedy both as actors and writers, plus a wealth of experience in TV comedy, musical theatre and pantomime, Prenger & Hurst write warm, loveable characters who find themselves floundering between the relatable and the absurd. The pairs observational humour is reminiscent of Gavin & Stacey’s Ruth Jones & James Corden who coincidentally also originally met on the TV version of Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends."
TRACKS
TV COMEDY PILOT (6 X 30 MIN)
Written by Neil Hurst and Jodie Prenger
Produced by Natalie Anderson
House In The Road Productions
Celebrating the diverse melting pot of characters within a Northern train station. A series that kicks off with Leeds Pride, and ends on the cities wondrous carnival. In between we follow fierce crew rivalries, bolt tight allegiances and budding romances. This colourful comedy series follows the station staff and the vast walks of life’s that comes through the stations doors.
THE CHOIR
MUSICAL
Written by Neil Hurst and Jodie Prenger
Music & Lyrics by Nick Bairstow
Directed by Kirk Jameson
UCLAN Musical Theatre
Set during the 2020 Covid Pandemic, The Choir, follows Stevie as she learns to navigate the world of Zoom Meetings, FaceTime calls and Furlough and Fizz Quiz Nights, while trying to rehearse a Choir and bring a little sunshine to peoples lives.
CINDERELLA, A SOCIALLY DISTANCED BALL
ADULT PANTOMIME
Written by Neil Hurst and Jodie Prenger
Directed by Lizzy Connolly
Produced by Paul Taylor Mills
Starring Rufus Hound, Oscar Conlon Morrey, Debbie Kurrup, Daisy Wood Davis, Scott Paige, Sean Perkins.
Turbine Theatre, London
"Prenger and Hurst's script is a laugh-out-loud riot." London Theatre Reviews *****
"Brilliantly written, I couldn't stop laughing." West End Wilma ****
"Jodie Prenger and Neil Hurst's debut offering is outstanding." The Stage ****
SHOWBIZ STORIES
SCRIPTED COMEDY PODCAST / RADIO SERIES
Written by Neil Hurst
Produced by House In The Road Productions
This weekly podcast‘s first series consists of six self contained episodes each focusing on a different character from the world of entertainment. We meet Comedians, Boy Bands, Actors, Directors and many more as each twenty minute episode gives us an insight into their world and their ‘Showbiz Stories’.