Thrown into the Deep End in my First Week: My Experience as Producer and Director for the Actors Table Read

How can a temporary gig turn into a life-changing experience?

A few weeks ago, I first stepped into the London Screenwriters’ Festival headquarters for an interview. I emerged with a brand new role: this year’s Actors Table Read Producer.

My name is Emily Monaghan, and I’m an emerging screenwriter and director from the New York City area. Deciding to move to London for the first few months of 2025 was certainly a daunting choice, but one of the biggest things I’ve learned since being here is to jump feet-first into the fear. 

For as long as I can remember, my goal has been to create and innovate in any way I possibly can. Throughout my many (many) pursuits, writing and directing have always struck me as the most creative careers there are. As the headstrong person I am, my brain is constantly flooded with ideas, but I’ve found that the best ones come from collaboration and building off of other like-minded artists to make resonant work. 

Directing, in particular, is uniquely fulfilling in this manner.

A great director is nothing without a great script and a talented team of actors. Being a writer and an actor myself has allowed me to grasp the importance of working in a team, pulling together everyone’s greatest strengths to create something incredible. There is a sense of magic within the room when a group of brilliant artists bring a scene to life, and this energy is palpable regardless of role. For writers, it’s watching the world of your words be brought to life. For actors, it’s the catharsis of embodying emotion itself and transforming into somebody else for a few moments. For directors, it’s a special sense of pride in knowing you were a key player in the creation of this magic. 

The Actors Table Read perfectly encapsulates each of these elements, providing a space for the cultivation of talent and a collective passion for storytelling. Over the past few days, I have been running on fumes– emailing over 150 actors and directors, reviewing script submissions, and casting roles, all the while preparing to direct this year’s first Table Read on 7th March. Like everything else with the Festival, there is no time for hesitation. My time with the London Screenwriters’ Festival is rather short, and to get the very most out of it, I had to jump right in. 

Producing, to me, has always been one of the more intimidating aspects of the film industry. As a writer, director, or actor, the biggest part of any job comes from artistic inspiration, but as a producer, the priorities are logistical. I’ve always been a diligent and organized worker, but having the fundamental success of the event resting on my shoulders is, admittedly, terrifying. There’s no relying on energy or collaboration to make the event happen – producing is all about getting the right people in the right room at the right time so that the magic can have a space to be made. And although being the one with this responsibility is frightening, it has already proven to be worth the nerves.

I’m still settling into my new role, with new roadblocks appearing around every corner. What I’ve come to learn in just four days, though, is that stepping over those roadblocks isn’t as scary as it may seem. I’m SO excited for the Table Reads to get underway, and once they do, I cannot even begin to imagine the sense of gratification I will feel watching my hard work and decision to leap into the unknown pay off in real time.