CHARLIE SWINBOURNE is a scriptwriter and director with credits in short film, television and theatre. His short films Coming Out (directed by Louis Neethling) and Four Deaf Yorkshiremen (written and directed by Charlie) have clocked up over 200,000 views on You Tube, and helped to win him an ITV Granada Writer's Award that provided an opportunity to work with the Coronation Street script writing team last year.
In 2008, Charlie's play Lipstick and Lollipops, created in association with Deafinitely Theatre, had an extensive national tour following a successful two-week run at London's Drill Hall theatre.
Between 2005-2008 Charlie worked as a researcher for two deaf TV series - VeeTV (Maverick for Channel 4) and See Hear (BBC), as well as on mainstream factual programmes for Channel 4 and BBC3, such as Freaky Eaters and Spendaholics.
Charlie writes a monthly column for the BBC's Ouch! Disability website in which he takes a humorous look at deaf culture, life and experience. He lives in London with his partner and their baby daughter, and has just written another film project, Hands Solo, funded by the UK Film Council.
Charlie originally had the idea for Departure Lounge three years ago. 'The original idea was just an image - of two deaf men on a roof, looking over a city, talking about their lives, far away from the world below them. The rest of the story, about their partners, their home life, and being in hospital developed from there. At it's heart, it's about two men at different points of their life, facing very different challenges.'
Long before Departure Lounge, producer, David Horbury, remembers being impressed by Charlie's writing for the theatre. 'I went to an event,' said David, 'which, I think, was organised by Deafinitely Theatre at the Soho Theatre in London where a number of new deaf writers had extracts from their work performed. It was great fun and we saw some interesting - and not so interesting - stuff but what made me sit up and take notice was an extract from a drama written by Charlie called 'Ladies Night'. Set in the ladies lavatory of a west end club, it was head and shoulders above anything else - a lovely, neat, clever, contained piece of drama with great dramatic and comedic potential. I thought then that Charlie was a writer to watch and so when he agreed to develop Departure Lounge with us - I was absolutely delighted.'
Director Louis Neethling agrees that Charlie is one of the brightest writing talents in the deaf community and someone who is gaining in confidence and experience. 'Charlie comes from a deaf family,' says Louis, 'so he is able to write about deaf issues, deaf experience and the deaf community in a way that a hearing writer - no matter how skilled - could never achieve. The scenes in Departure Lounge that deal with the communication barriers between Sid and the nurse or the one that includes a discussion on a deaf heaven illuminate this quality in Charlie's writing.'