Claire Baylis

Dice on TV? 🤞 For some time now I have been working with Tim Balme and Katie Wolfe (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama, Ngāti Toa Rangatira) of Tasman Ray Productions towards a screen adaptation of my novel Dice. We are coming to the end of the initial development phase which has been made possible thanks to the support of New Zealand on Air.
I absolutely love this collaboration with Tim, Katie and Katia Collins and have learnt so much about screenwriting and storytelling in general. As well as acting and producing, Tim was a writer on one of my favourite TV programmes – Outrageous Fortune and he is the creator, Head Writer and Producer of the award-winning The Brokenwood Mysteries which streams to more than 150 countries. Katie is an award-winning TV, film and theatre Director, actor and writer. Her documentary The Haka Party Incident has won multiple international awards including The Human Rights Award at the LA Independent Women Film Awards.
I had my first tasters of screenwriting when I was writing Dice on the PhD programme at the International Institute of Modern Letters. Workshopping fantastic screenplays from writers like Roxane Gajadhar and Maraea Rakurakua (Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa) was an inspirational process. And it was Roxane who first seriously raised the idea that Dice would make a great TV drama (thank you, thank you Rox).
After various discussions with amazing screenwriters, producers and actors, Ruby Hanson who narrated the audiobook of Dice suggested I see the play of the Haka Party Incident by Katie Wolfe with a view to approaching her (thank you Ruby.) I loved how Katie handles the multiple viewpoints in the play and the way it encourages the audience to face uncomfortable conversations and think deeply about social justice – which I hope Dice does too.
So I sent Dice to Katie, and she and Tim came back very enthusiastically, and we have been working together since. Tim and Katie have basically been giving me a masterclass in storylining and screenwriting. They are incredibly generous with their time and expertise. So, all my finger and toes are crossed that the project keeps moving forwards.

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