Something else

It is hard sitting back here in Wolverhampton, to sum up my experiences with Fishamble in Dublin (as well as all the other theatre makers I had contact with...ps many apologies to Maureen from Rough Magic) . I know that part of my brief was to explore how other individuals and companies approach new theatre writing, and from that point of view, I saw plenty to talk about. From Friel’s revised version of Ibsen’s classic, the tragic heroine Hedda Gabler to a classic version of Waiting for Godot, revisited in Korean. In Deidre Kinahan’s dark diamond of a play Hue and Cry I’ve seen macho men navigate their way through their grief for a lost father, in the form of interpretive dance. I’ve seen chaos rule Enda Walsh’s/Theatre O’s version of Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov, in the Peacock’s production Delirium. And I’ve seen performers ruling chaos in Wajdi Mouawad’s Wedding Day at Cro-Magnons...on top of this I’ve met with writers, literary officers and artistic directors all in the search for the perfect formula for writing a play. And of course, despite my horizons undergoing an invaluable expansion, despite being changed and becoming resolute in my quest, I did not find the Holy Grail. However (and coincidentally, as with theatrical writing itself) it is the journey that is most fulfilling, not necessarily the final destination.

It would be so easy to end on an abstract! But another piece of the brief did catch my attention. That is, there are currently (except in some theatres and the odd academic course eg MA in Playwriting at Birmingham Uni) no mainstream, accessible courses in writing that take you through each stage of the process. And it is a process. Both imaginative and mechanical, and ultimately very rewarding. So I’m going to take some of my own advice, and come up with a plan. If your vision is clear, others will see it. If you’re enjoying the writing, whether it’s dark or light, whether it’s as complex as the evolution of the eye or shallow as a summer’s puddle...others will enjoy it. If it resonates with you, chances are it will resonate with someone else, you’ve just got to pitch it right. So grab a pen and paper and bullet point a rough plot – don’t forget to increase the stakes, scene by scene. Sketch a character – from what 3 things they’ve got in their pockets to who they love/fear/respect most in the world (always interesting when it’s the same person). If you concentrate on the nuts and bolts of the story, the emotion will come out, and if you make us feel something...we will be forever in your debt.