I have been working in new writing for theatre for almost a decade, mostly in subsidised venues, but also reading for touring and commercial theatre. As Literary Manager at the Bush Theatre in West London, my job encompasses all the work we do with writers, from reading plays during our annual submissions window to running talent development schemes, commissioning new work, dramaturgy and finding plays for programming. I couldn't put a number on how many plays I have read and writers I have met and I am constantly in awe of the breadth of exciting ideas and talent in this country! It can be difficult to define what makes an exciting theatre voice, or what makes a theatre writer stand out because the definition of what a play is, is so wide-ranging. There aren't really any rules left that haven't been stretched and broken by brilliant theatre makers, and writers needn't feel restricted by the confines of genre or form. But I wanted to share some thoughts and advice from my experience working with emerging writers.
Don't restrict yourself
There are lots of ways that writers can restrict themselves in the early stages of writing a play, but the most common one I find is getting too hemmed in by the possible restrictions of a physical production. The idea that 2 handers are cheaper so are more likely to get put on, or that you could only have one set can get in the way of fully conceptualizing the world of your play. Theatre is a space of collective imagination. Audiences come to live theatre ready to take part in the storytelling and I have often been amazed at how simply sound and lighting can transport us from one place to the next. Trust in directors and designers to find a way to achieve your vision, maybe in a way you didn't expect and don't let cost considerations get in the way of your story living fully on the page!
Forget about the rules
There are lots of brilliant books about playwriting that can be really useful to help when you get stuck in your writing, but I often find that some of the "rules" around structure can be restrictive for new writers. Humans are hard-wired for storytelling and finding ways to communicate with each other, but sometimes finding the right structure needs some time and some playing around with different ideas. Act structure is a brilliant building block, but shouldn't get in the way of you finding the most inspired way of telling your story!
Think about what you're bringing to this idea
The plays that excite me most are ones that come from a place of passion and curiosity, where no one else could have written it. It can sometimes be clear that a writer is tackling a subject because it's in the zeitgeist and they feel they should, but without an emotional drive it can sometimes feel a little lacklustre. At the Bush, I've worked on a number of plays with an autobiographical root and those are really full of heart. But even if you're writing from outside of your experience, it's worth thinking about what you're bringing to a subject that's unique. What are you trying to work out? What viewpoints are you exploring? Why is your take on this issue different from the next writer's?
Beginnings and Endings
When I work with new writers, something that comes up a lot is starting a story too early and finishing too late. Something that can be really fun in a play is to drop an audience in to the middle of a situation so they need to work for a minute to catch up with where you are. Trying to build too much context into opening moments can make for a slow start and building energy is a more difficult task from there. It's also worth noting that a lot of competitions read the opening pages of plays to begin with, so you want to make sure that your opening will grab a reader. So where possible, avoid lengthy descriptions of living rooms etc. and get into the meat of the play early. Similarly, allow your audience some space at the end of a play to draw their own conclusions and have some possibilities to chat through on the way home after the show!
Theatre is collaborative
Plays take time to make it to the stage, and the process involves input from lots of different people - dramaturgs/literary managers, directors, producers, designers, actors etc. So it's really important to find the right collaborators. Before sending your work out to theatres and companies, have a look at their websites to see how they communicate their values and what kind of work they make. Think about how your play or your writing could fit in to their programme. If they feel like a good match, reach out with a personalised email letting them know why you think you're a good match, so they get a sense of you as a person as well as your work. And if you're invited for a meeting, remember that you're interviewing the theatre/company as much as they are interviewing you. What do you need to know to feel comfortable starting a collaboration with them? Are they on the same page as you about what you're trying to achieve with your play?
Think about your audience
It feels a little obvious to say, but the presence of the live audience is what sets theatre apart from film and television for me, and when I'm reading a new piece, I think a lot about what it's offering an audience. Maybe that's a new perspective on a societal issue, or the satisfaction of working out a mystery within the heart of the play. At the Bush, we talk about community a lot, and particularly providing a place for people from underrepresented communities to come together in a space of truth, optimism and joy. And a question I often pose to writers is how you want an audience to feel at the end of the play. Do you want them to be fired up and ready to take on the world? Do you want them arguing about which character was in the right? Do you want to have a different effect on people who have intimate knowledge of the subject matter and those who are new to it?
Don't wait for permission
Having a play produced by a theatre is a brilliant experience. But it's certainly not the only way to make a play. There are terrific festivals and spaces for hire all over the country where your work can reach an audience. Building a community of artists and getting your work up on its feet teaches you so much about your craft, helping you learn what you do well and pushing you forward in your journey as a playwright.
I think it's important for people who engage with new work to be open to new ideas and not too set in what their idea of "good writing" is, leaving room to be surprised by the endless well of writers' creativity. I'm excited by dialogue that feels really natural and everyday, from characters that are recognisable, but can be just as moved by poetic writing that bears very little resemblance to real life. So I think what makes writing stand out for me is when there's a perfect synergy between form, content and delivery. If the writer has found a really interesting story to tell, and is telling it in a way that supports the ideas, through characters that an audience can connect with, that is most compelling to me. Theatre is such a thrilling art form, with so much possibility for affecting audiences. I'm so excited for the plays about to be written.
