According to Claudia Reading/Workshop

Pleased to announce that my play 'According to Claudia' will be having a Reading/Workshop at the Dolman Theatre Studio on Tuesday April the First (honestly, no fooling).

There are parts for 4 women and 3 men in the 30 - 70 age range. Hope lots of people can make it!

Using Scrivener to write a successful stage play

On a previous post http://paperblog-writer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/play-writing-value-of-group-readings.htmlI wrote about how useful a group reading was for my stage play ‘According to Claudia'. Recently, I was very pleased and proud that the play has been selected by the Artistic Committee of Newport Playgoers to open their new season at the 400-seat Dolman Theatre in Newport this coming September.

This represents a great personal achievement for me – especially as other plays in the season are by such renowned writers as Noel Coward, Somerset Maugham, Ira Levin and Richard Curtis. Illustrious company to be in!

I owe my success in no small part to the marvellous writing program Scrivener – and let me say from the start that I am not connected in any way with the company that makes it. I’m just a big fan as you'll see from this previous blog of mine: http://paperblog-writer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/play-writing-value-of-group-readings.html

Since I purchased Scrivener some time ago I have found it extremely useful for all my writing, from novels to TV sitcoms.  It’s so much more than a word processor. It has various formats for all kinds of writing, a databank where you can easily store and access all sorts of reference material from photos to character sketches – and a very useful autofill function which saves you the laborious task of filling in characters’ name every time they speak.

When writing ‘According to Claudia’ I started by using the corkboard to plot the play and create a profile of each character. From there I was able to flesh out each scene in detail and then get down to the nitty gritty of writing. If I wanted to change a scene Scrivener has a useful ‘snapshot’ function which meant I could take a snap of my original scene and then revise it, knowing the first version was not lost.

When I was satisfied with the final draft I exported the play as a PDF, making it easy to circulate to potential publishers and other interested parties. Previously, I have blogged about the beauty of Scrivener – and how ‘According to Claudia’ benefitted from a group reading which enabled me to hone it to perfection. The result is that it is now being produced on stage.

I’ll be writing regular updates about the progress of ‘Claudia’ from page to stage. If you're a writer or anyone involved in theatre I hope you'll follow them and find them entertaining and useful.

You can download free trial of Scrivener here:  http://www.literatureandlatte.com/scrivener.php

Play-writing: the Value of Group Readings

To all script-writers who are wondering what to do next or questioning the value of a group reading, my advice is to go for it.

When I completed my latest stage play ‘According To Claudia’ to the satisfaction of my wife, Caroline, who acts as my editor and harshest critic, the time came to test drive it with a group reading.

I approached seven of the best actors in Newport Playgoers and to my relief they agreed to do it. Then terror set in. Showing your work to people who have performed in some of the best plays ever written is a big gamble. What would they think of it?  Was it good enough?

A group reading of your script can be invaluable

So, I was very nervous when they turned up at our house for the reading. Luckily, Caroline had prepared a range of delicious canapés and other tasty bites to ensure the evening was a success. After assigning parts, the reading began. It was a slow start as the actors found their way but it was soon moving at a cracking pace, with lots of laughter and “Oohs” and “Aahs” from the cast.

At the end, there was much debate about the play and plenty of positive feedback. Two of the most useful comments were:

 “What happened to my character? She just sort of faded away in the second act.”

“The main character is very strong and quite nasty – but you must give her one redeeming feature.”

There were also several suggestions about the characters’ relationships and how they could be developed. All in all, very useful – and it gave me lots of food for thought. So, copious notes were made and I’m now re-writing like mad. Next thing: another reading, and if that goes well a rehearsed reading in front of an audience in the Dolman Studio Theatre.

So, my advice is: have faith in your work. Don’t rely on the opinion of friends and family – they’re going to say it’s great as they probably won’t want to upset you. Put it to the test. Get some local actors round a table and give it a trial run. You’ll learn a lot about what you’re doing right – and where you’re going wrong!

From page to stage

It's amazing watching a play you've written make the transition from page to stage, and seeing the characters that once only existed in your imagination brought to life by talented actors. Last week's rehearsal of my play, 'Bunkered' which is part of the Hole in One Act Play Festival at the Dolman Theatre, was amazing. I sat snapping away as my wife, Caroline, directed the action, and then put the best photos into this short video. Hope you enjoy it.

Wishes do come true (when it comes to crazy golf)

So there I was, desperate for a crazy golf course to take photos of the cast of my one act play 'Bunkered' which is part of the Hole in One Act Play Festival.

Where shall it be? I wondered. Barry Island perhaps - there's a very good pirate one there - or possibly Tredegar Park.

Whilst I was pondering this, as part of the Big Splash event held over the August Bank Holiday weekend a crazy golf course was built on the doorstep of the Dolman Theatre.

A quick chat with the owner, Dave Lovatt, revealed that he's a theatre director from Bristol with a passion for crazy golf courses. Could we take photos of our cast on his course? No problem, he replied. So we did, for which, much thanks, Dave. His crazy golf course, by the way, is brilliantly fiendish and includes a pool table!

Dave is pictured, centre, at the photoshoot with Playgoers Bruno Cook and Lauren Brown. More details about the photos can be found here: http://newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/

Information about Dave's show 'Carny Village' can be found here: http://invisiblecircus.co.uk/invisible_circus/TheInvisibleCircus/Home.html

The play’s the thing

I was really pleased to hear that one of the plays I entered for Newport Playgoers’ One Act Play-Writing Competition had been selected for the forthcoming festival.

The theme of the plays was ‘golf’ of which I know precious little, except for the occasional highly competitive game of crazy golf I play with my wife Caroline. So I wrote about that – a down-at-heel crazy golf course that’s on the verge of bankruptcy because it’s at the wrong end of the recently revamped seafront.

The plays were judged by Frank Vickery, regarded by many to be Wales’s top playwright, and out of the 40+ plays entered, he chose three from a shortlist of 11. My play ‘Bunkered’ will now be part of the Hole in One Act Play Festival at the Dolman Theatre in Newport from 12 – 16 October 2010.

Caroline will direct it and we’re currently putting together a cast and desperately trying to find items for the set – namely, a small shed and a large ornamental windmill obstacle! As things progress, I hope to make a video diary of the play’s progress from page to stage, and will be posting it here.  For more information about the Festival, visit my blogsite: http://newportplaygoers.wordpress.com/

Budding Playwrights can take Centre Stage!

To celebrate Newport hosting the Ryder Cup 2010, Newport Playgoers Society, which owns and runs the city’s 400-seater Dolman Theatre, is holding a competition aimed at encouraging the writing of plays for amateur theatre.

To enter the competition, budding playwrights are invited to submit one act plays on the theme of ‘golf’. Plays should be between 20 - 30 minutes in length using a cast of 2 - 5 actors. In addition to a cash prize, the three best plays will be performed in the Dolman Studio Theatre for three nights culminating in a gala evening when prizes will be officially presented.

An Adjudication Panel appointed by Newport Playgoers Society will read and consider the plays entered in the competition and, in addition to arranging production of the plays at the Dolman Studio Theatre, will award the following prizes: 1st Prize - £100 plus trophy; 2nd Prize - £50; 3rd Prize - £25.
To download an application form, go to http://www.dolmantheatre.co.uk/.