Anne Wynne joined the WriteForTheStage courses in 2016 and started with a blank slate, as most of the participants of the course do. Through practical exercises, she explored what was on her mind and found characters who embodied that interest, and developed the script with the help of the group, the tutor, and audiences who gave feedback at Studio Salford Development Week.
She has now completed her first stageplay - A Fine Life - and has been awarded a grant from Arts Council England to stage it. After completing the WFTS Producing course, she is now producing her first play - to be performed at the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival, 2018.
Here's what she had to say about her WFTS experience.
MH
Anne Wynne
Sept 2016
A Saturday afternoon and I am at a taster session for WFTS. Think of a theme – what do you feel passionate about? asks Mike Heath the tutor. Oh God I can hardly write about club biscuits. I shoved something down about equality and struggled through until MH said “Think of 5 people you know, tell me what they like dislike, their ages.” Now I can write – it was beginning to flow. “Get rid of 2.” instructs Mike. Blimey! This guy didn’t mess around and so 2 shadowy characters slipped into the “Reject” basket and I was left with 3. 3 characters who have been at my side ever since.
Oct 2016
I have enrolled on the Intro WFTS course. 7-9pm on a Thurs evening. There are 8 of us pens poised and we’re back to themes again. What is it we want to shine our light on? asks Mike. He’s poetic, he thinks big and all I can think of is people who park on double yellows and whether the chippy will still be open on the way home.
We’re given timed exercises to do and so there and then in our notepads we write. We write lots and lots and it’s great. Doesn’t matter if it’s a load of tosh – suddenly we’ve been granted permission to just write, no editing, no judgments just. . .get on with it. And it feels fab. We share our work and it’s great – it really is. All of it.
And then it’s back to our characters and there they are sitting patiently waiting for me. Only 1 flies beneath the radar. I don’t need her just yet and she waits in the wings. I follow MH’s advice about character’s wants and needs and each week I get to know my characters a little better.
Over the next 10 weeks we write the opening ten pages to a play.
Feb 2017
Development week and professional actors read our 10 pages script in hand to an audience of our friends and families. My characters have voices that have only really been spoken in my head before. And now they have their own voices spoken through actors. Wow! I love it. Love hearing their voices spoken aloud. This is some journey!
March 2017
I’ve enrolled on the Advanced course. Wednesday evenings 8-10pm. It’s great cept I am normally asleep by 10 and I struggle for that last half hour. And the chippy will definitely be shut by time I’m back.
So what do we do in advanced? We do loads of lovely writing exercises and look at conflict and what characters are doing to each other when they speak.
But at the heart of all of this is us as writers taking take those first 10 pages and turning them into a full length play. No easy feat. Not sure I can stretch out my story for another 50 pages. I’m hitting all sorts of problems. Might have to start again.
And then suddenly one day without warning she appears in a different guise. My 3rd character. With an outstretched manicured hand she leads the way and I’ve got my story. Feel good. Relieved. Happy.
August 2017
I have completed the first draft of my full-length play. I feel enormously satisfied and have discovered a title “A Fine Life”
September 2017
Sunday 24/09/17 - Development week again and as part of the advanced course the first 20 mins of our plays are acted out with a director and professional actors. I spend a glorious Sunday afternoon in the King’s Arms rehearsing with director Leni and 3 actors . They bring my script to life. The joy and excitement I feel is quite overwhelming.
Monday 25/09/18
I am incredibly nervous and cannot imagine how actors must feel. The first 20 minutes of A Fine Life is performed script in hand in front of a live audience. It goes down well and I receive positive supportive and constructive handwritten feedback. This is amazing.
I spend the next couple weeks scanning the audience feedback and work some more on my script.
December 2107 / January 2018
I enrol on the Production course. My plan being to apply for Arts council funding and put A Fine Life on at the 2018 GM Fringe Festival. I want to do it and Mike Heath makes it sound possible but I am petrified. I begin to complete all the necessary tasks i.e look for venues, look for additional sponsorship, begin the Arts Council form and it seems to be coming together. Am I going to pull this off?
March / April 2018
I have just about completed the ACE form and I send it in. It is returned 10 days later. I have made an error on the budget which I rectify and re- submit.
May 2018
I put out a casting call on Mandy.com for my characters. It all feels a bit surreal.
May 2018
I put off telling Mike Heath about my email from Arts Council England. I don’t really want a rejection letter to blight my journey at this stage so mentally I put the “bad news” to one side. Only later that day it niggles me. I am interested to see why I didn’t get funding and am on the ipad when Mike Heath asks if I’ve heard anything. I can’t even find the rejection letter. (My techie skills are still wanting. Even MH can’t sort that one!) Together we look and he tells what to click on. And there it sits - a lovely letter from the Arts Council informing me my application for A Fine Life funding has been successful! Yippee!!!!!!!!!
May 2018
Audition day and lots of lovely hugely talented actors audition. Mike Heath (Director) directs and re-directs them to say lines in different ways. It’s thrilling watching these hugely talented people play around with my words. It’s impossible to choose. We arrange a re-call. I am bubbling over.
June 2018
Finally we have our cast. Tough, almost impossible decisions have been made. And my 3 characters are now living, breathing and walking around. Awesome! As the Americans would say!
I have my flyers and posters and have started targeting local businesses and schools. I am stopping and telling anyone I remotely know that I have written a play and it is being put on! Most are surprised and supportive, some are bemused. “You’ve got to come and see my play.” I tell them. “It’s going to be fantastic. You’ll love it!” And they will love it - I’m sure they will.
It’s going ahead, it’s real and I am so enormously grateful to Mike Heath and WFTS for giving me the platform and opportunity to make this happen. Thank you Mike, and Happy days!
