Series Two of The WriteForTheStage Podcast has been all about the writing process. We‘ve talked to a range of playwrights and theatre makers about how they take the seed of idea and develop them into full plays.
So far this series, myself and Stephen M Hornby have discussed how we develop our own work, and interviewed multi-award-winning playwright and actor, Rob Ward; countless theatre makers at Greater Manchester Fringe festival; and The WriteForTheStage Prize For New Writing winner, Laura Harper.
Every writer has their own way of developing their ideas - but what do you do with your script once it’s ready to send out to theatres and competitions?
Have you ever thought about engaging with a dramaturg? Do you even know what a dramaturg is?
Francesca Peschier, Head of New Works at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
Francesca Peschier admits that she has a strange relationship with the term “Dramaturg”. She explains that she dislikes the word because it infers superiority; she suggests that the word suggests somebody who is a gatekeeper.
She explained that the dramaturg is actually there to champion and support the writer - not get in the way of their creativity. A good dramaturg should never tell the writer that they’re wrong; a good dramaturg steers a writer to discover the answers for themselves.
An outside eye
Writing, regardless of the form, is a solitary pursuit. We lock ourselves away in our garrets, crafting and slaving until our ideas form shapes and those shapes become characters driven by life-or-death objectives.
And the words on the page become everything.
But any writer will tell you that sometimes you go blind to your own work. You spend months rewriting and tweaking until it feels just right. But you never really know if it’s any good.
So you get together with some actors for a read, and you realise it doesn’t work after all. Or there are sections that are too long or sections that don’t do what you want them to do.
Of course, you realise what does work as well. But the interim read-through provides the perfect opportunity to go back to the drawing board.
And you rewrite.
A dramaturg is an outside eye on the writing. And they’ll help you craft the piece so that it can be as good as can possibly be.
Hand-in-hand
Francesca explained that she helps people to develop their scripts by providing that outside eye. And she‘ll go into the rehearsal room with the team to help create a piece of theatre that really does deliver the thematic aims of the writer.
Using probing questions, a great dramaturg prizes and prompts - and they make the writer find the answers for themselves.
We won’t go into too much detail, because it’s better to hear it from Francesca. So, if you’re thinking of sending your work to the literary departments of established theatres and want to know what to expect, we’ve got all the answers in our latest podcast.
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Our new term of courses start in October. Bookings now open.
We’re also due to release the timetable for Development Week 13 very soon.
Watch this space.
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