Help with a play?

Anyone here experienced in the Theatre? Any playwrights or producers?
I am thinking of having a go at finishing a stage play that I started a few years ago, but...

I have no idea if I will be wasting my time and so would really appreciate some honest, informed advice.

It is a drama infused with comedy and so far I have only about fifteen pages written, but that and the synopsis should give a good flavour of the piece.
My problem is that whilst I would describe it as 'possibly commercial' it could not be described as modern, challenging or controversial. I fear therefore that even if I wrote the hell out of it, it might never find a home.
So if any Bill Kenwrights or Sonia Friedmans are lurking here and can spare 15 mins to put me out of my misery then please post or PM me.

Regards.

playfull

I think a play is a lofty ambition and you should finish yours.

I would be delighted to read it - sadly my only knowledge of plays is going to see them, so not particularly helpful to you.

Thanks Jennie. I just don't want to spend the next couple of months writing and editing, whilst thinking at the back of my mind "there is just no market for this".

Hi Playfull. First of all there is always the old argument 'Do you write what you want to write or do you write for commercialism?' I've just had a play performed by a local radio station down here in South Wales and I'm the resident playwright for a theatre company so I'll take a look if you like? There are though perhaps better qualified people on this site than me but I'm a willing body. By the way send it to as many people as you can. This will give you a better idea of whether you're barking up the right tree or not.

Thanks Roscoff.

Do you want to PM me with an email and I will send it to you tonight.

regards

playfull

Well have you thought about it being a TV or Radio drama?

I've had a couple of playlets performed and am currently working on a script for either a TV Drama or mauybe even a film script. It has to be done.

You could send it to me if you like.

Quote: playfull @ August 27 2013, 3:58 PM BST

Anyone here experienced in the Theatre? Any playwrights or producers?
I am thinking of having a go at finishing a stage play that I started a few years ago, but...

I have no idea if I will be wasting my time and so would really appreciate some honest, informed advice.

It is a drama infused with comedy and so far I have only about fifteen pages written, but that and the synopsis should give a good flavour of the piece.
My problem is that whilst I would describe it as 'possibly commercial' it could not be described as modern, challenging or controversial. I fear therefore that even if I wrote the hell out of it, it might never find a home.
So if any Bill Kenwrights or Sonia Friedmans are lurking here and can spare 15 mins to put me out of my misery then please post or PM me.

Regards.

playfull

View original

Well having read your stuff, you can write like Olly Read can drink and Mylie Cyrus makes a fool of herself.
The world deserves to see your finished product. And if it's only 15 minutes stick it in critique, giving feedback to one person is literary masturbation.

And if you finish it and it's shit, then that's done and out of the way and you can move onto the next project.
Check out ideastap, writersroom or lcw for multitudes of people crying out for plays to produce.

Thanks Chappers, happy to let you read it.

Sooty, its not the fact it might well be poorly written shit. I am happy to post stuff in showcase or critique and take my licks. The problem I have is that I think it just might not be in fashion - 'Shopping & F**king' or 'Equus', it aint. I was hoping that someone with some theatrical insight might be able to say "yes I can see this on the stage" or "You are writing the theatrical equivalent of 'On the buses', for gods sake stop now!"

To give you an idea of what I mean. It has 5 parts 4 of whom are in their 50/60's. It is set in 1960's America and I once described it as a cross between Hollywood Babylon and Abigail's Party.

So the strap line might be-

'a nice comfortable evening in the Theatre for the over 40's'

Having said that, I can see it working if only as a 'star' vehicle for visiting us celeb actors (of a certain age).

I might just stick it in critique...

Thanks for the ego boost Sooty and the useful links.

What the heck is wrong with that? I like Abigails party and Hollywood Babylon you calling me an old f**k?
I'll throw my colostomy bag at you and hit you with my zimmer frame.

As for equus, enough with the horse f**king.

Write it, good is good, funny is funny.

Thanks fellas, have emailed copies to you.

Please be brutally honest.

Jennie if you would still like a look at it PM me an email.

Thanks

playfull

Thanks to Roscoff for putting me out of my misery!

I can now move on...

Hi Playfull, I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread; I also need help with a play but it doesn't warrant a new thread! Are you still working on yours?

This is an appeal to any BCGers with any experience in writing a full-length play- I'm about to start one but having never written one I thought it would be a good idea to gather any tips beforehand.

I know a fair few of you have impressive achievements and precious info so please share, on any aspects!

It will be (if all goes to plan) staged in a theatre space above a pub with reasonable but pretty minimal tech, cast of max 4/5, Tues to Sat for 2 weeks, and I'm not tied to a brief- got a few vague ideas tickling my brain but nothing decided yet. I need to have it done in three months which seems simultaneously a luxurious amount of time and a ridiculously small amount of time. I'll be able to hone after that for a bit though.

If anyone has any experiences of writing a full-length play, having it staged, having a different role, or anything else even vaguely relevant, please do post or pm, it'd be much appreciated

Playfull

I've also been having a go at writing plays this year. I found the best way to assess work and see where it needs developing is to organise a read through of the first ten minutes or so. The idea is that you just listen while others read the parts. I belong to a very amenable writing group so that's pretty easy for me to organise, but the point is you don't need trained actors to get a feel for if your script is working.

Hope that helps.

Quote: AJGO @ 26th November 2013, 5:36 PM GMT

Hi Playfull, I hope you don't mind me hijacking your thread; I also need help with a play but it doesn't warrant a new thread! Are you still working on yours?

View original

Be my guest AJGO and good luck with it.

As to my play - still stuck at about fifteen pages I'm afraid - I all too often find 'not writing' gets in the way of 'writing'.

First of all, well done AJGO for getting that commission!

I've written 2 full-lengths which have never seen the light of day. The first was utter drivel. The second was really 2 one-acts stuck together - I didn't mean it to be like that, needless to say, but at least I was able to salvage the first bit and use it as a one-act and it's been performed.

I've often thought that if you could use the structure of pantomime to write an adult play, it would be a great success. The only advice I can offer, from the pantos I've written and the full-lengths I've acted in, is that the first act should end with some sort of cliff-hanger, so the audience are desperate to know what happens next and don't leave after the interval.