British Comedy Guide

The Sitcom Mission 2011 Page 15

Yeah, that's a good idea. One scene has two people on it, and a later scene has three people on it. Three chairs is alright isn't it? I need 5 for my other set.

I only need a few anyway, I have two different sets that have already been stated as easy to do!

Bushbaby is absolutely right. The idea is to use as little furniture as possible, but we do supply chairs (which can be made into a sofa) and (small) tables.

Please don't delete your sofa. Where would Men Behaving Badly have been without one?

My script has a Harrier jet landing on a talking pig - LOL

^ My original idea involved a flatshare between a cat and a giraffe.

YAY I'M KEEPING MY SOFA.

can I name drop famous song titles?

It's pretty obvious you can't recite lyrics and movie dialogue due to copyright, but the titles shouldn't be a problem?

Not saying my script is riddled with song titles but the one or two in a punchline somewhere?

HELP!

I would definitely use the least amount of props possible. Otherwise you'll end up feeling guilty/petrified and hating yourself. Don't go too far beyond chairs - by then there'll be enough to stress about without having to either carry stuff around or being a pain in the arse to everyone trying to help you.

Last year I used a projector and a laptop (a main character needed to do a crap Powerpoint presentation) - Christ knows why, I have YET to go to a meeting where one works first time. And guess what..the projector had a 50% success rate! Which isn't great in four performances. PLEASE don't let my suffering have been in vain...

But DO enter - even wihout the amazing stuff that's been arranged for this year, the whole competition really is the most enormous fun. Well done on the Hat Trick partnership though Simon and Declan - sounds amazing!

How about a live *cat* buries a dead *dog* in the *last* scene?

Quote: Ash Man @ February 11 2011, 11:08 PM GMT

can I name drop famous song titles?

It's pretty obvious you can't recite lyrics and movie dialogue due to copyright, but the titles shouldn't be a problem?

Not saying my script is riddled with song titles but the one or two in a punchline somewhere?

HELP!

you're allowed to quote five words without copyright

Exactly what Griff said.

There's an awful lot of worrying about peripheral things going on. Start worrying about whether your characters are three dimensional, your plots are fully driven and is it damn well funny. The rest will take care of itself.

And you've got chairs and tables, make of them what you will.

Quote: bushbaby @ February 11 2011, 11:58 PM GMT

you're allowed to quote five words without copyright

?! Eh? That's a bit precise!

Copyright law refers to reproducing work 'in substantial part'. It sounds like a bit of a grey area but in any case it seems a bit wrong to depend on much more than a line or two (certainly a continuous lyric).

Quote: Ennie @ February 11 2011, 11:20 PM GMT

But DO enter - even wihout the amazing stuff that's been arranged for this year, the whole competition really is the most enormous fun.

Ennie is right.

Quote: Griff @ February 12 2011, 12:00 AM GMT

Guys this is a stage play in a fringe theatre.

Exactly. Worry about the 'sitcom' elements at a later date.

(I wonder if last years winner has stopped crying yet?)

Actually, the sitcom elements are very important. What's less important is worrying about what colour the typeface should be.

As for staging, you've got two tables and four chairs. We've got imagination and so have the audience. We love reading about 'the chairs can be placed to represent a car' or 'the chairs can be placed to represent the flight deck of an aircraft carrier'.

We like 'zoom in on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The captain's watch shows 12.30' a whole lot less. The people in the back row of the theatre can't stand it. We're only thinking of them.

And we've still got spaces left on our Help! I've Written A Script workshop on Saturday 19th Feb. Details are here:

https://www.comedy.co.uk/sitcom_mission/workshops/1/

Hello,

I saw the bit about "No Children" Does this include late Teenagers, I have got 1 18 year old in my script, is that possible? as it could easily be played by a 20 year old.

Cheers,

That's fine.

One question and one question only,where I'm fine with sparse furniture for scenes as my scenes are simple sets I'm a bit worried how many scenes I have, is it ok as long as they can be changed quickly, as only a few chairs and props to move?

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