Studio

Writers' Workshop

The Everyman Theatre’s Writers’ Lab has been running for over 15 years.  It is a networking and training facility for playwrights based in Gloucestershire, the Midlands and the South West.

The scheme is overseen by the Everyman’s Creative Director, Paul Milton, and is delivered in the theatre itself, sometimes on a weekday evening, usually 7.00-9.30pm, and sometimes at a weekend. 

Often there is a guest workshop leader; otherwise, there is an opportunity for writers’ scripts to be read by professional actors followed by group feedback.  Recently the Writers’ Lab has worked alongside the Everyman’s Actors’ Lab to explore how devised theatre can progress to script.

February 22^nd Building Characters What characters are and their function in a play; identify importance of objectives, super-objectives, blocks. Outlining the difference between backstory and what is played. Highlighting the importance of an arc and development. Looking at character relationships and the effect these can have on each character.

March 21^st Structure Introducing the idea of structure: something innate, follows certain key beats. Look at 3 act and 5 act structures as well as open/closed time and space - how does this affect the way a play is structured? 

April 18^th Session reading the participants work with actors, please bring along 3 scripts to be read by professional actors.

May 9^th Scenes Define a scene and its purpose/qualities. Discuss how scenes earn their place in an overall play. Analyse successful scenes in plays. Look at how scenes work within overall structures.

June 20^th Writing Dialogue What is ‘good dialogue’? What does it need to do? How do you avoid exposition and create subtext? Look at different styles of dialogue in plays. How do you create characters with distinct voices?

July 18^th Session reading the participants work with actors, please bring along 3 scripts to be read by professional actors.

September 12^th Session reading the participants work with actors, please bring along 3 scripts to be read by professional actors.

October 10^th Dramaturgy and script development Look at how Papatango scripts and scenes have changed throughout the development period. What is the process and what exercises can a writer adopt for themselves.

November 14^th Session reading the final one act pieces with actors, please bring along 3 scripts to be read by professional actors.

For further information please contact Caro Day caro.day@everymantheatre.org.uk