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Why playwrights get frustrated: money

Just back from Hols but only seem to be passing through London before more travelling over the next 3 weeks.

I seem to have missed a lot of London theatre and the debating.

Have caught sight of this by Fin Kennedy, who argues:

Today’s playwrights are a motivated, opinionated, highly intelligent, politically aware group of angry young men and women. It’s not that we don’t want to write big, demanding plays. It’s that we’re so often frustrated in our ambitions. And why? One reason comes up time and again: money.

“How do theatre directors expect playwrights to take risks when they’re not part of the infrastructure?” asks Jonathan Meth of the support group Writernet. “The reality of their working lives is not part of the risk debate. A playwright would have to write between four and six plays a year to earn what an artistic director earns. Playwrights are taking risks just by writing for the stage.”

And then the response on the GU blogs have started a good debate off.

I’ve got lots of writing and other deadlines to hit soon, so am not as yet contributing to the debate but would love to hear more people’s thoughts.

comments

One Response to “Why playwrights get frustrated: money”

  1. AndrewE on April 5th, 2006

    The emphasis of arts council funding in UK theatre is on companies, directors and theatre venues before playwrights. There is definitely an element of risk involved in any artistic endeavour that comes under public scrutiny, but I agree with Fin that as things stand right now, the balance seems less in favour of playwrights.

    On the reverse side, if there was widely available funding to playwrights would writers write anything worth putting on? Wouldn’t it be an antidote to the venom that is born out of struggle? And I use the word ‘struggle’ here in its broadest sense.

    Glad I found your blog Benjamin, hope to read more discussions on theatre here in the future.

  • About me

    I'm a playwright and investment analyst. I have a broad range of interests: food, gardening, innovation & intellectual property, sustainability, architecture & design, writing and the arts. I sit on the board of Talawa Theatre Company and advise a CIS investment trust on socially responsible investments.

  • Recent Work

    Recent plays include, for theatre: Nakamitsu, Yellow Gentlemen, Lost in Peru, Lemon Love. For radio: Places in Between (R4), Patent Breaking Life Saving (WS).

  • Nakamitsu

  • Yellow Gentlemen