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Recommending: Growing your own vegetables

Directing: Focus & story

Rufus Norris (see earlier post) suggested focus or the craft of telling the story was important as a director.

As a writer this is true too and similar questions apply:

What does each character want or need?

What is happening in the scene that is essential in carrying the story forward? (If you can’t find this then maybe the scene is not complete or unnecessary?)

What are the key moments in the scene when a character is faced with an obstacle? Must they make difficult choices?

When/how do characters change tactic to pursue their wants/needs?

Who, at any given moment do you want the audience to focus on?

I think these are often useful to bear in mind when revising a play for another draft.

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  • 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