Taketh me out...again.

A bit of a tumbleweed has blown across our blog but Standby HQ has been anything but quiet recently! We received an early Christmas present with the news that we'd been selected for the Open Stages showcase on the 18th of March 2012. Naturally, we were all delighted and couldn't wait to get creative again, even though a lot of hard work would inevitably be involved.

Given a ten minute slot to fill, we had to make a decision about which section of the play would represent our work and values the best. Puck's dating game show, Taketh Me Out, was the most obvious choice for us all, providing what we hope will be a fun, lively and engaging insight into what we're all about. Decision made, it was now time for my part to come first. As co-writer of Lovers and Madmen, I had the daunting task of shaking off the excess of the festive season and getting down to revisiting the script...but I won't bore you with the details or spoil the surprise for March. I will, however, share some thoughts on the three things I valued most during the editing process.

1. Distance.

It's important to have distance from what you're writing, any and every 'how to' textbook will emphasise this point repeatedly. Luckily for me, there was a sizeable gap between our final performance last July and the call to dust off the script.

Distance gives the cringes time to subside and the objective voice to overtake. If every writer edited the second they'd typed the last word then frankly nothing would ever survive beyond their computer screen. For a theatre performance, distance also gives you the time to reflect and discuss what worked and more importantly what didn't work the first time round, taking into consideration what new challenges you will have to face. Instead of throwing the script out of the window (always check they're locked) I found myself welcoming the opportunity to look at it with refreshed eyes, supported by the wise and encouraging feedback of my fellow Standbyers.

Also, if a line isn't working, chill. It's okay to walk away from it and come back after a bucket of tea and an episode or 6 of The Office. It isn't going anywhere, trust me.

2. Faith.

Okay, that's a little deep (try 'positive attitude' for a less pithy but equally accurate term), but a little dose of faith really doesn't go wrong. Faith shuts up that critical voice that stops you from getting things done and it reminds you of everything you've achieved so far, pushing you to work harder. Remember why you started writing in the first place and believe that you can try your best to improve. Sadly, faith alone won't get those words on the page, but we all love a challenge, right?

3. Enjoyment.

Perhaps the most important point of all. Writing isn't scary and there are no right or wrong answers. Honestly, it can and should be fun, especially when you're making theatre. Half of the joy lies in throwing yourself back into it and seeing where your thoughts take you. It's only a play.

And because I'm a sucker for threads tying together, my final thought is this: Theatre is a collaborative process. And repeat. Once I finished the edit, I knew that my script was going into capable, open-minded and frankly gorgeous hands. Work hard at your contribution and have fun with it, but recognise when it is your turn to take a step back and create that distance again. I have a huge amount of faith in the crazy and wonderful people of Standby as they work on the story and bring it to life in ways I hadn't even imagined. I can't wait to see what they've achieved in March.

So, the cast and crew are deep in rehearsals now, but stay tuned for more from us soon!

ps. Forgive me for the title, I couldn't resist!

Follow me...

We've set ourselves quite a challenge here at Standby Theatre. Site-specific theatre. Oh yes, nothing like throwing ourselves at the theatrical deep end. But we love a challenge, and that's exactly what it will be. Our first production, 'Lovers and Madmen' was a tremendous amount of fun. We played with some of Shakepeare's best loved characters in a new, fun context, and despite cramming it in alongside our full time jobs, we achieved a lot in a few short months.

But we can't rest on our successes. We all agreed that we want to take it that stumble further and create something totally new that compliments the many talented people in the group. If someone wants to play the spoons or sing a Haiku, let them! It's all about letting our creativity blossom and shine.

After exploring an amazing derelictish space, we sadly realised that the floor resembling jelly really wasn't going to be conducive with a safe, lively theatre experience. Thinking hats firmly back in place, Lotty and I explored Holy Trinity Churchyard and the paths leading towards it. We may have looked crackers scribbling down names from Victorian Gravestones and hiding in dens of trees, but we realised that something as simple as an everyday pathway could be used to great dramatic purpose. Throw in an mp3 player, some carefully crafted directions and a few unsuspecting audience members and bam! That's theatre, right? Well, kind of.

The prickle with the term 'site-specific' is that it is often bandied about without any real thought- a 'trendy' term that will entice a younger audience away from twitter for a few hours. But here at Standby we want to create a site-specific piece in the purest sense- a play born from a direct response to a place. The place informs the action, not the other way round.

So, that sounds like fun, but how to we start? To ease ourselves into what is quite a daunting task, we're developing some simple directions. I'm currently asking myself odd questions such as 'What is the abstract emotion for this place?' and 'What visual images develop from the weather of this environment?' in order to create something. Who knows if this piece will be used as anything more than valuable practice but what the process will hopefully demonstrate is that the audience will be taken on a unique journey, using mixed media but keeping it simple, allowing the heart of the place and its inhabitants to tell the story. For a writer, this is the most exciting stage of the process, facing a brand new project that is inscribed with a huge sense of freedom. People respond to environments in a variety of ways, and it's my job to explore one interpretation of that.

Practically, we are also giving ourselves more time to develop this piece, but we hope to see it all coming together beautifully very soon.

Now, back to the pen and paper (I like my traditional methods.) I'm determined to get the name Eustace in there somewhere...