Our Services

BESPOKE SCRIPT WRITING

We know that often when you are looking for an existing play to stage for your drama group or club, the cast list rarely matches the gender/type/age of your available members.

As we did for the Community Production "The Last All Clear" in particular, we can write a panto or play script to your casting requirements. We may even have one of our existing scripts which would suit you, with a little 'tweaking' to be an ideal vehicle for your group! We can even set it in your preference of situation and period.

Case Study - 'The Last All Clear'

'The Last All Clear' was a Community Murder Mystery play featuring music from the 1940's.

Gordon and Joy realised that to tailor make a play to fit the performers as opposed to the other way round was the only way to truly give a realistic opportunity for anyone - regardless of age, disability and experience - the chance to take part, and therefore make a theatrical experience accessible.

In order to do this, we started out with just a scenario and skeletal synopsis set in a basement nightclub in war torn London.

The premise was that a diverse group of characters are stranded in the nightclub due to the Blitz. During the time they are forced together, their personal stories unfold, past secrets and certain indiscretions are revealed! Some of the characters have unwittingly found themselves in a danger unconnected to the war, due to events in the past.

Tensions mount and arguments ensue. A bomb drops nearby and the club is plunged into darkness. It is during the blackout that a brutal murder is committed.

Among the characters is an undercover police detective who only came into the club to try to get leads on a drug ring currently in operation, and it is he who quizzes those present, and eventually unmasks the guilty party! The All Clear is sounded and the characters are able to leave the club as dawn breaks.

The only way the play was able to support each participant's performance by enhancing their strengths through the 36 week process, was for Gordon to write the script, and develop the characters, their stories, and therefore the level of responsibility they would have to carry as we went along. Establishing gradually how much - or how little - each performer could deal with without becoming stressed.

In addition to the rehearsals, Gordon and Joy ran team building sessions, and drama and singing workshops, also calling on experts in singing and 1940's lifestyle and behaviour which all gave clues as to the performers ability and to help them grow in confidence at each step.

The whole cast worked together to create a community musical, including being involved in sourcing costume accessories and props.

The large company comprised of a mixture of experienced and aspiring performers from both professional and amateur backgrounds, and some who had never even stepped on a stage before, and among the participants were people living and dealing with mental health and addiction problems, dementia patients, and those with long term physical and mental handicaps.

We are proud of what we achieved and especially so as all costs were covered by ticket sales.

We constructed and developed the piece to ensure that none of the participants had to pay to be involved, thereby achieving another aspect of the accessibility we strove for when embarking on this project.

We believed that the only way that many of the participants were able to experience the thrill of appearing in a 'bespoke' production, having had their part written especially for themselves, was in 'The Last All Clear'.

Our Services

BESPOKE SCRIPT WRITING

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