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Dear John

Where do I start if I want to write my own show?

First published 5th October 2006

Question:
I've been told that I should devise my own show but although I've always wanted to write, I actually find it scarier than performing. Any tips?

Answer:
If you are going to get involved in writing something you will obviously have to get familiar with choosing the right words, so to get you started let's have a look at the word 'writing' in the context of putting your own show together and see what it actually means. It may be that when you hear the word you immediately think of yourself tied to a desk, filling reams of paper with flowing prose. For performers like myself who spent most of their school days trying to avoid academic activity, the idea of having to write a letter or CV, let alone a whole play can feel like an impossible task. The good news is that as long as you can produce a piece the audience will enjoy, they are not going to care too much whether the show was written out first, then learned and performed, or whether it was devised in some other way, perhaps by improvisation, linking together songs, poems or stories from another medium, or by updating a very traditional piece. All of these are legitimate ways of devising shows. Here are two performers who have successfully made the leap into writing, to share their experiences.

What the experts say:

Jacquie Hamel

Jacquie Hamel has combined a wide range of roles both in front of and behind the camera with her writing, ranging from camera work for a live US sports show in Miami to newsreading and devising comedy ads for local radio. Last year she wrote, produced and directed her own show at a south London comedy venue.

"I think one of the things that most scares performers about writing is the idea that, while you can constantly adjust and adapt your performance, once you write something it's 'set in stone'. In fact this isn't true, because as any writer will tell you, the secret of good writing isn't the writing, it's the redrafting over and over again. It's often only when you or your fellow cast members are performing something you've written that you discover how the writing could be improved and the next time you perform the improved version, that particular audience won't know there was ever an earlier version.

"Just as with learning to perform, if you can find a class that teaches writing it will be a big help, not just because of the tips you learn but also because, as with acting, you get a much more objective view about how you're coming across from other people. The other advantage to a class is that the best way to learn to write real dialogue and believable characters is to observe how people actually behave and talk and at most writing classes you'll meet people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

"Above all enjoy what you do, both the writing and the performing, because if you don't then it shows. People won't feel like investing in your project if they don't see that you have genuine passion for it and being the writer and the performer surely means you will have even more fuel to keep that passion blazing."

JB Rose

Although widely known as an accomplished vocalist in her own right, as well as on other people's projects, JB has developed an equally impressive reputation as a playwright, with shows ranging from Darker the Berry at the Albany Theatre Deptford and the Oval in Kennington, scripting for two series of BBC's Brother and Sisters and youth drama scripts for Half Moon theatre and Second Wave Centre for Youth Arts. JB has set up the Telltarra company to support black writers and runs regular readings and workshops, including several sold out runs at the Royal Court.

"I first got into writing as a drama teacher when I was asked to work on student plays. I realised I had a talent for words and it took off from there. As well as language, which of course is also relevant to my song writing, I found I was good at structure, which is obviously very important when putting a play together. Just as performers do, different writers have different strengths and the only way to discover your strengths and play to them is to try as many different styles as you can to start off with.

"I often recommend youth drama as a way for performers to get involved in writing as well as performing - you learn to work as a part of a group and it may be that if writing isn't your strong point there might be another performer you can connect with who is keen on that area. You will have your own abilities to bring to the party and the end result is often better than any of you could have come up with on your own.

"As a performer, you are going to see lots of shows to find what you can learn from them and you should be doing the same thing to improve your writing.

"Play readings, like the ones my company Telltarra organises, can be very useful, especially if you get the chance to see a fully staged version of the same play further down the line. As well as attending readings, try to take part in as many as you can (even if it means putting on your own).

"As a writer/performer you will have a unique perspective on what makes a good script from the point of view of someone who actually has to go out and perform it.''

John sums up

I couldn't help thinking of the late, great Ronnie Barker as I read this query and his strategy of submitting scripts to his own TV comedy show under a pen name so that his written work would be judged on its own merits. Actually, even now that we know it was him, the best of his material was of a quality that would have won him a place in the comedy hall of fame, even if he had never set foot in the spotlight. I've had the privilege in my own career of working with fine performers such as Angie Le Mar and Marcus Powell, who are also excellent writers, whether or not they are actually performing in the shows they have scripted. I think any of the performers/writers mentioned in this column would tell you that, like their stage work, their writing abilities didn't spring forth fully formed but were developed over a long period of drafting, refining and redrafting.

* Jacquie Hamel's new picture book My Dad Loves Coffee will be available early in 2007. Details from jacquie.hamel@blueyonder.co.uk

* Telltarra's next event In Our Own Words is at the Albany, London from October 26-28 2006. Booking details from www.telltarra.com

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk

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