New Writing South
with Tessa Walker
Using a variety of games, text exercises and improvisations this practical workshop is designed to give playwrights an insight into the director’s role and to look at the ways in which a new play might be brought to life.
The aim is to allow writers to experience communicating ideas with actors, to look at different ways to interpret a text and to see how to express ideas on the page so that they may be moved to the stage.
You will be introduced to a variety of the techniques used in the rehearsal room to develop characters, make dialogue work and to create the world of the play. You will have the opportunity to work with a small ensemble of actors to use exercises help to mine the most from a text.
No previous directing experience is needed but you will need to bring with you a short extract of a play you’d like a director to work on. Please note that you will not be directing your own work.
Tessa Walker Credits include: Women on the Verge of HRT by Marie Jones (Derby Theatre), Harm’s Way by Zawe Ashton (The Lowry, Manchester), Black Crows by Linda Brogan (Arcola Theatre, Clean Break), Orange by Alan Harris (Script Cymru), Matches for Monkeys by Sean Buckley (The Chelsea Theatre), Debris by Dennis Kelly (Theatre 503,BAC Critics’ Choice Season, The Traverse Edinburgh and Staatstheater Biennale, Germany), Blackout by Dennis Kelly (The Soho Theatre), The Watched by Christopher William Hill (Tour), The Supposed Person by Francesca Bartellini (Le Petit Herbertot, Paris) and Hysteric Studs by Charlotte Mann (BAC and Theater Lab, Houston) For the National Theatre Studio; Heartbroken Mary Looses Struggle with the Serpent of Time by Marcello Bertuccio, A Rock and a Hard Place by Russell Tovey and Killing Brando by Alexis Zegerman.
Tessa was an Associate Director at the Soho Theatre from 2001 – 2003 and, from July 2008, has been the Literary Director at Paines Plough.
How to book:
or send us a cheque (made payable to New Writing South)