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Comment by alun howell on July 7, 2011 at 23:11

I've no problem with sitting down with anyone in the business and yes, the wish list is exactly that - a wish list.

 

Writers tend to be solitary creatures and most are desparate for any kind of production of their work and therefore are easy meat for directors or theatre managers.

Comment by Rebecca Gould on July 7, 2011 at 22:58

Hi Alun, well, as I said I'm trying things out here and not offering up any long held beliefs or anything, but I worry the agenda published by the antelopes, all of which i would agree with in theory, sits within a much wider context for the funding and production of new plays ? If in Wales there are not enough productions and not enough commissions for writers, I wonder rather than writers asserting their own set of desires/demands to theatres, would be better to sit down and come up with a joint agenda for the future of new writing? But perhaps this is off the point.

Comment by alun howell on July 7, 2011 at 22:47

I can't see that an informal group meeting every so often to raise the status of writers means 'separation' - separation from what?

Comment by Rebecca Gould on July 7, 2011 at 21:42

Even without the gun I’d agree. Hi Meredydd.

I do worry about how relevant these aims are to theatre in Wales though, as there are relatively few full productions of new plays?

Like others, I applaud and admire the openness shown by the Sherman and John on this site, it is rare, amazing and brilliant and I keep hoping other theatres in Wales might join in too.  I wonder how the discussion can be developed, its uniqueness capitalised on and transformed into advocacy for new theatre throughout Wales and perhaps for a new way of doing things? Personally, I’d like to see writers, directors and producers working together, I guess I remain unconvinced by writers separating themselves in the way the antelopes have.  I worry that it just gets theatre mangers backs up and draws artificial battle lines. I've heard the mumblings in London,  along the lines of 'well they should try running a bloody theatre on the money'.

I regularly despair of how little arts council/public money actually gets spent on artists and I am reminded of my shock when I discovered at Plymouth that our public liability insurance had gone up from 40k to 250k in 5 years, this was completely invisible expenditure and in some years we might as well have thrown it in the Plym, but you couldn’t open the doors without it. I'm not for a second suggesting that writers should know about the detail of insurance and stuff, or be in the least concerned about it, but they do know what it is to slave over a new play, pray it will be taken on by a theatre and, if they are lucky enough, to contribute to its rehearsals and share in how it will finally be placed in front of an audience. This experience should be shared and central to discussions on the future of theatre in Wales. The insurance, or whatever , is not important or necessary without the real experience of putting on plays or making theatre. The one, however boring, seeks  to support the other and  I wonder if working together, especially in a cold climate, might achieve a better understanding, a less antagonistic atmosphere and in the end more.

Speaking as the author of two plays, one so awful it can never be mentioned and the other co-written with Carl Grouse where every single funny or sparky line is his, or Christopher Marlow's - it was an adaptation of Faustus. I guess I don’t really have the right to add Meredydd’s shortlist however.... If you held a gun to my head ....I might also say that development offers should only to be made to writers in line with production opportunities. And that for every workshop reading etc there should be thoroughly thought through and openly discussed plan for the future of the play. 

I'd also like to ask (without having the definite answers), should theatre's in Wales be developing plays that they have no intention of doing and have not lined up anyone else to do?  Should there be more new productions of 'old' welsh plays- the likelihood is they were only ever done once before anyway?  And finally, deep breath, should Welsh Theatres mainly support Welsh and Wales based writers, at least for the next 5 years just to see what happens (I look longingly at Scotland)?

Comment by Roger Williams on July 7, 2011 at 7:52

Apologies, WEDNESDAY 20th, Cayo, Cardiff.  8pm

Comment by alun howell on July 7, 2011 at 7:46

Count me in - but do you mean Thurs 21 July? 

Comment by Roger Williams on July 7, 2011 at 7:36

David Edgar and Amanda Whittington are currently putting together guidelines for playwrights and new writing theatre companies on behalf of the Writers' Guild in association with the Antelopes.  They will be published later in the year.

Should any writer want to meet to talk about establishing a group of playwrights like the Antelopes you'd be more than welcome to come to the next Wales branch meeting of the Guild on Wednesday 21st of July.  The meeting is held upstairs at the Cayo Arms on Cathedral Road.  A conversation about establishing such a group could take place at 8pm after the committee meeting.

Comment by meredydd barker on July 7, 2011 at 1:49

You start with number one, I guess, though if a gun was held to my head and I had to precis it in three seconds I'd say-

a) show writers more respect, and

b)give them more money.

But it deserves a more thorough appraisal than that, and not only from playwrights.

Comment by alun howell on July 7, 2011 at 1:39

That is one hell of a wish list - where do we start?

Comment by meredydd barker on July 7, 2011 at 0:17

Author - David Eldridge.

 

ANTELOPES WISHLIST


1. Submitting scripts / Readers

• Information about readers to be made public ¬ who are they? What qualifies them?
• For commissioners to publish a maximum turnaround time for yes or no and to be held accountable to it ¬ perhaps an online database ¬ some way to see if the script is at first/second read stage.
• Access to readers' reports.
• Writers to be allowed to re-submit scripts

2. Programming

• Public information on how plays are programmed ¬ who makes this decision.
• Accountability on decision making.

3. Etiquette

• Contracts should be honoured.
• No rejection letters from interns.
• If you don't intend to do the play, don¹t give notes. No misleading "compliment sandwiches" in rejection letters unless the writer has asked for feedback ¬ theatres should be clear that they do not intend to do the play, even if their notes are taken on board. Clarity on whether the script's been read for a potential production or for development or just for feedback.
• Clarity on why plays aren¹t being chosen
• Letters from theatres should spell the name of the writer and the play correctly
• Writers will be happy for smaller companies to say "if you don't hear from us, we're not doing it"
• If going in for a meeting should know what the agenda is in advance and no more meetings that aren't about anything
• If theatres/companies don't have the resources to read a play, just say so
• When meeting with writers about their work those meetings should be conducted on the basis of respect. A writer should not be made to feel that they are there just to write down notes and listen to the theatres decisions. The best literary managers and directors ask questions of writers more than they espouse opinion and turn the pages of the script. The theatre has most of the power, therefore given the inherent inequality of the relationship, when meeting a writer all efforts should go in to empowering that writer. Writers need to be encouraged to be empowered and take responsibility not molly-coddled or lectured.
• A proper appraisal process for all the writers a theatre works with. For writers who are produced or commissioned (and rejected), or people on attachment, or in residence, this might be an hour's meeting for them to give their feedback. Obviously for writers with seed commissions, or a reading then they might be asked to respond in writing (e.g. fill out a form). Writers are freelancers, not full-time staff, but they deserve to be heard and have a contribution to make.

4. No development without production
• Writers should be paid to rewrite
• No endless workshops / readings if they¹re not leading to production
• After every unit of serious dramaturgy, commissioners must give the writer a debrief

5. Honour the rights we do have

• Being in rehearsal, consultation on casting, director etc.
• Perhaps directors should be reminded of these rights at the start of every process

6. Money

• Pay writers properly. Out of Joint guarantee each writer £20,000 minimum earnings from each production. The Court are beginning to explore increasing the status of their writers by paying them more. Perhaps all RFO's could guarantee a minimum of £10,000 per play?

7. Writers need more than one method/process

• No one approach fits all
• Commissioners to meet writers and ask how they can help develop the play with them

8. More Playwrights should be on boards

• New writing theatres should consult playwrights on programming
• Playwrights should be involved in job descriptions & hiring of literary managers
• For commissioners to facilitate links between writers & directors so we can find directors to champion our work
• Each management that receives subsidy for doing new writing should have at least two writers on the board.


9. Commissioning

• Commissioners should be less prescriptive / stop dictating what play they want
• No "schemes" for writers
• Commissioners should go to more readings etc.
• Commissioners should stop feeling they need ownership; stop feeling that it's the play they commission they can produce, rather than a play that's been written for someone else or on spec
• Dramaturgs should ask what the playwrights' intentions are, not assume they are one thing and then criticise the playwright for not succeeding at it
If a meeting is to say "we're not interested in this play but would be in the next" then half the meeting should be about future plays.

December 2010

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