A Gambit for Dramaturgy: Mark Reid @ Edfringe 2015

Award-winning chess drama The Gambit to make its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut

Twenty-five years of betrayal played out on a chessboard, the lies, deceit and anger erupting in a final, all-or-nothing clash between the defining Grandmasters of the 20th century.

In the tradition of plays like A Walk in the Woods and Copenhagen, The Gambit, explores the nature of friendship, the destructiveness of competition and the mutual co-dependence of the characters. 

Inspired by Anatoly Karpov and Garry Kasparov, the play imagines a fictional encounter 25 years after their titanic World Championship battle which created a ruction in the world of chess and their close relationship. Replaying their final game, when the future of the Championship hung in the balance, they relive the history they have shared and whether there could be any hope for a way forward.

The Fringe
What inspired this production: did you begin with an idea or a script or an object?
This was an exercise as part of the Royal Exchange writers group, to bring in a story from that day's newspaper. I found one I felt was inherently undrammatic (two players having a game of chess for the first time in 25 years), to challenge the group. A colleague reversed the challenge on to me. Because there was something in the situation which chimed with my personal life it all came together.

Why bring your work to Edinburgh?Partly for the actors to experience Edinburgh and the festival, and
partly because it's a show, a script, that we all believe should have small opportunity to get in front of a wider audience.

What can the audience expect to see and feel - or even think - of your production?
It is an intimate piece of chamber theatre but with two highly intellectual and combative characters - thereby giving plenty of scope for big ideas. Bu it's driven by a universal human story of friendship and what can happen when it goes wrong. It's set in a single room around a chess set but the imagination takes it across Europe.


The Dramaturgy Questions

How would you explain the relevance - or otherwise - of dramaturgy within your work?As we work less and less with strict text-based work and more towards devising and collaborating, the functions of dramaturgy become more visible in the process. For me, it's about finding the way to help an audience through a performance. 

What particular traditions and influences would you acknowledge on your work - have any particular artists, or genres inspired you and do you see yourself within their tradition?Apart from Shakespeare? Largely whoever I've been looking at most recently. The work of Charles Marowitz. The Young Vic production of View From The Bridge. The Flaming Lips. Beckett and Woody Allen.

Do you have a particular process of making that you could describe - where it begins, how you develop it, and whether there is any collaboration in the process?
No. Once I've done something one way, next time I want to explore a different way. For me, a process is to a performance as my life is to my death - life is by far the most interesting thing.

What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?
Audiences constantly surprise, undermine, inspire and confuse me. There is never enough time spent engaging with them after they've experienced the work and thought about it.

Are there any questions that you feel I have missed out that would help me to understand how dramaturgy works for you?
There's the question of how a process plays out, the journey from inspiration to project management.

Mark Reid has been working on the local Manchester scene for a number of years, with a variety of projects. Recently he has curated a festival of experimental theatre and performance and is currently in post-production of an indie film of Titus Andronicus. Other stage works include Yawp and Better Brutality Than Boredom, provocative work which has received high praise. His company Rampant has plans for a second Chaos festival in November, and will stage Mark’s next play in Manchester in early 2016. 

The Gambit, winner of the Buxton Festival Fringe award for Best new Writing in 2013, is making its Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in Lime Studio, Greenside @ Nicholson Square.

'Definitely a must-see ... an intense battle of ideas and ideals' *****

Steve Walker, Buxton Fringe Reviews.

Venue: Lime Studio, Greenside @ Nicholson Square (Venue 209) 

Tickets: £8 (£6.50) (Previews £4/£3)

Previews: 7-8 Aug 2015 Dates: 10-29 Aug 2015 (not 9, 16, 23) 

Time: 13:50 (50min)

Bewitched by Dramaturgy: Dan Coleman @ Edfringe 2015

Dawn State Theatre Company Presents
THE WONDERFUL DISCOVERY OF WITCHES IN THE COUNTY OF LANCASTER
VENUE: Pleasance Courtyard (Attic), Venue 33
TIME: 3.15pm (1 hour)
DATE: 5th – 30th August 2014 (no show 18th August)
TICKETS: £6 (previews), £7/£6 (Mon & Tues), £8/£7 (Wed & Thurs), £9/£8 (Fri, Sat & Sun)
BOX OFFICE: 0131 556 6550, www.pleasance.co.uk

A new play about power, fear and fanaticism from the company behind the 2014 Fringe smash The Man Who Would Be King.

“Superb … A classic piece of mythology as well as a contemporary political drama.” **** The Scotsman (on The Man Who Would Be King)

Dawn State returns with a world premiere inspired by the true story of Britain’s bloodiest witch-hunt. It’s 1615, and two men are on a mission to arm their countrymen against a plague of devilish outsiders. Until now their chief weapon has been Jennet Device, youngest of the Pendle Witches, the girl whose testimony condemned her entire family to the noose. But now Jennet has grown up, her eyes are starting to open, and tonight heads will roll. 

The Fringe 

What inspired this production: did you begin with an idea or a script or an object?

Dan Coleman: It started with my wife turning round one day and announcing that she was descended from one of the Pendle Witches. Half an hour later I was reading The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster - a first hand account of the trial and execution of the 16 men and women who died in Britain's biggest witchcraft trial - and getting quite excited about the modern parallels it was throwing up. 

The way we interact with the rest of the world at the moment - be that immigrants, Greece, Russia, Islam, or even the SNP - seems to be defined by a politics of fear. It was the central characteristic of the last election, and it's the same language we used to attack witches in the 17th century. On top of that, Gareth Jandrell (the play's writer) and I were both really taken by the girl at the centre of this particular witch-hunt; Jennet Device, the 9 year old who stood up in court and testified that her entire family were witches, leading directly to their execution. We wanted to explore why she might have done that, and what might have happened to her afterwards.

Why bring your work to Edinburgh?

We haven't been around that long (this is our second show), and for a company like us the Fringe is one of the best showcases in the country. We came last year and had a cracking time with our début The Man Who Would Be King, so we feel like we've got something worth building on here.

What can the audience expect to see and feel - or even think - of your production?

Expect a firecracker. The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster is an incendiary new play about power, fear and fanaticism inspired by the true story of Britain's bloodiest witch-hunt. It's a thrilling drama punctuated with haunting music, and the three performers (Amy Blair, Dan Nicholson and

Christopher Birks) are stonkingly good in it.

The Dramaturgy Questions 

How would you explain the relevance - or otherwise - of dramaturgy within your work?

I think rigorous dramaturgy is a really important part of how Dawn State make our shows. For me it's the way you make sure the work communicates something tangible and compelling; that it's rich in meaning. 

It's also the yardstick you use to make sure a piece of narrative drama is actually telling the story that you want it to tell; that the gap between the intention of the maker and the experience of the audience is as narrow as possible. As a company we're always trying to tell stories that are - deliberately - far too big for the resources and time we have available. So we have to think very carefully about how we create the theatrical short-cuts we need to condense the story down and still carry an audience along with us. 

Sometimes those short-cuts are visual, sometimes they're textual, but it's generally the dramaturgical process that defines how they work together. It plays a really important role in defining what our work looks like and sounds like.

What particular traditions and influences would you acknowledge on your work -  have any particular artists, or genres inspired you and do you see yourself within their tradition?

Probably loads, but we try and wear our influences quite lightly. I think if we're part of any tradition it's our commitment to creating properly dramatic plays - plays that tell a captivating stories about people dealing with extreme situations - in a way that is interesting and arresting, but that doesn't require a working knowledge of contemporary theatre practice to be able to follow it. We try to make theatre for real people (whatever that means), not just theatre people.

Do you have a particular process of making that you could describe - where it begins, how you develop it, and whether there is any collaboration in the process?

Collaboration has been a central part of developing The Wonderful Discovery of Witches. We settled on the subject back in November last year, then Gareth and I developed a rough narrative outline and Gareth wrote a few test pages, which we work-shopped for three days in January with the rest of the company. 

Then Gareth went away and wrote a first draft which we work-shopped again for a couple of weeks in April before sticking a forty minute version in front of an audience for a two scratch showings. A lot of changes came out of those first performances, which Gareth worked into a second draft. We've just finished rehearsing ready for London previews, which will take place throughout July, then we’ll do one more week of rehearsals at the end just to bed in any last fiddles that crop up. By the time we hit Edinburgh it’ll have gone through a nine month development process.

What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?

Dawn State's work seeks to connect the most important questions of today with captivating stories from our past, so we work really hard to try and create work that's rich in meaning, and I'd hope that if an audience member wants to go looking for that stuff in our shows it's there waiting to be found. 

But our golden rule is that whether you're looking for that kind of thing or not, you'll always come away from one of our shows having seen something exciting, captivating and moving. So while I don't think the audience are necessarily central to defining what the meaning of the show is, I do think they play an important role in deciding which of the layers of meaning they want to focus on.

Are there any questions that you feel I have missed out that would help me to understand how dramaturgy works for you?

I'd be interested to know where/how people think they developed their understanding of dramaturgy, as it ain't exactly taught (or maybe it is and I just missed those lessons).

The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster is the follow-up to the company’s hugely successful debut The Man Who Would Be King, which took the Fringe by storm last year with its “superb central performances and wonderfully fluid direction” (The Scotsman), earning rave reviews and a transfer to the Oxford Playhouse and Vault Festival, London.

The press on The Man Who Would Be King:

“A great start from this new company.” **** WhatsOnStage.com
"A frankly outstanding production.” ***** British Theatre Guide
"Could be deemed a classic in itself." ***** Broadway Baby
“Clever directing and flawless acting.” **** The Stage
“Striking... Dawn State rehabilitate Kipling.” **** The List

Dawn State makes thrilling, contemporary theatre inspired by classic texts and forgotten stories, connecting the most important questions of today with captivating tales from the past. The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster uses the true story of the Pendle Witches to explore today’s politics of fear, and the men who exploit those fears in the pursuit of power.





*The Wonderful Discovery of Witches in the County of Lancaster is written by Gareth Jandrell and directed by Dan Coleman. Music is composed by Dan Nicholson. The cast are Christopher Birks (Potts), Amy Blair (Jennet) and Dan Nicholson (Nowell).


*Dawn State was formed in 2013 by director and producer Dan Coleman, whose previous work at the Fringe includes Richard Marsh’s 2011 debut Skittles (**** Scotsman, Guardian, Telegraph). For more information please visit www.dawnstate.co.uk/about-us/


*The trial of the Pendle Witches took place in Lancashire in 1612, and was the largest of its kind in this county. On the testimony of the nine year old Jennet Device, sixteen men and women were hung for witchcraft; including the girl’s own mother, sister and brother.

Dramaturgy at Sunset: George Chilcott @ Edfringe 2015

 What inspired this production: did you begin with an idea or a script or an object?George Chilcott: We liked the idea of a pub quiz team pulling off a casino heist. Throwing ordinary people into an extraordinary situation has great comic potential and we found this particular scenario tickled us.

Why bring your work to Edinburgh?Word of mouth rules in Edinburgh and, therefore, it is a fantastic litmus test for the quality of your work. Edinburgh audiences are discerning, generous and we enjoy putting our work in front of them.

What can the audience expect to see and feel - or even think - of your production?
The audience can expect to be gripped by an exciting heist caper, they will laugh, they will listen to live music and they can expect inventive stage craft. We have no set, but create whole worlds using a drum pad, six mics and a loop pedal.




The Dramaturgy Questions

How would you explain the relevance - or otherwise - of dramaturgy within your work?
Hugely relevant. We devised the work over the course of 5 weeks and, once that period of development was over, our writers, working with both the director and a dramturg, built a script over the course of two months.


What particular traditions and influences would you acknowledge on your work - have any particular artists, or genres inspired you and do you see yourself within their tradition?
We are influenced by sitcom and sketch comedy, modern and classic film, music of all ages and the inventiveness of companies such as Kneehigh, RashDash and Beartrap. DugOut make work that is playful, comedic and multi-disciplinary.

 Do you have a particular process of making that you could describe - where it begins, how you develop it, and whether there is any collaboration in the process?
Our process begins with an idea for a story, which we then plot. Once the plotting process is done, we then create our characters and put them into carefully planned improvisations. Writers are present in the room, jotting down dialogue and ideas that are prompted by the improvisations. In tandem with the development of our script, we will spend time developing the style in which we are to present our play.

What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?
The audience are always a present consideration in our work. They are an integral component in the act of theatre and, whether through explicit or implicit involvement, they are always present. Our plays allow plenty of room for the imagination of the audience. For instance, our latest show has very little set, but creates worlds through a changing soundscape that allows the audience to fill the space with their own meaning.

Are there any questions that you feel I have missed out that would help me to understand how dramaturgy works for you?
You could ask more specific questions about the type of dramaturgy we did on the script.

Cracked Dramaturgy: Lorenzo Novani @ Edfringe 2015

Fringe

What inspired this production: did you begin with an idea or a script or an object?

My play focuses mainly on a father - son relationship. I started by choosing several outstanding moments from my childhood which revealed to me something about my father. I built the narrative around these moments. Some obvious, dramatic moments and others much more subtle. He always remained a mystery to me in some ways. It’s not biographical but his character inspired the piece.

Why bring your work to Edinburgh?

To share my work with as many people as possible. The Fringe offers an incredible opportunity to connect with a wide audience and springboard new work onto new places.

What can the audience expect to see and feel - or even think - of your production?

They can expect to see a very energised but bereaved man losing a little bit of his mind in the back shop of a chip shop! They can also expect to see a little piece of my soul. It’s an incredibly personal piece. It’s sad, hilarious and with more questions than answers. I don’t want my audience to come with too many pre conceived notions about what they’re about to watch. I want the narrative, characters and themes to unfold in front of the audience.

Dramaturgy
How would you explain the relevance - or otherwise - of dramaturgy within your work?
It’s the essence of the work. It’s theatre in it’s purest form. The audience are watching a single character at a crucial moment, thoughts race and memories flood bringing a whole host of other characters to life through him. These characters ultimately take over and tell the story. It’s a very dynamic, vivid piece. It’s great fun to act.

What particular traditions and influences would you acknowledge on your work - have any particular artists, or genres inspired you and do you see yourself within their tradition?I’m also a professional magician. The magician, like the actor, is a storyteller but with a particular strength; generating intrigue and a feeling of mystery. This background had a strong influence on the writing of this piece.

Do you have a particular process of making that you could describe - where it begins, how you develop it, and whether

there is any collaboration in the process?This is my first piece of theatre. I only put pen to paper on this play at the turn of the year. I think I’d been formulating this piece in my head for years without realising it. It practically wrote itself.

I can’t talk too much about a process other than that after writing a scene, I would immediately try acting it out. I would tweak and tweak until it eventually felt right. Being so used to performing other peoples’s scripts , I felt like I had unique luxury… I was able to strip away unnecessary or clunky language. You can’t do that when you’ve been given someone else’s script to perform! I was editing the piece right up until opening night. This isn’t a collaborative piece but sharing my work and getting feedback was incredibly valuable. I have several close actor/writer friends. They offered feedback and encouragement at crucial stages.

What do you feel the role of the audience is, in terms of making the meaning of your work?

I’m not sure I would say it is their role to make meaning.The audience instinctively make meaning of what they are watching and this instinct is what gives theatre value and life. Audiences will find meaning in the piece and that meaning will be slightly different from one person to the next. We all view through the lens of our own experiences.