Friday 14 September 2012

Why the bad *!"£$%&% language?

Tom Harland, Connections Assistant Producer

Connections is massive. Like, properly big. In 2012 we had over 4000 young people taking part with over 800 adults helping make it possible. It's no wonder then that we have an impossible task of trying to please everyone.

Each year we commission ten writers to write ten brand new plays. Their brief is simple: write something for 13-19 year olds to perform. Now, when you stop to think about it, 13-19 is a huge age gap. So many things happen in that time for a young person, as I'm sure you can remember when you went through it. Not only that we have young people taking part everywhere from Dover to Inverness, Cornwall to Carlisle, Belfast to Norwich and Cork to Sunderland! It's our job to make sure that the writers we use create plays that cover this huge range of attitudes, ages, interests and experiences.

We know that companies are not going to like all ten of the plays and we know that actually in ten plays there might not be one that is completely perfect for you. There are millions of plays in the World and sometimes it's still hard to find one for your group of 37 girls and 2 boys that meet in a tent in the edge of beyond. What we do aim to do is create a variety. A variety that entertains, that has challenging issues, that is suitable for the younger end, the older end, the bigger groups and the smaller groups. It's also a variety that is intended to challenge.

Shocking!
Our aim, is to create work that young people want to perform and for many groups that means recreating the language young people use in their everyday life. That's why some of our plays include swearing or difficult themes. Stacey Gregg, for example, has based her work on her experiences of  growing up in her hometown in Northern Ireland. Theatre is intended to hold a mirror up to the world and as such the reflection can sometimes be difficult.

One of the major aims of Connections is to encourage creativity. We, and all of the writers, want companies to find creative ways around the challenges posed in the plays. This includes the language and themes that are used.

We understand that for some companies using swearwords is just not something that is acceptable in their setting. There are plays that refrain from using this language, but we also asked the writers to let us know if they are happy for words to be changed/replaced in order to allow companies to perform their play in their venue.

The overwhelming response was this:
Yes, as long as the intention and intensity of the word/phrase remains the same. If it means more companies will want perform it we're happy!

Most of the writers are more than happy to discuss the words and phrases they use at the Directors' Weekend - so the message is - please don't let swearing affect your choice of play.

The other concern we've had from companies is about their group not fitting the setting of the play. Please don't let this affect your choice! All of the writers want their plays performed by a diverse range of companies across the UK and Ireland and most of all they want you to have fun doing it. None of the plays have been written with specific casting in mind unless stated on the cover sheet of the script.

Be bold. Be creative.

I can't wait to see the outcome.


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