Writing for audiences both real and imagined
This is an on-line course.
One of the most interesting stage creators from the English theatre scene, the author of such hits as An Oak Tree, ENGLAND and The Author, proposes a course on the meaning of theatre in times of COVID-19 and how liberating it can be.
I saw a play last year. And I remember thinking, ‘that writer has imagined me’. I’ve been imagined! Poorly imagined! The audience has been badly written. We’re all going to have to pretend ourselves.
The Author, 2009
What’s the point of theatre now – and how do we write for it?
We don’t compete with the box sets, the Netflix, the digital renditions of past theatrical successes. We don’t give up and place ourselves at a distance in a decimated and darkened auditorium. What do we do? We burrow in. We make our theatre more theatre – not a weak facsimile of a screen. We celebrate its distinguishing features, its liveness, its adaptability, its allusiveness, its de-materiality, its collaboration between artist and audience – and its words.
This workshop will focus on the liberating potential of form in theatre thinking and writing. Form that speaks as strongly as content.
Using examples from my work as a starting point, we’ll think about what happens to our words as they meet their audience. We’ll think about the audience as the ultimate co-authors of the theatrical exchange. We’ll think, read and write together.
Within the GREC 2020 Festival of Barcelona.
Tim is an Obie award-winning playwright, director and theatre-maker. He was an actor before starting to write and he still performs in much of his work. Plays include the illustrated Total Immediate Collective Imminent Terrestrial Salvation (National Theatre of Scotland, Edinburgh International Festival, Royal Court and tour), Superglue (National Theatre Connections), I, Cinna (the poet) (Royal Shakespeare Company and Unicorn Theatre, London), Beginners (Unicorn Theatre, London), Adler & Gibb (Royal Court and tour), The Author (Royal Court and tour), An Oak Tree (Traverse Theatre, National Theatre, Off-Broadway and tour), I, Malvolio (Brighton Festival and tour), ENGLAND – a play for galleries (Traverse Theatre/The Fruitmarket Gallery and tour) Shopping for Shoes (National Theatre schools tour) and My Arm (Traverse Theatre and tour).
As a director: House Mother Normal (Brighton Festival), Peat (Ark, Dublin), Jeramee, Hartleby and Oooglemore (Unicorn Theatre, London), The Complete Deaths (Spymonkey/Brighton Festival and tour), The Taming of the Shrew and King Lear (Royal Shakespeare Company).
Tim created and co-wrote Don’t Forget the Driver, a six-part series for BBC2, which won Best TV Comedy at the Venice TV awards, 2019.
Other awards include: Writers Guild of Great Britain, Best Play for Young Audiences (Beginners); John Whiting Award, Total Theatre Award (The Author); Scotsman Fringe First, Total Theatre & Herald Archangel Awards (ENGLAND), Brian Way Award (Shopping for Shoes); Prix Italia for Best Adaptation in Radio Drama (My Arm).
More information: timcrouchtheatre.co.uk
@thistimcrouch
Admission to the course will be based on order of arrival and CV assessment, which should be sent (with photograph included), filling in the form on the right.
Places on courses are limited. Places will be reserved once the course amount has been paid. Payment must be made within one week of receiving the corresponding acceptance email.
The dates indicated for each course or seminar may be subject to variations in exceptional circumstances. These will be notified when applicable.
For the course to take place, a minimum number of students must be registered. If this number is not reached, the course will be cancelled and the student will have the option of registering for a different course (providing that there are places available) or alternatively will receive a refund of the amount paid (100%). If a student withdraws, a refund of 75% of the registration fee will be applicable, providing that written notice is given at least 10 days before the start of the course.