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Regular news and insight from our many poets, writers, educators and facilitators

10 February 2024

Posted by By Carla Hall

Stuck in a Lift

The sessions this week were held in the Executive Suite at Mayflower Theatre. What a treat!


Once again, the group were graced with extra space to be on their feet and embody their writing as another way to explore language. This time the group looked at script writing, ahead of their performance in ArtfulScribe’s LIT FEST 2024.


This week the group got to share their performance skills with Ali, by playing Stuck in a Lift. The game ran as follows: 


  • Four people are stuck in a lift.

  • The characters do not know each other.

  • All of a sudden there is a thud and the lift goes dark.

  • What do they say to each other? 

  • What noises does the lift make?


To maximise time, Ali handed out four characters to the group.


  • Madame Labon - TV Psychic 

  • Beanie Mcbean - CBB’s presenter 

  • Prof. Barker - Rocket Scientist

  • Samantha Gardener - Ballerina


Each unique character would respond to the situation differently, and it was up to the writers to figure why and how they would be able to show that through diaologue. Will Prof. Barker, Rocket Scientist be able to fix the lift? Why is the ballerina in the lift to begin with? Are they wearing their usual work outfits? What would they look like? Did the psychic predict that this would happen? What would their reactions be? 


Both groups created clever dialogues for their performances: acknowledging their characters' occupations and challenging whether those might make them an asset in the situation; questioning who might speak the most based on their past experiences, be it age or occupation; asking why their character is in the lift, and using this information to dictate how important it was for them to escape.


The second task consisted of a FILL ME IN sheet. A story unfolded on the page, but the writers had to use adjectives, verbs and nouns to fill in the blanks. It was interesting to see how the story, although following a similar structure, ended up telling a completely different story altogether. 


With this understanding, the group were set on their final task, The Audition. 


They had to write a short piece of prose describing a character's experience of auditions. Ali set the scene: In a theatre, a bit old, a little bit spooky, you’re about to walk to the centre of the stage and perform for an audition. Describe how you’re feeling in the wings, how you perceive the stage, and what happens when you step out into the spotlight.


Ali gave the example of, when carpenters come into the theatre to build sets, they often leave behind the smell of old dusty popcorn. 


Both groups delivered wonderful pieces of prose, utilising their senses flawlessly as a means of description. The Young Writers group demonstrated an excellent understanding of subtext, specifically how a character's description of their surroundings tells the reader how they’re characters are truly feeling. 


From competitive comparisons to spotlights acting as an interrogation technique, the Young Writers demonstrated clear skill.


We were grateful for the space accommodated by Mayflower Engage and look forward to continuing script writing further next week.


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