So you’ve
written a script that you’re really happy with. You know it’s a real crowd
pleaser. You just have to find some way to get it onstage.
Do you send
it out to competitions or submit it to theatres? Then wait and wait only to
find it wasn’t their cup of tea, or that there were 2,000 entries and losing
was a strong possibility no matter how good your play was.
Well I’ve tried
that route and had a few small successes, but there is a third option, and that’s
self-producing. Those small successes were enough to convince the Arts Council
to give me a production budget.
I just need
to pause here to say – Yay!!!
But then
comes the scary bit.
My current
production is The Secret Life of Dads, and I’ve got a really great team pulling
the project together with me. Three great actors playing the dads in my play
who deal with their mid-life crises by reforming their old band and playing a
battle of the bands gig live onstage. I’ve got a great director adding all the
visual touches that I just couldn’t put into a script, and a really smart
musical director who helped make my lyrics into songs.
So it’s all
good.
Now here
comes the ‘but’.
In order to
get a grant I needed to show there was an audience for the play so a large
chunk of our income needs to come from ticket sales. If I’d given a low
estimate that wouldn’t show confidence in the production, but too high and we’re
left out of pocket. Added to that I’ve chosen a venue that isn’t known for
theatre productions, and we’ve got nine performances to sell.
So here’s
where I have to set aside my writer’s hat and become a marketing whiz – not a
comfortable place for me to be.
But that’s
what I have to do now if I want my play to be seen, and more importantly if I
want to get paid for the work I’ve put into this production, because there’s an
odd twist to this tale. As the producer I have to make sure everyone is paid
their agreed fees, but if there’s any shortfall in income it’s me who has to
take a cut.
Would I do
this again? Well this is the second time I’ve done this, so yes. It’s not for
the faint hearted but it is a thrill when you see your words coming to life on
stage, which is the goal of every playwright.
So please
come and see The Secret Life of Dads at the Guildhall in Gloucester this
August, and feel free to say hello to the writer sitting at the back of the
auditorium grinning from ear to ear, but also counting heads and trying to work
out if I’ll be able to pay the mortgage this month.
