Beginning a Play - with Matt Grinter
Wednesdays 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st January &7th February 2024
from 6.30 - 9.30pm.
Beginning a Play
‘Beginning a play’ is a 6 week course that gives you the opportunity to gather all the tools and materials you need to write a play. Whether this is your first play or your 50th, during the course you will look at various aspects of narrative and dramatic writing and work through a number of practical exercises that will help you develop the story you want to tell. We will read from plays and use the the lessons we learn from them to inform our characters, plot and the worlds they inhabit. There will also be focussed writing time built in to each session and the writers will be given the opportunity to have their work read and receive feedback on each step of the process. By the end of the 6 weeks you will have developed worlds, scenes characters and have the play you want to write plotted and even scenes written, with opportunities to have these scenes read by actors. Sculpting a play is a unique and personal experience but it should never be a solitary one, this course will help you take the first strides into a new play as part of a writing community. All under the guidance of Playwright and Dramaturg, Matt Grinter.
WEEK 1
The ingredients of a Story: Investigate what makes us engage with narrative and learn how to pick these ingredients from the world around you.
WEEK 2
Building a World: Whether it is a fantastical world or the world in which our protagonist lives, the world we sculpt are the canvas that holds our story. Learn to understand how these worlds work narratively and how to make them serve our characters.
WEEK 3
Crafting Memorable Characters: There are characters which stay with us long after we have left the theatre, learn how to create characters that bring a scene to life.
WEEK 4
Writing Dialogue: How do we find the voices of the characters we have created? Learn to sculpt scenes that will draw in an audience and drive our stories.
WEEK 5
Scene and Structure: Looking at how we plot our stories and make them satisfying and compelling and crafting our scenes for the final week.
WEEK 6
Scene reading and play feedback: We will have a reading of all writers scenes by actors and a presentation of the play they hope to write followed by feedback from the group and the tutor.
About Matt Grinter
Matt Grinter has worked as a Writer/Director in both Film and Theatre and is currently forging a career within both media. His work has appeared in a number of prestigious venues across Britain and beyond including Trafalgar 2, The Bristol Old Vic, The Pleasance, The Finborough, Tate Gallery, The Royal Academy Summer Show, Encounters, Palm Springs, Leuven, Corona Cork, New York Metropolitan, Zagreb FilmFestival and Glastonbury Festival and have earned him a number of accolades including a Kodak Award, an Honourable mention at the New York Metropolitan Film Festival, Lost Theatre Company’s One Act Play and winning the Papa Tango New Writing Competition with his play Orca. Matt’s second play The Dog and the Elephant ran at the Bristol Old Vic Studio and Vault Fest and was produced in conjunction with Ferment. It has been made into a short film by Found Studio and has picked up a number of awards including winner of the Leeds Short Film festival award and the Jury Special mention at the ECU Europian Independent Film Festival. Matt is currently one of the Open Session Writers on attachment at The Bristol Old Vic. His recent work includes Rumpelstiltskin with Insane Root Vixen with Travelling Light and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Frankenstein with Red Rope.
The Guardian
“Grinter captures vividly the , patriarchy: I was reminded at different times of The Wicker Man, Jaws and Ibsen’s The Lady from the Sea…. Grinter, on this evidence, has a genuine talent to disturb”. Orca
Exuent
“it was with exquisite anticipation that I awaited the arrival of Matt Grinter’s newly-crowned play, Orca… a beautifully sculpted thing”. Orca
B247
“Because this is a play of words. It revolves around the richness of stories, the magic that can be created with the phrase ‘once upon a time’, and the power of words (and names). So it is fitting that you could easily close your eyes and enjoy the whole performance as a richly textured audiobook. Grinter’s script is layered and dense, frequently almost poetic and yet also crystal-clear and gripping. It is the tale of a storyteller made flesh”. Rumpelstiltskin
Bath and Wiltshire Parent
“We left with a sense of having experienced something very special and unique, both old and new. The production was gripping and I would recommend it if you have children who enjoy the theatre and you want to try a different type of theatrical experience”. Rumpelstiltskin
Backstage Bristol
“Red Rope Theatre’s Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is an exceptional piece of theatre. It’s an expert adaptation of a well-worn story, bringing a fresh take with a chilling and gripping performance.” Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.