Playwright's Manifesto

Paul Sirett is an award-winning playwright, dramaturg, musician and teacher. His theatrical works include the Olivier-nominated The Big Life (with Paul Joseph) at Theatre Royal Stratford East & West End, Rat Pack Confidential at Nottingham Playhouse & West End, and Come Dancing (with Ray Davies) at Stratford East. Other works include Bad Blood Blues (Theatrescience and Stratford East) and Worlds Apart (Stratford East), Reasons to be Cheerful (Graeae Theatre Company - published by Methuen Drama), and plays for Soho Theatre; Polka Theatre; Yellow Earth Theatre; Live Theatre, Newcastle; New Wolsey, Ipswich; Dukes, Lancaster; and the Edinburgh Fringe. Awards include, Best Off-West End Musical, Whatsonstage; Best Play, Pearson; Best Production, City Life; Best Writer & Best Play, New York International Radio Festival; and nominations for TMA, Evening Standard and Olivier awards. Paul has also worked extensively as a dramaturg for companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, Soho Theatre, Ambassador Theatre Group, Trafalgar Entertainment, the Royal Court, and the National Theatre. He is currently an Associate Artist of Soho Theatre, Associate Fellow at the University of Warwick, Literary Associate at Trafalgar Entertainment, and Associate Teacher of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where he teaches playwriting and dramaturgy.

• AcknowledgementsPreface by Jenny Sealey, MBEPrologue PART ONE 1.1 Write Plays1.2 Write What is Important to You1.3 Write like Only You can Write1.4 Stand on the Shoulders of GiantsPART TWO 2.1 It isn’t Natural(ism)2.2 Tear Down the Fourth Wall 2.3 Dramatic Structure is not a Scientific Law2.4 You do Not Need to Know Everything About your Characters2.5 You are a Dramatic Poet 2.6 Get Musical 2.7 Get Physical2.8 Think Big2.9 Shock, Break and Provoke 2.10 Write a Postdramatic Play 2.11 Write Accessibly PART THREE 3.1 How to Write3.2 Theatre is Collaboration3.3 Take the business of Being a Playwright Seriously3.4 Look After your Mental Health3.5 You are the Future of PlaywritingEpilogue Reasons to be a PlaywrightNotes 253Bibliography