Playwriting: A Backstage Guide

Playwriting: A Backstage Guide

Rebellato offers up concrete examples to demysify the process of writing

The National Theatre’s Backstage Guide series is famously well judged, never presuming knowledge about the discipline being examined – but also not shying away from the more nuanced elements of the practice. Dan Rebellato’s guide to playwriting explores the various facets of the discipline, guiding readers through where to source ideas and how to approach monologue, dialogue and subtext.

This book, Rebellato says, will ‘help you write a play that works. You’ll learn how to approach structuring your play… you’ll get tips on making your characters more interesting, scenes more engaging, your dialogue more dynamic.’

With practical exercises built around the analysis of other plays, the reader is then invited to apply a theory or technique to their own practice. Rebellato offers up concrete examples to demystify the process of writing, such as options of different ‘ways in’ to start a project, whether it’s writing loose dialogue or creating a playlist or mood board.

Throughout the book, he shares examples of his own playwriting practice, quotidian events that could be turned into drama, and the practices of great playwrights from history. The book is packed full of references to other contemporary and classic plays, which is helpful to see and note down real-world examples of the process in action. ‘I would hate this book to make anyone think their wonderful idea ought to conform to some standardised template for how plays must work,’ Rebellato says in his introduction. He can rest easy, because the vast array of examples given simply provide a jumping-off point for budding playwrights, rather than creating a prescriptive journey.

Although the topic of how to get your play staged could take up an entire book of its own, the final chapter is dedicated to what happens after you’ve stopped writing, suggesting some excellent ideas for budding playwrights. He explains how to approach theatres and what information to check for on their websites or elsewhere in the public domain, as well as the small print to look out for in contracts to do with credits and consultations.

With boxouts and diagrams peppered throughout, offering further ideas on actions like taking notes, finding your font and experimenting with soliloquies, there’s plenty here to keep any reader busy.