Playing with perspectives: Mackenzie Wellfare

Perspective – the title of Mackenzie Wellfare's winning play – is the perfect word when it comes to this year's New Views competition from the National Theatre. The shortlist, and longlist, were filled with diverse young voices from across the country; when Wellfare was announced as the winner in June, after competing against 400 submissions, he was no exception.

Wellfare calls me from his bedroom after a full day in college. I can't help but draw a comparison to the central character of his play, Leo, who the audience watch undo his school tie and sit on his bedroom floor at the start of Perspective. Despite looking an awful lot like each other, the playwright has more in common with his protagonist than initially meets the eye – they are both autistic; this is an essential element to the production.

Following a passion

This year's New Views production was slightly different. Due to Covid, extra steps were made to ensure the safety of audience members, meaning that instead of the usual set up, only six audience members were allowed to watch the production live in two performances, and recordings of the show were instead streamed at a later date. Five cameras were in the studio during the production, meaning that the recording of the show was done to a noticeably high standard.

The winning play was borne out of genuine experiences from Wellfare's life; despite originally planning to write a play about World War One, after a couple of writing sessions he changed tack to something more personal, that he had experience with. ‘I am very passionate about autism, and the representation of autism, so that is what I did!’ Wellfare says.

Despite being the first play the young writer has completed, the text is impressive – it dives into the world of a neurodivergent boy named Leo, and the way his mind walks through situations. There is a momentum to the production that never falters, making it brilliant viewing for students of all ages. Audience members can leave with an understanding of what it means to be autistic, from a genuine and educated depiction and an individual perspective that is rarely seen in theatre and film. ‘I wanted to express that a lot of what [neurodivergent people] experience happens internally, rather than externally,’ says Wellfare, referencing exaggerated breakdowns from autistic characters publicly seen in film and TV.

‘The whole play is a combination of my experiences and other neurodivergent individuals. My girlfriend is autistic, and I also have a couple of neurodivergent friends too, so I tried to use our collective experiences to gain a deeper understanding of things.’ Another brilliant element of Perspective was the casting of neurodivergent actors in neurodivergent roles, adding a layer of depth to the performance that is unique to the casting.

© CAMERON SLATER PHOTOGRAPHY

JJ Green as Leo in Perspective by Mackenzie Wellfare

Authentic stories

When asked about one crucial element to include when writing a play, Wellfare said ‘honesty and authenticity’ were paramount. ‘Make your play as authentic as possible because it really shines through. You can't write anything wrong if you have experienced it and you're passionate about it, because you understand it on a different level.’ The playwright also suggests an immersive technique when writing a text that is set in a time or place you don't have experience with, as this authenticity can elevate the script.

Despite the driving narrative surrounding the coping mechanisms and thought processes of an autistic individual, there is an underlying universal message in Perspective that sharing your issues and troubles with friends can make all the difference. There are so many messages Wellfare wants to share with the world, and his career is only just beginning. Despite the success he has had with playwriting so far, he is applying to acting courses moving forward, to find out if he would prefer treading the boards to writing the text. Wherever he ends up, Wellfare's career is definitely worth keeping your eye on.

A winning entry

Nina Steiger, NT's head of play development and member of the judging panel says, ‘the final plays were about identity, imagination, and love and the bravery of expressing these elements of what makes us human, and perhaps what we've missed most in being together.’

Natalie Randall, Wellfare's teacher, highlighted the usefulness of the competition in the classroom, saying ‘it has really helped with [the students'] understanding about the structure of a play, and what you have to try and communicate to an audience through a play. I think it really helped with their devising for their A Level course as well. It made a big difference.’

It is spectacular to see the outcome of the hard work of the teachers and mentors up and down the country who put time into Zoom sessions and encouraged their students to write plays from home in lockdown. Of course, the students themselves deserve applause for their amazing entries, of which Wellfare is just a drop in the talented pool of future theatre-makers.

The programme is well worth investigating with your students. As Steiger reiterates: ‘The voices in these plays resonate with truthfulness, joy and life force is a testament to the importance of this programme and the self-expression it enables.’

To find out more, or to enter the next New Views competition, visit: www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/learning/schools/secondary-and-fe/new-views