Paying Attention

I moved to London the day before our most recent workshop – led by the BRILLIANT Douglas Maxwell – and it was a funny feeling to be doing something that is now so embedded into my routine (that is, a Bunbury Banter workshop) in a setting that was still so new and unfamiliar to me. Douglas’s approach to the workshop felt like entirely what I needed on that day – something that was massively engaging and inspiring, yet still very accessible, relaxed, and easy-going. 

The way Douglas spoke about playwriting mirrored the way I think about it a lot of the time too. We talked about the fact that, to be a writer, all you need is to read things, watch what is going on around you and, most importantly, pay attention to everything and everyone. I think this very simple instruction of Pay Attention, will constantly be at the back of my mind moving forwards – and I think that’s a great thing.

The workshop was full of tips and insights that I thought were brilliant and made a lot of sense to me. Douglas talked about how really all a play needs to do at its core is hold the audience’s attention. Something I’m learning over the course of the programme is that the key to holding the attention of an audience member is in what we allow them to know and when we allow them to know it. This is something I’m trying to play with and work on with our recent monologue exercise – knowing when and how to reveal information to the audience about the characters onstage. Douglas also talked about his belief that a play needs to have charisma – which is such an interesting way to think about writing. I know we often think of people as being charismatic, but it was so interesting to hear about a play having charisma. When you’re writing I think you’ll know which of your plays/ideas have charisma because they’ll be the ones that you’re excited to get back to and get back into the world of.

One of the last pieces of wisdom I’m taking away from the workshop is this – don’t rush into starting to write something. Take your time, mull over an idea, make notes if you need to, but don’t rush. This is something I’m going to make myself do, along with reminding myself that there is no wasted time and every day is worthwhile as a writer. I’m especially excited to take this advice with me through my life in London – I’ll be paying attention to everything and seeing what ideas might unexpectedly come up. 

Eilidh Nurse

Eilidh is part of the Bunbury Banter Young Playwrights Programme 2020-2021