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The Playwright's Journey PB

The Playwright's Journey PB

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The Playwright's Journey
Jemma Kennedy (Author)

A clear, supportive and comprehensive guide to writing a play – based on the author's long-running playwriting masterclasses, as taught at the UK's National Theatre.

This book leads you through everything you need to know, including:

  • The theatrical tools and techniques you can use to bring your play to life on the stage (and how these differ from writing for film and TV)
  • Discovering and trusting your writing process, with a range of approaches for developing your initial idea into a completed script
  • Understanding your characters, including their goals and central conflicts, and using emotional logic to connect them to your story
  • Finding the dramatic structure and theatrical setting that best suits your play
  • The key elements of constructing a great scene, including how to invoke tension, deepen characterisation and create effective transitions
  • Writing engaging, active dialogue by finding each character's voice, balancing exposition with subtext, and rooting what a character says in their specific context

Throughout, you'll find examples from classical and modern plays, plus insights from other contemporary playwrights into their own writing journeys. Each chapter provides a set of exercises to help you practise what you've learnt.

There's also advice on what to do once you've finished your script – including redrafting, receiving feedback and taking notes – and how to navigate your play's progress towards production.

Whether you're an emerging playwright or embarking on your first-ever play, The Playwright's Journey will help you develop your creativity, strengthen your connection to your material, and transform your idea into a fully formed play that feels alive on the page – and the stage.

Paperback: 288 pages
ISBN: 9781848425804
Dimensions: 21.6 x 13.8 cm

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Europe delivery aim: 3-5 working days
Worldwide delivery aim: 5-7 working days

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Pre-orders

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EU Delivery Information

There may be local duty and/or taxes payable on goods delivered outside the UK. The Royal Shakespeare Company is not liable for paying these charges.

Customs charges and policies vary widely from country to country. Orders for international shipping will be subject to import duties and taxes levied on arrival in their destination country. You are liable for any additional charges for customs clearance and if a package is refused and has to be returned to us, you will also be liable for the cost of this. If you are unsure of charges and regulations which may apply to your order, please contact your local customs office for further information. Generally, customs forms for internal packages will list the value of the contents of your order by product type.

Can I give a separate delivery and billing address?

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Can I send individual items to different addresses?

Unfortunately it is not possible to specify more than one delivery address per order. Should you need to send items to more than one address, you will need to place separate orders.

Can I send an order as a gift?

Your goods can be dispatched to any address you choose.

 

EU Delivery Information

There may be local duty and/or taxes payable on goods delivered outside the UK. The Royal Shakespeare Company is not liable for paying these charges.

Customs charges and policies vary widely from country to country. Orders for international shipping will be subject to import duties and taxes levied on arrival in their destination country. You are liable for any additional charges for customs clearance and if a package is refused and has to be returned to us, you will also be liable for the cost of this. If you are unsure of charges and regulations which may apply to your order, please contact your local customs office for further information. Generally, customs forms for internal packages will list the value of the contents of your order by product type.

Your privacy is important to us and we know that you care about how information about your order is used and shared. You should be aware that cross-border deliveries are subject to opening and inspection by customs authorities.

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