Playwriting
Playwriting
National Theatre
In this collection, leading playwrights explain some of the key elements of a well-written play, and discuss how they approach them in their own work. Simon Stephens, David Hare, Katori Hall, Matt Charman, Nell Leyshon, James Graham, Alia Bano, Richard Bean, Anders Lustgarten and Roy Williams talk about writing dialogue, creating characters, structuring a narrative and more. They also offer some top tips for first time writers, and talk about their own writing methods.
Interview with James Graham
James Graham talks about playwriting, his inspirations and what is political theatre.
Feb 25, 2013
8 min
Interview with Simon Stephens
Simon Stephens talks about what inspired him to become a writer, his process when writing and offers advise to anyone interested in playwriting.
Feb 25, 2013
8 min
Interview with Katori Hall
An interview with Katori Hall in which she talks about how she came to be a playwright and what she is inspired to write about.
Nov 14, 2011
10 min
Interview with David Hare
Interview with David Hare talking about writing plays.
Nov 14, 2011
12 min
Top tips for writers
Professional playwrights offer their top tips to first time writers.
Oct 6, 2011
3 min
How do you write?
Every writer works differently, in a way that suits them best. In this film, our playwrights discuss their own writing methods, and talk about how they fit their work into the rest of their lives.
Oct 6, 2011
2 min
Using dramatic metaphor
Theatrical metaphors can communicate meaning in a way conventional writing can't. A collection of leading playwrights discuss some of the ways writers can use metaphor to connect to their audience.
Oct 6, 2011
3 min
Dramatic style
Writers work in many different styles, from naturalism to the absurd. Leading writers explain some of the stylistic possibilities open to playwrights, and discuss the importance of finding your own writing style.
Oct 6, 2011
3 min
Structuring a scene
Good plays are built from strong scenes, but what makes a scene interesting or exciting? Professional playwrights offer their thoughts on what makes a good scene, and what the key elements are for a compelling piece of dramatic writing.
Oct 6, 2011
2 min
Writing dialogue
Dialogue is at the heart of playwriting, and everyone does it differently. A collection of playwrights offer their advice on how best to write good dialogue, and explain how words on the page are different from people speaking in real life.
Oct 6, 2011
3 min
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