I meet with David and Lizzie to discuss the latest draft. They feel the play has moved on (phew!) and their general feedback is very positive. David suggests the three of us read the play out loud and, of course, I get to play Fred. This is a fine-tooth combing exercise as we tease out anything slightly unnecessary and untheatrical, anything we feel doesn’t earn its keep or drive the narrative forward. This is a pains-taking operation of two and a half hours – by which time we have only reached page 39 (out of 116)! - but we all enjoy the creativity of dramaturging the play as a team. Principally I learn that I need to be more economical with biographical info and also that I have a tendency to ‘dribble’ (i.e. scenes peter out rather than end snappily). I resolve to stop being a dribbler.
Perhaps I should have cut that last sentence?
