Nouse.co.uk » Script Factor

Script Factor

November 10, 2009
Emma Rudeck

Production: Script Factor
Venue: York Theatre Royal
Rating: ***

Script Factor is a forum for local scriptwriters to present short plays to an intimate audience in The Studio at the York Theatre Royal. Each event is based around a different theme, which this time was ‘Brief Encounters’. There are five plays, each lasting between ten and fifteen minutes, all written by local writers. The scripts are all read out by actors, giving the audience a feel for the play. After each reading, there is an opportunity for the audience to share their views on the play, leading to many interesting and occasionally heated discussions. Once all the plays have been presented, members of the audience must then rank the plays in order of preference, with an overall winner being announced at the end of the night.

The range of plays on offer was remarkable. Writers took the initial starting point to develop scripts that explored ideas of death, marital relationships and romantic meetings. The differences were also emphasised by the variety of settings used, which included a crematorium and a department store and even a bench outside York Minster.

The actual performances of the plays were not as polished as most professional productions. There were occasional mistakes and it was sometimes difficult to hear everything that was being said. But, considering most of the actors only saw their script a few hours prior to the evening, the depth and sincerity of emotion that the majority displayed helped to make the script recitals convincing. In particular, the guilt ridden male lead in The Dusk of Life by Jean Harrod was touching and the tense relationship explored between the father and daughter in Hoar Frost by Hannah Davis evoked real empathy from the audience.

The overall winner of the evening, The Bluest Blue by Paul Osborne, was particularly impressive. The story followed the meeting of a bookish young man who had his lunch break interrupted by a young woman who has become separated from her friends after a hen night. Though they shared only the briefest of meetings, it seems to offer both characters a new perspective on the world. The characters were vivacious and the script was both comical and poignant.

Script Factor is not for those wanting a conventional evening at the theatre. But, if looking for something a bit different, it offers a chance to see the development of scripts and actively engage with writers about their work.

Script Factor was performed at York Theatre Royal on 9th November.