With a wonderful bunch of volunteers, (Thanks everyone). We had a great day reading through the first draft of the script of Kitty Canham. It was such fun, not that it looks it here! That was the hard work bit. You dont see the cakes and yummies that were involved. It was great to hear the characters given life. We had three renditions of Kitty, so we could hear her in different voices which was very helpful.
As I mentioned on a previous blog, when turning a book into a play, major cuts have to be made. Sarah, Kitty's friend, has become less important and another, much lesser character, more so. It's as if in adaptation, the characters shift and move until they find their places in the new genre in which they find themselves. Fascinating.
We have also realised that so much can be said through actions, without words; a touch or a look can say so much.
The team suggested I simply write without overthinking, which I did, just to get the first draft written. I'm glad I did so, becuase is means we now have something tangible to work with. My husband came in at the end and said 'it's longer than Hamlet!' You need to be Shakespeare to hold an audience for that long and I aint no shakespeare! So, the pencil has already started slashing passages. The challenge always is to tell Kitty's story for stage whilst holding the heartbeat of the novel.
I have never written in collaboration, but I am loving it, it is making for much stronger work. People are fab aren't they. And when creativity is flowing it gets really exciting!
May you find joy in all your endeavors.