Write Now Berlin

We presented three of the plays developed in our workshops at the Kreuzberger HoffestSpiele last September in Theatre Expedition Metropolis. We read these plays months before the festival and talked with the writers for feedback. The playwright needs to hear the text they’ve written and see how people react to it so they can make the necessary changes.

Semi-stage these plays at the HoffFestSpiele was a completely different experience than doing it between us on a Zoom screen. We wanted to know how the playwrights felt and learn more about their creative process.

Storm Jackson-Payne

How was it for you to hear your words spoken in front of an audience?

I found it surreal but in a really good way. It was the first time I had seen something that I had written be performed without also being involved in the production, so I didn’t know what to expect. The actors were great and I’m so grateful to them for bringing my script to life. I really enjoyed the feeling of only being one part of something, and the actors and director completing it in the way they felt was right.

How did you start writing?

I started writing plays when I was a kid, mostly so me and my friends could act in them and have a laugh. I later ended up studying script writing at university.

How about Shout Fire? Why Shout Fire?

With Shout Fire, I wanted to show how normalised it is for women to fear men. The characters talk about their experiences of feeling threatened and the tactics that they employ to feel more safe, whilst at the same time laughing at the ridiculousness of what they are saying. Faking phone calls and holding your keys between your fingers to use as a defence weapon are not things that anybody should feel they have to do on a daily basis, but somehow it’s necessary, and these characters find the humour in it to cope. I know that not all women will identify with the character’s experiences, but it was important for me to write this perspective.

What is your writing process like?

I can’t really say I have a writing process, but for Shout Fire I started without much of a plan and wrote it very quickly in two sittings. Because it was all one scene and quite a fast-paced script, I felt I had to just keep going so as not to lose the momentum of the dialogue. Since finishing Shout Fire, I have been trying to write a little every day, just to stay in the habit of writing and to put any ideas that have been forming down on the page before I forget them or grow bored of them.

How did being part of WriteNow Berlin affected your writing?

WriteNow Berlin has honestly changed everything for me in terms of writing. After I graduated from university, I didn’t write a thing for almost six years. Within months of attending these workshops, I have written a play and am keen to keep going. The workshops are so practical and just get you writing instantly. Also, hearing other people’s work is so inspiring and hearing other people’s feedback is invaluable.

Are you working on a new play at the moment?

Yes, I am working on another short play at the moment. It also focuses on themes of violence against women.

Any tips for people starting to write?

Don’t wait around for the perfect idea. I have to tell myself this all the time. If you have just a glimmer of an idea or a character or just one line that’s in your head, just start writing and see what happens.

We presented three of the plays developed in our workshops at the Kreuzberger HoffestSpiele last September in Theatre Expedition Metropolis. We read these plays months before the festival and talked with the writers for feedback. The playwright needs to hear the text they’ve written and see how people react to it so they can make the necessary changes.

Semi-stage these plays at the HoffFestSpiele was a completely different experience than doing it between us on a Zoom screen. We wanted to know how the playwrights felt and learn more about their creative process.

Alice Rugai

How was it for you to hear your words spoken in front of an audience?

I was shivering. It was not the first time because I directed my own play in Italy. But this was the first time I was not involved in directing nor dramaturgy so it was a bit more exciting/terrifying. I loved that and I am grateful for the experience.

How did you start writing?

I was a kid in elementary school. I started with a personal diary (still doing it!) and I was encouraged by teachers when they read my first poem. It is a necessity now, like eating, but I am much more often inspired than hungry.

How about ” My body was not meant as a prison”? Why “My body was not meant as a prison”?

On one hand, it is a comment on the role of control in female bodies, on the other hand, it is a political play denouncing medical abuse in Italy. I was reading abortion stories during the pandemic and I was shocked by the absence of empathy and the violation of human rights. But the play goes deeper, it is not only a critique of anti-choice movements, it is the story of a female body, a quite common one and for this reason tragic.

What is your writing process like? 

I like working with keywords, or poetic words. I wrote a summary of words I needed to touch with my writings. Then it came to the poem, a sort of slam poetry scream, and from that, the play originated itself. I added a character, a story and I tried to contradict myself. Contradiction and ambiguity are the best to write conflicts properly. But I don’t always have the same writing process.

How did being part of WriteNow Berlin affected your writing?

I enjoy support from the community, I like the fact that we are constantly learning and sharing within the community. I don’t like competitions, I have to take part to show my writings but I am not a big fan of it. Writing communities can change the world. Being part of Write Now Berlin also made it possible for me to respect my identity as a writer and as a migrant person at the same time.

Are you working on a new play at the moment?

Of course, unfortunately, I am addicted. This time it is a bit different though. I am trying to work with the “Theatre of the Oppressed” technique first and the writing process is gonna be shared by different members of the group and will come only after improvised rehearsals. The theme is solidarity with and within the migrant community. I had written a play about it too but I wanted to try a more political approach to the writing process itself.

Any tips for people starting to write?

Don’t do it, you will die poor. Do it and don’t underestimate the (political) power of your words. Do it on paper so you won’t be blind in your 30s. I’m sorry. Find a good therapist.

We presented three of the plays developed in our workshops at the Kreuzberger HoffestSpiele last September in Theatre Expedition Metropolis. We read these plays months before the festival and talked with the writers for feedback. The playwright needs to hear the text they’ve written and see how people react to it so they can make the necessary changes.

Semi-stage these plays at the HoffFestSpiele was a completely different experience than doing it between us on a Zoom screen. We wanted to know how the playwrights felt and learn more about their creative process.

Eleanor Healing

How does it feel to have your play performed in front of an audience?

I live in Scotland, so sadly I was unable to come and watch the showcase, but I can’t tell you how happy I was knowing that Neurons was going to be staged, and by such an amazing team of creatives too! It was a story drawn from personal experience, and it always feels a bit raw and vulnerable putting that to paper, even more so knowing that it will be performed in front of a crowd. I know that the play was in very safe hands, however, and I can’t wait to see the recording.

How did you start writing?

I’ve been writing ever since I was able to! Even before I could physically write, I was that child who was always in their little world, making up stories and daydreaming. I still have a folder full of stories I ‘wrote’ when I was around 4 years old. My dad would sit at the family computer while I rambled and he would type out my stories verbatim. They’re hilarious to read now because they’re so random (‘Misty the horse finds some spiders’ is perhaps my favourite, it’s a wild ride from start to finish). The first story I wrote myself was about me and my classmates having a hilariously disastrous trip to the beach. I made a little book, illustrated it, then read it out in front of my class! 

Ever since then, writing has been my escape, a way to express myself, my lifeline. Throughout my life, it’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do. 

How about Neurons? Why Neurons?

I think a lot of people had revelations during the pandemic. Mine was realising that I was on the autism spectrum, which is quite a big revelation! I had suspected it for a long time, but never thought I could be because I don’t fit the stereotypical image we see of ASD in the media. It was only when I read about the experiences of other autistic women, and how women, girls and non-binary people display different traits, that the penny dropped. 

Unfortunately, with that came my experiences of the clinical bias that exists when it comes to seeking an ASD diagnosis as an adult woman. Here in Scotland, you don’t see a clinician in person for the first stage of the assessment, instead, they send you a form in the post with very specific and leading questions about your childhood. I was told that I ‘didn’t meet the diagnostic criteria’ essentially because I was affectionate, had the ability to make friends, and wasn’t a danger to myself as a child. The alternative is seeking a private assessment where you are seen in person, but that costs thousands of pounds which is completely inaccessible to most people (myself included).

But as well as that frustration, there was also a lot of joy and freedom that came with discovering this about myself. Parts of me that I had always been ashamed of and told to change suddenly didn’t feel so shameful. There was a lot of sadness too, knowing that I had ‘masked’ most of my life just to try and be seen as ‘normal’ and just how early that had started, and how that had likely contributed to the mental health problems I’ve experienced throughout my life. What was great though, was realising that the close friends I’ve made over the years were people I’d let the mask slip around, who saw my quirks and oddities as positives. That was bloody wonderful. 

So essentially I poured my frustrations and experiences into Neurons, hoping to give my perspective with a bit of humour thrown in. It started as a monologue, but then I thought it would be sweet to include a date setting in there too. It started as a way to process the journey I was going on, then evolved!

What is your writing process like?

Being a constant daydreamer, my writing inspiration normally comes from being in my own little world and suddenly having the urge to put an idea on paper. I normally stick on my noise-cancelling headphones, get lost in my daydream, and write away. I normally need to set an alarm though, otherwise, I get so engrossed that I won’t stop and suddenly it’s four hours later and I haven’t made dinner!

How did being part of WriteNow Berlin affected your writing?

WriteNow Berlin has changed my life really! That sounds corny but it’s true. I have you to thank for putting on my play Ghost during lockdown (all made over Zoom due to Covid restrictions), and for staging Neurons at HofFestSpiele this year. On top of that, the writing workshops have been so valuable to me as a writer for developing my skills.

It’s so amazing to be a part of a community like this, and I’m very grateful that the workshops have been remote so that I can attend from Scotland! Even if you’re stuck or having writer’s block, being able to do these workshops with a supportive community of fellow writers helps. It’s great to read and share other people’s writing and give feedback too. 

Are you working on a new play at the moment? 

I completed a full-length play back in July that I’m very excited about! It’s an offbeat love story with a vintage setting that I’m submitting to competitions and theatres. Otherwise, I’m keen to develop Neurons further – I already have some ideas for making it longer and bringing in more characters so I can’t wait to make that a reality.

Any tips for people starting to write? 

I would say write about your experiences, what you’re passionate about, write down the stories you want to see. Also, bear in mind that first drafts don’t have to be perfect, or even good – I have some horrible first drafts saved onto my computer, including a very cringey screenplay I wrote when I was 18 that will never see the light of day! Getting down your thoughts and having a work-in-progress is an important first step, and even if you don’t come back to it, it’s been a good outlet and good practice. Most importantly, write for you. Even if you don’t want to show your work to anybody, you’ve still done something awesome for yourself and have expressed yourself in some way.