5/2/2013

Jazzy Dialogue and Flash Creativity

Chris Wilson, Writer of ‘Lady Di’

Chris Wilson’s Blog

I’m always keen to explore unusual family dynamics. Lady Di is about unusual people. My grandmother and her 49-year-old daughter (my auntie) still live together. Their off-beat relationship was the genesis of the play. Lady Di  is, however, not necessarily about my grandmother and auntie. It is about loneliness, aspiration and dependency.

This would have been a haphazard process without structure. I once had a fanciful notion that jazzy dialogue and flash creativity were the bedrock of playwriting. Such naivety explains why I have struggled with a good idea in the past.

Mark Catley’s innate obsession with structure has defined this project, and made the writing process far smoother than I had ever imaged possible.

I have found that emerging writers find it just as tough as new writers to get on to the next level. This is especially true in Yorkshire. SV4 gave me a cause to start writing again. For that reason alone, I am eternally grateful.