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Rewriting the script: the impact of the development and rehearsal process on Ian McHugh’s play 'How to Curse'

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 00:12 authored by William McEvoyWilliam McEvoy, Ian McHugh
Ian McHugh’s 2007 play, How to Curse, loosely based on Shakespeare’s The Tempest, was Josie Rourke’s inaugural production as Artistic Director of the Bush Theatre in London. This article, co-written by the playwright, examines the development process from first draft to final version, charting how table readings, workshops and the rehearsal process changed the text. It looks at the relationship between the writer, director and creative team, showing how they collectively played a dramaturgical role in the development of the play and how other factors impacted on it. As well as offering insights into how new scripts are generated and redrafted, by focusing on the major revisions to the text, we aim to outline the complex negotiations between the author’s intention, the practicalities of performance, and the demands of an audience.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Contemporary Theatre Review

ISSN

1048-6801

Publisher

Routledge

Issue

4

Volume

26

Page range

496-505

Department affiliated with

  • English Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-10-17

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    University of Sussex (Publications)

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