503Studio: What’s the Story?

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503Studio Masterclass: Story: What’s the Story, Tristan Bernays

What is your play about and what is your play actually about?

A great workshop for anyone struggling halfway through their play, we will explore the key idea of Story vs. Theme – how to balance narrative and message to create work that will excite an audience with a compelling story but still have something meaningful to say about the world we live.

Often as we write, our play can slip between our fingers: sometimes we lose track of what story we’re telling; other times, we forget why we even began writing it in the first place. Our plays can fall in danger of feeling dull or empty.

We’ll use clear and concrete exercises to help keep our story on track and help us to discover the real themes and ideas we want to explore with that story. We’ll examine methods that will help you get to the heart of your play and explain clearly and succinctly not just what your play is about but what your play is actually about.

If you have any access requirements, you can let us know here. If you would rather discuss any access requirements and how we can accommodate them prior to booking, please get in touch with us here.

Time: 7pm – 9.30pm

Running time of workshop: 2.5 hours – delivered online. Maximum class sizes are 14.

To sign up for advanced booking for future iterations of the 503Studio: Writers Programme, please join the waiting list here.

Tristan Bernays is an award-winning writer and performer whose work has been performed at The Globe, Soho Theatre, Bush Theatre, National Theatre Studio and Southwark Playhouse.

He made his New York debut in January 2020 when Classic Stage Company produced his adaptation of FRANKENSTEIN as part of their Gothic Rep Season; later that year, his play TESTAMENT was adapted for the screen and streamed online, in response to the initial cancellation of its New York run due to the Coronavirus Pandemic.

His play BOUDICA was performed at The Globe in 2017 with Gina McKee in the title role. (“Gina McKee reigns supreme.” ★★★★ The Guardian). His show TEDDY at Southwark Playhouse won Best New Musical from the Off West End Award 2016 (“Energy and invention abound. Remarkable.” ★★★★ Evening Standard) and toured the UK in 2018 before returning to London.

OLD FOOLS premiered at Southwark Playhouse in 2018 and was nominated for 4 Off West End Awards, including Best Play (“Tristan Bernays has created a dementia parable that somehow moves and finds light in the deterioration of the mind – through love.” ★★★★ The Independent). His one man show THE BREAD & THE BEER received rave reviews at Edinburgh Festival 2013 (“WOW… one of the most of the most action-packed dynamic shows of the Fringe.” ★★★★ The Scotsman) and transferred to Soho Theatre before a UK tour.

Tristan was Writer In Residence at Dancing Ledge TV Productions, as well as a member Bush Theatre’s Emerging Writers Group. He is also a Visiting Lecturer at Central School of Speech and Drama, where he teaches Playwriting.

www.tristanbernays.com / @tristanbernays