Tonight's event, held in a 50-seater studio cinema at the magnificent British Film Institute (BFI), presented a film and two plays. It took place on Monday 24 September 07, hosted by Sunila Galappatti and introduced by Louise Harris. Each work was introduced by its author, read aloud by actors, and then discussed within the group. Sunila Galappatti steered and stimulated the conversation, asking pertinent questions and pressing audience members to validate their opinions. This resulted in a very practical and interesting debate, and appeared to be of some use to the writers.

The plays and films read at Open Page are cast with the actors who attend each event, meaning that any performer can buy a ticket and simply raise their hand when they feel themselves suitable for a role. The impromptu nature of this worked very well within the otherwise very structured programme. This set-up enabled performers present to play outside of their range, and highlighted that the focus was on the writing rather than performance. Such a process ensures an equality of possible involvement, although having said this, the acting on this occasion was consistently good, especially for a cold reading.

The first reading was six scenes from a feature-length film entitled Touching Bluebell. The writer Andrew Emerson confidently delineated the complex plot of his black comedy, and responded well to questions about his chosen market and the likeability of his grumpy protagonist. Andrew Emerson's scenes had a dry, awkward humour and although his meandering plot drew some criticism, his pitch and delivery were the most professional of the night.

Next was the play Run Billy Run by David Maxwell. David Maxwell was the youngest and least experienced writer present, something apparent in his work and in his understanding of it. The excerpt from Run Billy Run contained some good ideas and inventive storytelling, but also had a lot of fluffy pointless conversation, with the writer himself admitting he did not know what he was trying to say.

The final reading was of Snow Falls by Evan Lacey, easily the funniest and most attention-grabbing of the works presented. Evan Lacey's writing had snappy and charismatic dialogue, and his play's narrative about the redemption of a schoolteacher who had killed a child in a car accident, was interesting and charming in equal measure.

The discussions after each reading may or may not have been of any constructive use to the writers involved, but the whole process was certainly informative and enjoyable for anybody passionate about theatre, film, and the creative process.

END

(c) Sara Pascoe 10 October 07

Credits: Writers: Andrew Emerson, Evan Lacey, David Maxwell. Chaired by Sunila Galappatti and Louise Harris. Produced by Stellar Network. Stellar Network is a not-for-profit cross-media organization devoted to promoting new work and introducing different industry specialists to each other’s work. More information can be found at www.stellarnetwork.com

Sara Pascoe is an actress and writer

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008