Studio Sitcoms and Stage Plays

The benefits of writing for the theatre

Tim Dawson is a BBC sitcom writer who created Coming of Age for BBC3 and worked on BBC3 stalwart sitcom Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. Tim has also worked in journalism and written numerous articles for numerous publications, but never mind about that now. He’s written a play called The Red Prince about a rookie Labour MP. It runs at the Lion and Unicorn Theatre from Tuesday 24 February to Saturday 7 March.

When I heard about this, I was interested to know why a man like Tim should embark on something as wildly unprofitable and time-consuming an idea as theatre. So I asked him.

JC: Tim, explain yourself:

Tim: The idea was conceived for the form. Staging it was part of the plan from the start. Benjamin May, who performs and produces, identified the theatre and put up the initial money - though he would hope to recoup that from ticket sales. Otherwise, the financial cost has been pretty low - a couple of hundred quid.

Writing-wise, time wise... I’m just happy to be doing something that will be performed. We’re all working for free, for fun and the love of it, and we’re privileged to be able to do so.

JC: What’s the desired outcome?

Tim: The desired outcome for me has essentially been achieved. I wanted to write something about where we are politically, culturally... A serious-though-funny attempt to tackle politics as it is, and politicians - particularly politicians a bit further down the food chain - as they are.

JC: As I used to say many times on the Sitcom Geeks blog, “Why YOU, why now?”

Tim: I’m interested in the human side of politics and I thought that might help me approach things a little differently. I felt there was a bit of a gap, and I had some experiences and connections I could call on... Why not?

JC: Lots of sitcoms are play-like. I’m thinking Rising Damp (which was a play called The Banana Boat). But also shows like Are You Being Served? seem to come straight out of the world of Ray Cooney farces. Is that your inspiration?

Tim: I love those shows but they’re not really what’s behind this piece. This was conceived as a one-man stage play from the start. I have tried to keep the laugh rate around that of a sitcom, but the influences are more literary.

JC: How have rehearsals gone? Is it weird having more time to rehearse this than episodes of broadcast television?! In fact, I’ll write about that next time… Sorry, Tim. Do go on.

Tim: Rehearsals have been very intense and detailed. Every line has been examined, every move blocked precisely.

And yes, we’ve had significantly longer. But then, we are dealing with 8000 words of dense text, with lots of precise movement on top. Rehearsing that in four days then recording it would be basically impossible. Thirty minute sitcoms with, say, 18 scenes, a couple of big visual jokes on location, ready to be played in - they’re actually designed to be rehearsed in that way. Five days just wouldn’t have been enough for this.

JC: How is this similar to and different from writing sitcoms for TV?

Tim: Comic techniques translate - misdirection being an obvious example. Call-backs. Containment - this is very contained. There is a story with lots of threads but they’re not handled like a sitcom. I want the audience to laugh, but I also want them to be slightly unsettled. I’m not trying to warm them.

JC: What have you learned from rehearsals, both about yourself and what you’ve written?

Tim: My writing is pungent. I take the work really quite seriously. I’m willing to crunch through large amounts of material to get to what I want.

And also: I’m happy to hand it over to people I trust. I wrote very sparse stage directions deliberately, so they could be filled in during rehearsal. I think the few I did write got binned, which is fine.

JC: Have you written plays before?

Tim: Not for the stage. I wrote an Afternoon Drama for BBC Radio 4 - that was also about politics, though about the Conservatives.

JC: How are you working with a director?

Tim: My approach is to sit on the side and play with Susan’s dog and let her and Ben get on with it. I have had no involvement in the staging. I do watch, but I also wander around, thinking. I know them both so well - I met Ben at school when we were 16, and Susan not long after on Two Pints. So these aren’t normal working relationships.

I have fond memories of all the directors I’ve worked with, but it’s not something I would want to do myself.

JC: What are you most excited about?

Tim: Any night with an appreciative audience. I hope they turn up and enjoy it. Ed Bye, who directed Bottom, Red Dwarf and Absolutely Fabulous said, “This play is an absolute BLAST!”

JC: Best of luck with it, Tim! I hope all the right people break all the right limbs.

The Red Prince is on from 24th February at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre, buy tickets HERE