Next Online Readthrough - Saturday 4th April

[wildeabandon]

So it turns out that although when doing a readthrough of a TV programme or film, you can estimate the length by reducing the broadcast time by about 25%, because you cut all the silent camera work and considerably reduce the time spent on action sequences, when you're doing online readthroughs of radio plays, you not only don't get that reduction, you actually add quite a bit of time for faff - about 33% in fact, which took me by surprise. Which means that Saturday just gone we did "How the Marquis Got His Coat Back", but then only had time for the first of the two episodes of Stardust.

So this coming weekend we'll start with the second episode, and then follow with another piece of about the same length as HtMGHCB. There are quite a lot of scripts of that sort of length on the bbc writers room page, and I've made a start on looking through them. One small drawback is that most of them have considerably fewer characters than Stardust, but, Zoom has breakout room functionality so I think what we can do is have Stardust in the main room, then split out for two or more smaller pieces.

If you couldn't come last time but want to this week then we can probably reshare some of the smaller roles in Stardust, but we'll stick with the original casting for the bigger parts unless people playing them drop out. Obviously if you'd rather just come for the second part of the readthrough that's fine too.


The King's Coiner (4 big parts, 2 small/medium, 3 tiny)
By the 1690s, Isaac Newton - already the world's greatest mathematician - was hungry for a new challenge and became Warden of the Royal Mint.

His pursuit of London's most notorious counterfeiter, William Chaloner, confirmed him as a man prepared to go to any lengths to solve a problem...

Breaking up with Bradford (2 big parts, 2 small/medium, 4 tiny)
Kasim's return to his hometown of Bradford after three years away at University isn't quite what he anticipated. His time away has changed him, but is Bradford ready for the new Kasim?

The Things We Never Said (2 big parts)
A mother. A daughter. A lifetime. But what becomes of that bond, when one of you knows only the present moment

'You said you'd never forget me, but you have.' 'You said you'd love me forever, but you don't know who I am...'

A History of Paper (2 big parts)
A simple story – boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy loses girl. But with an unusual aspiration: to tell this story via the pieces of paper that shaped their lives. And to lead us (unexpectedly) to a moment in history that’s shaped all of our lives. 9/11. He wants to tell a story not directly about terrorism, but about the grief terrorism haunts us with – that most basic and feared of human emotions.

The Book of Yehudit (1 big part, 6 big/medium, 5 tiny/small)
Yehudit, a young Orthodox Jewish woman, is desperate for a divorce. But in the Jewish world, a divorce can only be granted if the husband is willing to give his wife a get, and Yehudit's husband has other ideas.

The Trial of Joseph Knight (4 big parts, 1 small/medium, 2 tiny)
May Sumbwanyambe's play is based on real historical events. In the late 18th century much of Scotland's mercantile wealth is built on slavery. Plantation owner, Sir John Wedderburn, returns to Perthshire from the West Indies, bringing with him an African slave, Joseph Knight. Wedderburn educates Knight and uses him as a domestic servant. But when Knight runs away his escape and recapture help to pave the way for the abolition of slavery in Britain.

1977 (5 big parts, 2 small/medium, 4 tiny)
In 1977 the bestselling children's novel Watership Down was made into an animated film. Malcolm Williamson, Master of the Queens music, had been hired as the film's composer. But all was not well. Williamson, a notoriously difficult and complicated man, was under extreme pressure; it was the Queens jubilee year and he was over commissioned. When the film's conductor, Marcus Dods, arrived looking for the film's score he found to his horror that all that existed were two small sketches of music which amounted to no more than seven minutes of screen time. With an expensive orchestra and recording studio booked for the following week, the film's future looked to be in jeopardy. In desperation he turned to the one person he knew could help; composer and arranger Angela Morley. But she, for her own reasons, was going to need some persuading...


If you fancy coming this Saturday, please could you fill in the poll below (or answer in the comments if you don't have a DW/OpenID account.)

Poll #23737

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 14

View Respondents

Attendance

View Answers

I would like to read in both Stardust and another shortish play
6 (42.9%)

I would like to read just in Stardust
5 (35.7%)

I would like to read just in another play
1 (7.1%)

I don't want to to read in anything this week
2 (14.3%)

Part size preferences for the non-stardust play

View Answers

I would like a big part
7 (87.5%)

I would like multiple small/medium and tiny parts that add up to about the same as a big part
4 (50.0%)

I would prefer just one small/medium part
0 (0.0%)

I would prefer multiple tiny parts that add up to about one small/medium part
0 (0.0%)

I would like just one tiny part
0 (0.0%)

I would be interested in the following plays

View Answers

The King's Coiner
6 (75.0%)

Breaking up with Bradford
3 (37.5%)

The Things we Never Said
2 (25.0%)

A History of Paper
4 (50.0%)

The Book of Yehudit
6 (75.0%)

The Trial of Joseph Knight
5 (62.5%)

1977
7 (87.5%)

My top two or three choices would be

View Answers

The King's Coiner
5 (71.4%)

Breaking up with Bradford
1 (14.3%)

The Things we Never Said
0 (0.0%)

A History of Paper
1 (14.3%)

The Book of Yehudit
2 (28.6%)

The Trial of Joseph Knight
2 (28.6%)

1977
5 (71.4%)

My first choice would be

View Answers

The King's Coiner
2 (40.0%)

Breaking up with Bradford
0 (0.0%)

The Things we Never Said
0 (0.0%)

A History of Paper
0 (0.0%)

The Book of Yehudit
1 (20.0%)

The Trial of Joseph Knight
0 (0.0%)

1977
2 (40.0%)

Comments

[the_elyan]

If you wanted something short and silly, I have a bunch of Jeeves & Wooster scripts somewhere, which run about 45 minutes each. Most are 2 or 3 big parts, another 2-3 medium, and 1 or 2 small.

[atreic]

Hello! Sorry if my ticky boxes are not very clear. I would like to finish Stardust, I would like to be around for the random chatting once all the readthroughing is done, I am happy to be in more readthrough, but also very content not to be in more readthrough (I am finding online socialising Fun, but more draining than offline) so you should feel free to add me into things if there are parts you think would suit or it makes up good numbers, but I am happy to just do stardust if that makes an easier shape.

[sfred]

Sorry for the delay. I think I am all out of video call spoons, so please recast my few lines of Stardust. I really enjoyed last week! I hope you all have a lovely time, while I sit and look at a blade of grass or something.