THE INTERMEDIATE COURSE 2021 - 2022

INTERMEDIATE COURSE dates, 2021/22

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The dates, all on Fridays, 10am - 5.30pm, are as follows:

 

Friday October 15th

Friday November 12th

Friday December 10th

Friday January 21st

Friday February 25th

Friday March 18th

Friday April 29th

Friday May 27th

Friday June 10th

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Performance Workshop

Saturday 4 June

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COST

10 x all-day sessions taking place one Friday per month from 10.30am to 5.30pm.

(65 hours in total)

Course Fee; £2000
 

Each course is self-contained. It is not necessary to do all three years.

 

ABOUT THE COURSE

 

Entry requirements for the Intermediate Course are either successful completion of the

Foundation Course or having had your work already professionally staged or published.

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The INTERMEDIATE COURSE consists of 10 day-long sessions that take place from 10am-5.30pm for one Friday per month plus a final Performance Workshop in June.

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HOW IT WORKS
 

  • There are 6 WRITERS on the Intermediate Course. This reduced number is to allow sufficient time for each writer to talk through their current play during the afternoon of each day-long session.

 

  • All writers are encouraged to share their work with the whole group before each monthly session.

 

  • Each writer begins the Intermediate Course by sharing past work with the group and outlining their ideas for a new play to be written during the year.

 

  • All writers on the Intermediate Course read PLAYWRITING (2019) by Stephen Jeffreys and INTO THE WOODS (2014) by John Yorke. Through these texts, John takes the group (with substantial additional notes) through the following areas:

 

  • Structure

  • Character

  • Dialogue and Subtext

  • Time and Place

  • Experimental Structure

  • Types of Story

  • Content

  • Adaptation

 

Each of these topics occupies a morning workshop.

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The afternoon session is dedicated to feedback and a group discussion of each writer's play in progress.

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The group itself becomes a creative unit that motivates each writer to think more boldly and expressively than before.

 

There is a clear brief in the Intermediate Course for writers to be progressing fruitfully on their own during the period between the monthly sessions.

 

The group reads and discusses 2 plays every month – these plays are chosen to illuminate the month’s theme, i.e, Structure, Character, etc.

 

INTERMEDIATE READING LIST 2020 -2021

 

Note: the Intermediate reading list changes annually.

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THE PRICE by Arthur Miller

OIL by Ella Hickson

COCK by Mike Bartlett

GOOD PEOPLE by David Lindsay-Abaire

BETRAYAL by Harold Pinter

THE YORK REALIST by Peter Gill

THE FLICK by Annie Baker

random by debbie tucker green

SMALL ISLAND by Helen Edmundson ad from Andrea Levy

"It has been an utter privilege to work with such an insightful and supportive tutor as John, and to share the experience with a group of people whose work I have come to look forward to reading each week. I cannot recommend the course highly enough." 

Alexandra Bailey, participant 2019/20

"John creates a wonderful atmosphere that is both supportive and challenging providing clear user friendly tasks that build up to the performance of fully developed plays."

Anthea Dobry, participant 2019/21

Bursaries

available!

Bursaries

available!

Visiting workshop leaders and guest speakers

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Upcoming:

 

2021 TIM CROUCH (Don’t Ask The Driver, An Oak Tree, England, The Author)

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Previous:

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June 2018 CHRIS CAMPBELL then Literary Manager at The Royal Court

 

June 2019 MIKE BARTLETT (Dr Foster, Press, King Charles 3rd, Albion, Earthquakes in London)

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March 2020 KENNETH LONERGAN (Manchester by the Sea, You Can Count On Me, Starry Messenger, This is Our Youth)