Some time ago, I came across a graphic about the declining quality of theatre. It struck a chord with me. I suddenly realised that maintaining a consistently uneven quality in a play is actually no easy task. There are so many techniques involved.

The most common ones include:

— Making every character speak in exactly the same way, so that whoever they are, they all get to deliver profound quotes and life-changing wisdom;

— Having characters explain the plot directly through dialogue, so the audience understands everything immediately;

— Ending the play with a sudden “lesson for the audience”: therefore, this is how we should live our lives, blah blah blah;

— Giving characters contradictory motivations: they wanted one thing, and suddenly they want the complete opposite;

— Taking a scene that could have been dramatised through dialogue and replacing it with a voice-over that simply tells the audience what happened;

— Giving characters ridiculously rapid emotional transformations: one second they hate someone, the next they are completely fine;

— Having characters suddenly know things they clearly could not possibly know, while insisting that they have “known all along” — logic be damned, the playwright is in charge;

— Letting the plot move forward through coincidence, with no foreshadowing, setup or groundwork whatsoever…

The techniques are endless. The list could go on forever.

After reading that article, I was deeply inspired. An idea immediately came to me: In order to help maintain this downward trend, I have decided to open up some of my time and quota. If you send me your script for a script consultancy session, I can point out exactly what, in your existing script, might make people feel that the quality of the writing is low. You can then go back and “strengthen” those elements accordingly. At the same time, I will also point out how the script could be improved and made stronger — so that you can remember those suggestions and make absolutely sure you do NOT follow them when revising.

Limited places: 2 per month (Excluding participants of my playwriting workshops)

Frequency: One 1.5-hour online session per person, once a year

Script requirements:

‧ No scripts intended for performances by primary/secondary school students or school touring programmes

‧ First draft must be completed

‧ Full-length plays only

‧ Priority will be given to scripts that have already been confirmed for public production

Fee: Free

Please do not enquire unless you are genuinely interested. Fellow playwrights/theatre practitioners, please do not apply.

Apply on the Script Submission Page.