In response to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75WFTHpOw8Y

Brief 6 – Due 07/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
So from one end of the world to another…
And as I’m on my way to the Nordics, myself, what better time to respond to someone who, in my own personal eyes, is one of the few people I can call a true contemporary artist.
From the Sugarcubes all the way to Utopia, Björk has been an artist who hasn’t just re-defined herself, she has re-defined her art – constantly pushing the boundaries of what art can do, how it relates to the artist, to her audience and to the world.
So to celebrate her 53rd birthday back in November, your task for today is to pick one of her songs (musically or lyrically), or one of her albums, or one of her videos, or one of her costumes/masks, or one of her interviews – and to respond that that.
And do something different with your play. Change the format. Don’t make it look like all of your other plays. Make this one stand out and look strange and odd and quirky and cool…
Björk deserves all the respect we give her – so for bonus point – make her shine! Make her the star.
And for those of you who don’t believe that bonus points are real… oh they’re real.
If you collect 833 bonus points, you can exchange them in March for 832 bonus points! It’s a bargain! But be warned – if you collect too many, they may melt.

Brief 5 – Due 06/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
新年快乐
Yes… it’s Chinese New Year.
So let’s take some inspiration from this magnificent culture and New Year’s traditions.
I’m expecting sea monsters, stove gods, red envelopes, upside-down fortunes, swans, lanterns and obviously – a pig!
For the linguaphiles out there, maybe find a few Chinese words and incorporate them in the play. “Mandarin or Cantonese?” Dealer’s choice!
Oh, and it’s bad luck on Chinese New Year’s to use negative words or to cry and to fight – so make the plays cheerful!
For bonus points, write something for a large cast – no more monologues and dialogues!

Brief 4 – Due 05/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
Pick a number! Any number (as long as it’s between 1-60)
“What? Magic?! No way, dude!”
No! No magic! I don’t like magic! Unless it’s the magic that comes out of your magical fingers as you type today’s genius play!
No… just pick a number, any number (as long as it’s between 1-60)
Don’t you trust me? Just trust me. It’s not magic. I swear.
Just pick it.
The number.
Any number (as long as it’s between 1-60).
Good!
Now… check the link below
Don’t cheat! First pick the number and only then look at the link.
WHAT CAN THIS POSSIBLY BE?!
Good, now find the corresponding thing to your number and write about that!
Go wild!
For bonus points – incorporate the number with the corresponding thing and marry them into something uniquely extraordinary
And a happy coupling to you all.

Brief 3 – Due 04/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
Coz every year we do poetic briefs –
To do with either rhythm or with rhyme…
But this is now the fifth month of our game
So this year we’ll do both, I think it’s time.
We’ll take some inspiration from the Bard
But mix it up so that we do it new.
We’ll write a play that’s all Iambic Pents,
but also make it rhyme, we must that do!
“what sort of rhyming pattern should we use?”
I hear you ask with panic in your voice
Well, you can choose whatever fits you best
That’s right, you have the power – make your choice!
Right, that’s the easy part, and now the trick,
the language must remain ‘au natural’
Do place the play in modern times and themes
Maybe even make it factual.
I don’t want any mention of old Will
or texts that could be taken from his plays
No themes that maybe he has written ’bout
instead deal with our lives these modern days.
So write about things Shakes-boy couldn’t write
Like Mars bars, Gogglebox or World War II.
I hope you like this challenge, my dear friends
I think it’s fine. I do. I do. Do you?

Challenge 2 – Due 03/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
As you know, we are now called The Literal Challenge or TLC – so to celebrate that, let’s write a play about TLC.
“What? Second challenge and all you’re giving us are letters?! I expected far more!”
“Well, there is more! Loads more! In those three letters there is a whole range of possibilities”…
Perhaps set it in a spa, where customers receive special (!) TLC.
Perhaps write about a couple arguing about a Tables, Ladders and Chairs wrestling match (google it!).
What about a play consisting only of lyrics by the great band TLC, or just pick one of them – a monologue about a T-bone steak? About someone’s Left Eye? About eating a chilli? (This is far too early in the process for me to betray my age in such a way).
What about three characters talking but never using the letters T, L and C?
Or… go at it from a completely different angle. Take a hot bath and give your body some TLC as you free write (maybe don’t take any electronic devices though).
And of course – you could just write about THE LITERAL CHALLENGE!
You have so many ways of approaching this brief – so go for the one that suits you best for today.
But whatever it is you do – make sure there are no scrubs in the play. Coz I don’t want no scrubs!
For bonus points – set it in a space you know really, really well!

Challenge 1 – Due 02/02 at 09:59:59am GMT

Ships, boats, water, blue, salt, sea, waves anything to do with this magnificent force.

How about a play about a fish out of water just trying to get by? A family’s day out on the beach gone wrong? A ship in the eye of the storm? Two waves discussing a physical way for them to signal a hello to each other?

Or just write about fear of the sea… I’m not saying that I’m afraid of the sea… but… no! Hold on! That’s exactly what I’m saying! I’m terrified of it.

Let’s start off easy (this is only the first challenge after all) – so write the play in the style you feel most comfortable in. If you’re a comedy writer, maybe hilarioursarise us with a nautical play about the shenanigans on board a love boat; for the tragedians, who want no tickles in their nautical play, how about a monologue by a captain as the ship sinks slowly; for the philosophical writers out there I posit, how many drops of water do you need to make an ocean? Get some voices to figure that out!; Musical writers – something about Pirates? Maybe set in Cornwall? And you SF writers – a ship? A SHIP?! Does it must be in the water? Yes, it must! But does it must be in the water of the Earth? No, it does not must!

28-Full Circle

Challenge 28 – Due 01/03 at 09:59:59am GMT

 

Write a surrealist, shit, K-Pop musical saga for your favourite venue, adapted from a famous work about a brave little sporty soldier going on a date, referencing the women’s vote. Give yourself 10 strict rules for the structure (or use the ones I’ve already given you – don’t say I’m being too mean), but do start the play with “Take off the girdle, Gertl, and tell me everything about Onun’s onions, or else little Dicklberg here will get it with this!” and end it with “So there really were 50 of them buying groceries in Panama!”. Work to a strict time restriction, and start with 10 ideas, every time you half your time, also eliminate two of the leastestiest inspiring options. For the dialogue, use verbatim interviews from people about their time as teenagers, and their experiences of maths, emojis and blue whales (pastoral or existential). Name the play, “I will/would/I’d do anything for love (but I won’t do that)” and offend your audience, whilst writing from the point of view of your political enemies (please make sure we sympathise with them). Set the play in your utopia and reference something you observed out your window or on your day to work. Don’t make the play truthful, or naturalistic, or do make it truthful, or whatever the heck truthful even means. Maybe just stop for a moment to ponder about it as you examine your body and see what body part wants a part in your body of work.

 

And here comes the tricky bit. Don’t finish the play! Instead, put it to one side and re-do the task all over again (with a completely new concept). Only when you finish the second version, pick up the half-completed project and complete it.

 

I am of course jesting.

 

We started with a “Brave Little Soldier” so let’s end with a “Coward Big Pacifist”.

 

Bonus points to anyone who knows how many bonus points they have and incorporate that in the play.

27-Rainy Day

Challenge 27 – Due 28/02 at 09:59:59am GMT

I feel like I know so much about all of you, so I’ll share back an anecdote (and apologies to veterans from Y1 and Y2 that have heard this before):

Opening night for my first ever full length London run.

I sit in the audience

Tension is filling the air

Excitement

The lights go down

And as the lights go down, the penny drops!

I figured out what I needed to do to the play to make it work.

And then I had to endure three weeks full of disappointment!

I mean, how frustrating is it when you have to deliver something to a deadline, only to realize afterwards what you could have done better.

So this is your opportunity to re-do a challenge. Pick any of the previous 26 challenges we’ve done and write a NEW play following that brief.

I bet you’ve thought of a few better ideas since sending in your first version.

But don’t just re-do the play you did – it has to be a completely different concept!

Bonus point if you re-do the challenge you found most… uhm… challenging!

Challenge 4 - Due 05/02 at 09:59:59am GMT
 
Today we're going to adapt. 
 
Find a short story, or a film, or a poem, or a song, or a... uhm...
TV show... or... whateves.
 
Make it into a play - try to ensure it's all there - all the
characters, all the plots, all the small details, all the dialogue.
 
Sounds impossible in one day? Naaaa... you can do it! You're 3
challenges down... Easy peasy lemon squeezy!
 
Bonus points to anyone who manages to modernise the adaptation
and make it their own (whilst still retaining the original)
 
Oh darn it! We're not meant to have bonus points on weekends...
uhm... don't tell anyone!