In Holly Kendrick’s (Festival Director) Producing a Festival workshop this morning she described how she attempts to create an arc of activity in each day. An early start with workshops and discussions is followed by performances and more workshops. It ends on a high with a gathering the whole festival in the Crucible. Using Inua Ellams’s (Poet, Playwright and performer for Fuel) 6-point narrative structure we put this to the test for day five.

1. The Status Quo: Sheffield and the Festival, we are now accustomed to the new home for the ISDF and have settled into the rhythm of the city and the festival.

2. Inciting incident/Trigger: The morning workshop, in this case Holly’s. An understanding of the organisation that goes into the festival provides a very different perspective to that of the Fest-goer and gave me a new appreciation of how the day fits together. This triggered a particular line of thought and, meta textually, my approach to this article.

3. Conflict and Response: The discussion was certainly a source of conflict today with the discussion of Zombie Haiku and a question over the motive for its selection for the festival. Had the prestige of the university been an influence? There was also the question of the necessity of the documentary shown before Gaza Monologues, was it necessary to be given so explicitly the context of the texts? This debate was still raging in the bar this evening.

4. Climax: Three exceptional performances today make it impossible to choose a single climax. If Room Enough flowed beautifully carried by its extreme physicality and inventive and playful staging, a successful and fresh take on The Tempest. This was followed by a violently visual performance by Bokutachi Watashitachi (Japan) of Tainai. The third was Shota Rustaveli Theatre and Film State University’s (Georgia) version of Our Town. It was a vibrant, comic and moving take on the American play, which they very much made their own. The bright primary coloured aesthetic of the piece was so strong it held the attention of an audience in their fifth hour of subtitled performance in one evening.

5. Resolution: Heading to the Crucible bar and the evenings entertainment. This evening Inua Ellams Knight Watch, an urban epic in 4 four parts played out on Tudor square.

6. The Return: Conversations in the bar and the Noffice, which will undoubtedly become the focus of tomorrow's Discussion.

All in all a fine rendition of a narrative arc, which takes us soaring into tomorrow.