Five Essentials: Theatre director
As director of theatre company OTB Productions, Faye Merralls helps new playwrights take their work from the page to the stage. But she couldn't do so without plenty of imagination, a good solid notepad, and an abundance of tea. Here she tells us why...
Full name/age/job title:
Faye Merralls, 22, Director of OTB Productions.
What does your job involve?
I read lots of plays, choose my favourites, audition actors and work in a rehearsal to transform words on the page into engaging live performances. [And] I tell actors what to do.
1. New Writing
OTB productions runs a regular new writing night called Descent. We provide a platform for new pieces, written by emerging playwrights, to be performed for the very first time. Our events rely on the desire of writers to keep producing new work, trying out new things and testing their abilities. Descent simply wouldn’t exist without new writing. Our next event will be part of the Heritage Arts Vault Festival at The Old Vic Tunnels.
2. Imagination
… drives everything that I do in a rehearsal room. And it ties in with number 1: our most successful play submissions are ones that take something very ordinary – like an interview for a job, say, or picking up a phone call – and make it seem very extraordinary; showing human behaviour in a completely different light. It’s pretty straightforward, really; plays should constantly be appealing to the reader’s/audience member’s imagination.
3. A sturdy notepad
Once I’ve ticked off number two on the list, ideas will be bouncing off the rehearsal room walls and I like to note as many down as possible. Not all ideas will be seen by the audience in the live performances, but they’re all crucial to how you’ve reached the final production. My bookshelf at home is full of a multi-coloured array of notepads in all shapes and sizes – they can be an amusing read post-production.
4. Four Square
This is a game that I was introduced to in a rehearsal room just last week. Essentially it involves four people bouncing a ball in a large square made up of 4 smaller squares. It can get extremely competitive. It’s a great way to blow off steam during rehearsals and will reveal people’s true colours! This is a recent addition to the list – my new favourite thing.
5. Tea
Breakfast tea. Earl Grey tea. Red Bush tea. Camomile tea. Peppermint tea. LOTS OF TEA. In a nice mug. I like quite chunky mugs, not fine china teacups. My favourite mug is a bright yellow number that I bought from Philadelphia five years ago.
Read more Five Essentials.
Descent is at The Old Vic Tunnels tonight as part of Vault Festival. Book tickets.