Verbatim, Verbatim

Five specially commissioned discussions of verbatim theatre - in the words of the people who make it.

'What a verbatim play does is flash your research nakedly. It’s like cooking a meal but the meat is left raw.’ - Max Stafford-Clark

Plays which use people’s actual words as the basis for their dramaare not a new phenomenon. But from the stages of national theatres to fringe venues and universities everywhere, ‘verbatim’ theatre, as it has come to be known, is currently enjoying unprecedented attention and success. It has also attracted high-profile criticism and impassioned debate. In these wide-ranging essays and interviews, six leading dramatists describe their varying approaches to verbatim, examine the strengths and weaknesses of its techniques and explore the reasons for its current popularity. They discuss frankly the unique opportunities and ethical dilemmas that arise when portraying real people on stage, and consider some of the criticisms levelled at this controversial documentary form.

'The intention is always to arrive at the truth.' - Nicolas Kent

Richard Norton-Taylor was born in 1944 and joined the Guardian in 1975. Since then, he has investigated official secrecy, behind-the-scenes decision-making in Government, and the activities of the security and intelligence services. His works for stage include 'Half the Picture' (an adaptation of the Scott 'arms to Iraq' enquiry), 'Nuremburg', 'Srebrenica' and 'The Colour of Justice'.

Verbatim Theatre is the surprise success story of the modern stage. As the name suggests Verbatim plays are written using only the precise words spoken by people interviewed about a particular event or topic. The plays are constructed by the playwright from the testimony of witnesses or those close to an event in order to lend the play an authority that shifts the theatre from mere entertainment to a form of reportage, politicising the audience.Recent successful verbatim plays include "The Colour of Justice" based on transcripts from the Stephen Lawrence murder trial, Robin Soans' "Talking to Terrorists" which uses interviews with victims and practitioners of terrorism, David Hare's "The Permanent Way", and the highly acclaimed "My Name is Rachel Corrie".In "Verbatim", leading practitioners write polemically about the techniques, intentions and ethics of documentary theatre. It includes contributions from David Hare, Max Stafford-Clark, Alecky Blythe, Nicolas Kent, Richard Norton-Taylor and Robin Soans.

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