I recently got to thinking how different rooms in a house or in different houses can lend themselves to stories. I suppose I was considering the work of Alan Ayckbourn for one. The Norman Conquests with the same set of characters within the same time scale but producing three different plays; because of being set in different parts of the house. Actually Ayckbourn has written plays set in kitchens, dining rooms and in bedrooms. Then of course there's Pinter with his basement and The Dumb Waiter; Stoppard's room in Arcadia which exists in two different time zones.
And I suppose this got me to thinking about a series of short plays set in different rooms; each with its own characters and mood. There would be a farce set on the Roof and a spooky appearance in the Attic. Whilst in the Living Room there's a dead body - in the sitting room no chance of being able to sit down; and dark secrets lurk down in the basement.
This led to me to start writing a compilation of plays which I have given the overall title of PLAY rooms. I'm now onto number seventeen and the rooms keep coming or I visit the same room but there are different people there and a different mood and situation. The Parlour lends itself both to a kind of Chekhovian feel but also to the bizarre as the Queen is in the parlour eating bread and honey.
The beauty of this arrangement is that I can create an evening which is either just fun or just spooky or a mixture of both; an evening in which everyone gets to play a leading role in their own space.
Oh, and if anyone's interested, the plays are available for others to share; just contact me omn my website www.doc-watson.com
Welcome to my rooms.
