A group of strangers – united by a passion for reading, watching or performing in thought-provoking theatre – read through an award-winning contemporary playscript together.
What happens at your online events?
Do I have to be good at acting to participate?
No. Professional actors are welcome to join us too, by all means, but our events are about the process of reading through fascinating plays – rather than the product (or the quality of your performances). Don’t get us wrong – you are welcome to ‘give it your all’ if you’d like to refine and challenge your acting abilities, but that absolutely isn’t a prerequisite.
How long do your events last?
It varies depending on the length of the play – but the average session tends to last around 2 hours (including an ‘interval’ break). This time also includes introductions at the beginning, assigning roles and a short optional chat afterwards about everyone’s thoughts on the writing, themes and characters.
How much does it cost to participate?
Each session costs just £5, with 50% of all proceeds going straight to charity. The other 50% goes towards the facilitator’s time, website upkeep and acquisition of playscripts.
What do I need to prepare for the session?
Very little, as we don’t disclose the play until the event itself – and we only assign characters on arrival! All you need to do is ensure you’re in a relatively quiet place and have Zoom installed – ideally on a desktop or laptop if you own one (as the larger screen size obviously makes it easier to read a script from it). However, if you only have a tablet or phone, this will work too.
How are the parts/characters assigned?
We pick names out of a hat, to keep it completely fair. However, if anyone would only like a ‘small part’, please let the facilitator know at the beginning and they will do their best to arrange this. We may occasionally read plays where writers have firmly stipulated roles should be performed by a certain race/gender/etc. We will approach these situations on a case-by-case basis and decide together, as a group, how we should assign parts.
Is it possible to just listen in, if I don't want a 'part'?
No it isn’t. Mainly because we don’t class our events as ‘performances’ – and as soon as there are non-participating audience members present, it changes the vibe a little. However, let us know if you’d only like a small part and it is usually possible to arrange this.
What technology do I need to participate?
You just need a device that has Zoom installed on it (downloadable via their official website and App Stores). This could be a mobile phone, a tablet or a desktop/laptop – but we’d recommend the latter if possible, since the larger the screen size, the easier it is to read a script from it!
I'd like to recommend a play you should read.
Great! We’re really open to that. Please email us on letstalk@scriptreadingclub.com with more information.