Playwriting: All Caroling

In 2024, I was invited to return for Latitude Theatre’s short play festival, Victorian Christmas Cards: Return 2 Sender, this time as a playwright. (In 2023, I was a director.) I was excited and terrified at the prospect, since for the premise for this production is to write a short play based on a single image. The invitation is to write what you think is happening in the picture, as if you walked up to it in a museum and you couldn’t quite read the placard next to it, so you had to fill in the gaps.

Choosing the Card

The plays are written by the playwrights, who draw cards at random. Latitude has collected various Victorian Era Christmas cards (some of the earliest in existence) for their bizarre content and sometimes unrelated imagery. Audiences are invited to vote on their favorite cards before a total of six are assembled for the playwrights to draw at random.

Somehow, the stars often align with these sorts of things, so I was fortunate enough to draw a card that suits my interests of cats and singing. I did contemplate just featuring my own cat, Coco, and her screaming for the duration of the piece, but knew that was a cop out due to fear of taking on the writing process.

Writing the Play

The playwrights are given approximately four weeks to write, so of course I wrote my play in about three days, just before the deadline. After writing for Centrifuge in 2023 and 2024 where I only had one and a half days, I knew I needed to find a balance between taking my time and also just letting the ideas flow, without over-editing or second-guessing myself. I brainstormed for a couple of weeks about what could be happening in the image. I was allowed to have up to four actors, and struggled with asking actors to play multiple roles, despite knowing that the director would have five rehearsals with the actors (much more than any one-week festival). But there were five characters on the card, and I just went with the four cats.

Producing the Play

Ultimately, it was a welcome relief to not have to be responsible for casting and devising, and I was blessed to be paired with Rowan Gallagher, who is experienced deviser and mover, as well as a cat lover. They came up with the idea to make a set that placed the strange man in the window in the audience, as if we were watching the cats in their drama. I think it was due to this turn of genius on Rowan’s part that awarded us “Best Translation” in the festival.

About “All Caroling”

In “All Caroling,” an a capella group of cats get together at midnight to practice a new song for their group, when a stranger interrupts their practice.

The Characters

They’re all cats. Roles are written gender neutral so that pronouns can be adapted as needed.

GUS wants to be in charge of the a cappella singing group they’re in with Ruby and Max, but their catnip addiction has eroded their confidence. They sing alto.

RUBY has a great talent and passion for singing in the group as a soprano, but they’ll happily pause rehearsal for good drama, or to look at their phone.

MAX is the founder of the singing group. They love holding the bass line, but now playing lacrosse takes up all of their time.

LEO is a newcomer to the group. Ideally, they’re a tenor, and will round out the choral arrangements perfectly. They’re also incredibly charming.

Categorized in: Live Performance, Reflection