Three Plays by Squint & How They Were Made

How do playwrights write collaboratively? What role can improvisation play in unlocking a story? When does research spark the imagination and when does it get in the way?<br/> <br/> <i>Long Story Short</i> is a collection of plays and a toolkit for writers devisers dramaturgs and theatre-makers. Inspired by Squint's collaborative practice and drawing on the company's renowned education programme <i>Long Story Short</i> lifts the lid on the company's methodology. It provides a range of tools and techniques for any aspiring artist who is looking to form a company write a play devise from scratch - or all three.<br/> <br/> Squint's plays are published here for the first time; <i>Long Story Short</i> (2014) - a whirling dissection of journalism in the digital age; <i>Molly</i>(2015) - a reality television-style journey into the warped mind of a sociopath; and <i>The Incredible True Story Of The Johnstown Flood</i> (2023) - a transatlantic exploration of class exploitation and the act of storytelling.<br/> <br/> Alongside the plays is <i>The Squint Toolkit</i>; 30 exercises from the company's theatre-making process. These exercises are presented in a user-friendly way covering topics such as writing subtext devising from music carrying out research and generating story through improvisation.<br/> <br/> Plays commentary and practice come together in a book that sheds light on the peaks and pitfalls involved in growing a company and developing an artistic ethos across over ten years.