How it Started…

Our shows are written around our students, but did you know that The Squad started life over a year ago?

I had the idea of writing The Squad when I was challenging myself to create a new multi-role play for young people to perform. At that point, it wasn’t for a specific class, just as my own creative project.

I came up with the title, characters and poster image and wrote the opening scene, which I instantly loved but ended up putting to one side as life got busy.

**First Scribbles**

I found the notepad with the early plotting the other week and it made me smile as the day I found it, was the day the finished and published script was posted through my door!

Last summer, I took on some cover work and taught at a local Stagecoach Performing Arts school for the summer term, which I absolutely loved. I taught drama to all the age groups and decided to bring in the opening scene of The Squad for all the groups to try.
I was shocked at how well it was received by everyone and how much they all wanted to keep working on it. So, I turned it into a month long project and wrote four scenes and challenged them to work in groups of 4 to bring all of the scenes to life. It was brilliant watching different versions of the same scenes and characters.
Funnily enough, it came up on my Facebook memories that it’s exactly a year all of this was happening.

**One Year Ago**

A Facebook memory of when I took The Scene to my Stagecoach class a year ago!

Now, let’s cut to the launch of The Scene.
Because the four scenes of this script were tried and tested, I brought them in for my lovely new class at The Scene. I thought it would be a great way for everyone to have fun together whilst they got to know each other.

After a couple of weeks, I asked the group what kind of play they’d like to create for a performance. I suggested using The Wizard of Oz as a starting point or they were welcome to come up with their own ideas. I was surprised when the group asked if they could continue with The Squad. They all loved it.
So that’s what we did. The students I had in the room fit perfectly into the roles, we made a few tweaks and then after several rehearsals, I went away and wrote the rest of the play.

To have it as a full play that’s been professionally printed for rehearsals and to see our students bring the whole thing to life has been incredible. What a journey.

First Scribbles

One Year Ago

Professionally Printed Scripts