Tutorial 1 Part 1

A senior admin assistant and a bread roll.

He sits and looks at the object,

regards it from every angle.

Decides that it looks inedible so,

picks it up and throws it out of the window.

Then, realises that he has performed a selfish act,

takes off down the stairs at the speed of fright,

pushes open the fire-doors,

emerges into the daylight

and hears the alarm he's just set off.

Then gesticulates wildly as security start to question him

and, pointing to the bread roll, now squashed in the road

Looks sorry.

And cries.

Tutorial 1 Part 2

Write a central character monologue based on the earlier scenario which should have involved nothing but actions. 

'And what are you looking at eh? Think it's funny that soon I'm going to be living in a poky flat with a landlord treating me like a student, surrounded with furniture bought off eBay, or from clearance auctions or liberated from recycle centres or gifts from charity minded people. What do you have to worry about - wrapped in your cellophane envelope and your sickly looking innards spilling through your sides? Ham - it'll be that watery stuff she always buys - looks like meat, acts like meat - isn't really meat, just pink fat and utterly tasteless.   Lettuce - brown at the sides, like me, showing its age. Lettuce bloody pray. Someone ought to pray for me for Christ sake.  Why on earth did she make the thing for me if she wants our marriage to end?.  "I've left your sandwich on the kitchen top - just next to the toaster." . she shouts down the stairs this morning with her hand cupped on the speaker part of the phone.  No doubt making plans for the day with her new best friend Shelia she met at spinning class.   Plans that don't and never will involve me. . Yeah, well, why did she even make you if it she hates me and wants to move on, find herself,  have 'me' time instead of 'us' time. What the hell is 'me' time anyway? - doesn't even work, 'me time' - makes me feel sick. 'Me time' - too much day time TV, too many of those life style shows - too much talk of self-empowerment and confidence building and I-will-survive-crap she's been drip fed by her chattering friends at that bloody book circle thing she goes to.  Most of them are divorced or have new partners. Partners.  Everyone has a partner these days, Whatever happened to man and wife. Old fashioned I guess. She thinks the same. I'm no longer required. Defunct.  I'm yesterdays news - like you, like a  bread roll. If I eat you, you're gone. As gone as I'll be. If I throw you from the window you'll be gone.  Maybe I'll follow you out of the window and we'll both be gone. Maybe we should both make a pitch for our own little bit of freedom, Maybe we should both look for a little bit of fucking 'me' time and go window flying. "Your sandwich is on the counter next to the toaster."  I should've left you there. '  

Tutorial 1 Part 3

Write a piece of dialogue involving the central character and one other - neither of whom are capable of saying what they really want to say.  

Admin Assistant:  Mr Breckenridge, I was hoping that you’d had time to sign the…sir are you all right.

Senior AA:  (distracted)   Uh-huh. Sorry Jenny I was just… what do you see there?

Jenny:  Where sir?

Mr Breckenridge:  On the table, there – what do you see?

Jenny:  Well nothing – just your sandwich, is it?

Mr Breckenridge:  No Jenny it’s not just my sandwich, it is in fact the last meal of a condemned man, wrapped tight in an invisible skin, just like me, ready to be consumed. As I am. (looks at open window)

Jenny: I’m sorry sir I don’t…

Mr Breckenridge:  No.  Course you don’t.  Course you don’t.  Everything all right with you, Jenny, is it?

Jenny: Oh yes Mr Breckenridge. Going out tonight with my friend Hannah, can’t wait – we’re all meeting at the skate park and going on to that new…sir, are you all right?

Mr Breckenridge: Yes Jenny I’m fine – you run along to that umm – skate park with ahh…Leona, is it? And, I’ll be along directly.

Jenny:  Mr Breckenridge?  Sir?    No, I what I meant to say was that I’m going out tonight with my friends not going anywhere at the mo -.  You are all right aren’t you, Mr Breckenridge?

Mr Breckenridge: She’s leaving me.

Jenny: Who? (longish pause). Who…’s leaving you Mr Breckenridge?

Mr Breckenridge: You see that bread roll Jenny – ham and lettuce, my favourite fillings. Mrs Breckenridge made that for me this very morning. Left it on the kitchen top. By the toaster.

Jenny:  I… don’t understand.

SAA: Nor me Jenny.  Nor me. More things in Heaven and Earth eh?

Jenny: I’ll just leave these on the desk if that’s all right Mr Breckenridge. (exits nervously)