What is Verbatim Theatre?

Verbatim theatre is a term for scripts created from live interviews. An appealing aspect of this form of theatre is that voices not often present in the traditional media can be heard. Actors of all ages, genders and backgrounds shift between people of different ages, genders and backgrounds.

For this event, Joel and Yvette have selected six playwrights from the Wakefield area who submitted proposals on a variety of social justice themes. Each writer interviews people on their chosen topic, records and transcribes the words of those conversations, and edits them to create a compelling script.

These plays will offer a kaleidoscopic view on critical social issues of our times and introduce unfamiliar realities to broaden audience perspectives.

This Writers Fête event is co-produced with Theatre Wakefield, and directed by Joel Bernbaum and Yvette Nolan.

What are the plays about?

Caring. There are many in our community who are ready to roll up their sleeves and do something to make a difference, however small, that contributes to social justice and to the social well being of our society. What inspires them to do what they do? Why do they care? And what is the impact of their care?

Retirement home residents. This piece will share the voices of elders currently living in retirement homes. Although the pandemic pulled back the curtain on certain realities inside some institutions for elders, what it’s really like to live in a retirement home is rarely portrayed in our culture.

Domestic violence. Many of us have had our lives touched by domestic violence but fears of judgement, victim blaming and a lack of understanding mean that most will never speak of their experiences. What does it mean to feel safe at home? How do people who have lived through violence make sense of what they have seen and experienced? What roles can communities take to intervene and respond?

Sobriety. It’s a word that conjures up countless meanings. A path to recovery, from a life of trauma and reckless chaos? A ticket to simple serenity? At a time when government is telling us alcohol is increasingly bad for our physical and mental health, many among us are becoming more sober curious.

Work. We all do it in some form or another. What are the various ways people relate to their work? And how does that change over time? Is there a collective shift happening since the pandemic disrupted how many of us do our work?

Identity. How do we see ourselves in the world? How do we see ourselves in relation to the people we love? How do gender and sexuality fit into this equation? For many in this day and age, these concepts help shape who we are. What makes them so significant?