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As England moved into its second lockdown, and other places around the UK faced strict COVID-19 related restrictions, we at Miniver Theatre decided to once again inspire creativity during this time of uncertainty.
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hopefully this competition got those creative juices flowing…
The challenge: write and film yourself performing an original monologue that is no longer than 60 seconds.
no set style.
edited however you like.
no specialist equipment needed.
the MMM #2 Winners are...
Lewis Wren
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Lewis is a playwright currently writing for screen with guidance from the development producer at the BBC. In the past he has been shortlisted and longlisted for several playwriting awards including the Bruntwood Prize and Lancaster Playwriting Prize. Last year whilst travelling he won a short theatre competition in Paris, France.
"The other day I stopped outside the house I’d grown up in as a kid, and saw the light was on in the font room. But instead of just a bulb hanging from the ceiling, they had a light-shade with flowers on it now. I kind of wanted to go and see what else had changed, so I undid the front gate as carefully as I could, because it used to creak and stick but I think they’d replaced it now, because it didn’t make a sound. Then walking towards the window, I lifted my feet up higher than usual because our pavement used to be all broken and cracked, but now it was smooth black tar. And then looking into the window, everything was so new and white…clean. But the thing that was most different was when I saw the family who were sat around the table playing this board game and, well, when I saw them they were… they were laughing."
The tHeme:
Unfamiliar
Competition
Chelsea grace
Chelsea has worked on several short films and plays. At the start of 2020 she voiced a video game character with Pinewood Studios. Before covid-19, She was due to tour round Scotland with The Scottish Youth Theatre National Ensemble and also recently had a pint sized play published on PlayPie&APints social media platforms.
"He offers me coffee, before he left, he looked at me with the warmest eyes and smiled. I reached for a pen and paper and tried to write. It’s hard to find the right words to express how you feel. How do you tell someone that you value everything they do? How do you tell them that you know they never liked your home made spag bol but love that they pretended to? How can you apologise for all of their sleepless nights because of your tossing and turning, thinking about how you don’t feel the same anymore and there’s nothing else they could’ve done? How do you tell someone that you loved them sacredly, and wish you still did? How can you articulate that you fucking hate yourself for it but can’t go on? How do you tell someone that you wouldn’t have changed a thing about them but at the same time wish it was completely different? How do you say goodbye?"
James Taverner
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James has performed in The Wizard of Oz at Beijing Playhouse and in Our Town also at Beijing Playhouse.
"When I was a kid, my granddad told me about the village hall in Moiyan, where he grew up. On the wall of this hall, there’s a picture of the eldest son of each generation of our family. I loved that idea – of being able to see that link to the past. So, here I am...I’ve come all this way to China to find the hall. But Moiyan’s not a village anymore. It’s 4 million people now. So I wandered around the city, asking people about the hall. And they laughed. Especially when I opened my mouth and they could hear I’m not Chinese – well, not really Chinese. But I eventually I found the exact location and…it’s gone. The hall’s completely gone. It’s just another lane in the road now. I had this idea that I’d come to China, and it would feel like going home. I even brought along a framed picture of myself."
Thank you to everyone for entering our competition - we're so grateful for all your submissions!
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