Max Stafford-Clark

What styles of theatre does MSC direct?

1. Max has always been passionate about the promotion of upcoming playwrights like Mark Ravehill and Caryl Churchill

Nearly every play MSC has directed is politcal

MSC pioneered verbatim theatre

What is Verbatim Theatre? Look in your work pack for a definition.

"A workshop isn't exactly a rehearsal, nor is it journalistic investigation, nor is it academic research and yet it contains elements of all three of these"

[Stafford- Clark, Letters to George, pp.24]

Politics

During these workshops actors, writers and directors would work together to create the play. There is no typical theatrical hierarchy.

Nearly every play Max has directed is political. Plays have dealt with themes of:

Marxism and socialism, feminism, sexual politics, capitalism, poverty and class

He has described himself as 'socially curious'

He uses theatre to 'investigate areas of our society that have possibly been neglected by journalism'

These themes can be seen in plays such as:

'Cloud 9' by Caryl Churchill

'Shopping and Fucking' by Mark Ravenhill

'Bang Bang Bang' and 'Duck'

by Stella Feehily

McKeown, 2008, Pp. 12

Who is he?

• Born in 1941
• Attended Trinity College Dublin and began directing after graduating in 1966
• Became Associate Director at the Traverse Theatre, Endinburgh
• Founded Joint Stock Theatre Company in 1974 with Bill Gaskill
• 1979-1993 Artistic Director of the Royal Court Theatre
• 1994 founded Out of Joint Theatre Company

Stafford-Clark's Methodologies:

Why is he so important?

Actioning

Max created/ uses techniques such as:

Actioning

Card play (for status/ intensity)

Research

Improvisation

Watch Stafford-Clark and Out of Joint actors action their script...

What difference does actioning make?

When they perform again, how does the scene change?

Why is actioning so beneficial?

Out of Joint

Out of joint is a national touring theatre company dedicated to the devlopment and production of new writing.

Joint Stock pioneered a new way of producing plays. Rather than there being a hierarchy of director and writer, producer, then actors, the whole company was considered equal and a play was developed by the group.

Through Joint Stock and working with Gaskill, Stafford-Clark pioneered a new way of creating theatre, working with writers and and actors in a workshop environment.

What is a workshop?

Think, pair, share

Extension/ Homework

How does he make theatre?

Watch this video on actioning and make notes

Three distinct stages:

1. Workshop

2. Writing

3. Rehearsal

During a workshop, 'the themes of the book [if the play was based upon a previous piece of work] were researched and explored by the whole group... The four week workshop was followed by a nine- or ten- week gap during which the writer wrote the play, free to draw on whatever aspect on the research they chose' (Stafford-Clark, 1989, Pp.13)

However, MSC has said that 'the play would often go through several drafts before emerging in its final form' (Stafford-Clark, Pp.13)

try and write a definition of actioning, and try to note what the purpose of actioning is. Continue to action your 'Crime and Punishment' script, and remember to write EVERYTHING down in your rehearsal diary.

Max Stafford-Clark

Out of joint Theatre Company