The function of verbatim theatre conventions in three Australian plays

Abstract

Abstract Direct address is considered to be the hallmark convention of verbatim theatre. Coined by Derek Paget in 1987, verbatim theatre is a form that involves engagement with a community about a topic or event. Conversations and interviews are recorded, and this material becomes the stimulus for the creative development of performance. This article researches and analyses the broad diversity of conventions evident in three Australian verbatim plays; Alana Valentine’s Parramatta Girls (2007), Campion Decent’s Embers (2008) and David Burton’s April’s Fool (2010). Developing a greater understanding of the function of verbatim theatre’s conventions therefore deepens our knowledge of dramatic composition and the choices these playwrights have made in translating their verbatim stories into dramatic material. It also enables educators to respond more comprehensively in their analysis of plays, and encourage their students to create their own verbatim theatre in more nuanced and dynamic ways.