Writing for screen & stage
Anon / HMP Long Lartin Highly Commended Screen Play
Scene 1
Ext. City Street. Afternoon. The year 1995 on the screen. The music and clothes etc. should all indicate 1995. We see a schoolboy walking. Two well-dressed individuals are watching him. We see their trainers, their car, their bling, their watches, the women who are with them. The boy notices them.
BusY: You’re Sandra’s little boy. What you doing out of school?
toM: Free session. BusY: You eaten lunch yet? toM: Mum never had no money today.
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BUSY takes out a £20 note and gives it to him.
BusY: Here. Go to the shop. Buy something
for yourself and get me some Lucozade and Clingfilm. We see TOM go into the shop. The gang watch him.
Scene 2
Ext. After school. Another day. An alley. We see BUSY give another boy a package. BUSY is close and confidential with TOM.
BusY: You go with him. You run along with Rufus. You watch and learn.
TOM and RUFUS cycle off with it.
Scene 3
Ext. The estate. Under a stairwell. RUFUS hands the package over to a man. He’s given an envelope in return. The man disappears.
RuFus: That’s how we do it. This is how we deal with it.
Scene 4
Ext. Different end of the estate. A street. Another day. RUFUS and TOM on bikes. A man stops them. Two other men appear. The man pulls a knife and holds it to RUFUS’ throat. RUFUS hands him the package. The
This piece from the KOESTLER West Midlands selection is an example of writing for the screen and stage, something we also want to feature more of in Not Shut Up. Being able to write realistic stories and descriptions is one aspect of the art of writing, but being able to write believable dialogues is a whole other story. How do you think this early section of script will pan out? How would you finish it? Will the next Tarantino come out of a British prison? We hope so…
42 www.notshutup.co.uk
NSUP22 P42-43 Wrong Choice Play .indd 42
18/04/2013 22:54