Guest Blog: 'I Had Set Myself an Impossible Task'; Writer and Actor Lucinda Coyle on the Challenges and Triumphs of Creating OUR FIRST LAST

The script is written without pronouns, ages, genders or physical descriptions

By: Jun. 02, 2023
Guest Blog: 'I Had Set Myself an Impossible Task'; Writer and Actor Lucinda Coyle on the Challenges and Triumphs of Creating OUR FIRST LAST
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Writing Our Last First was never going to be easy. From the start I had set myself up for an impossible task and opened myself up to criticism…but that was why I needed to write it.

Whilst writing this article, I received another casting which stated the actor must be ‘size 8 – 12’ due to costumes. Now I am all for reusing costumes and saving the planet, but how wonderful to know that I cannot apply due to simply not fitting into a costume. My talent is now outweighed by budget.

For an industry which prides itself on being open, loving, welcoming, supportive, when it comes to the casting room, we are anything but, and before you even get into the room? That’s worse.  They say you should write what you know, and this is what I know.

It was during lockdown that my frustrations were released, via a zoom call with a close friend. I was ranting about only ever being seen for “ugly stepsister”, and they were mad at casting from being Trans Non-Binary. Then the idea. Why do pronouns, the size of your hips, your height, your sexuality, why does all this matter? If an actor is talented then surely, they are talented? Now, for a lot of plays it can matter. Helena needs to be taller than Hermia. But where are the plays where it doesn’t?

Writing without pronouns or descriptions was surprising easy. When you focus so heavily on the character’s loves, their story, their relationships, the way they communicate with each other, pronouns and descriptions felt unnecessary.

Guest Blog: 'I Had Set Myself an Impossible Task'; Writer and Actor Lucinda Coyle on the Challenges and Triumphs of Creating OUR FIRST LAST And then I realised the show had to be live cast. If I was going to hire four beautifully diverse actors, they had to play every role. Otherwise, I would have to put them in roles, pick who would be “the best friend”, “the jealous one”. And surely that was everything I was fighting against?

So live casting it was. The actors would need to learn every word of a two-hour play. Meaning, that the script had to be even more open. Luckily, I knew a lot of actors currently stuck indoors, so what then began was almost a two-month R&D, featuring me getting as many actors onto Zoom to read as possible, listening to what sounded jarring in one person’s mouth, and normal in another. Learning how some words wouldn’t make sure in certain accents and noting down dialect phrases.

And eventually it was done.  A two-act script, written entirely with no pronouns, no ages, no genders, no physical descriptions. A play waiting and needing four incredible actors, all diverse from each other, and all cast because of their talent.

Guest Blog: 'I Had Set Myself an Impossible Task'; Writer and Actor Lucinda Coyle on the Challenges and Triumphs of Creating OUR FIRST LAST
Samuel Xavier & Lucinda Coyle in rehearsal

I’m not saying this play hasn’t been criticised. Have I taken away characters’ identities? Do I end up stripping back characters’ stories if they don’t have specific backgrounds? Maybe. But what I have created from a place of anger, is a play of love. Not just because it is a love story, but that it’s a love letter to the actors who don’t get the chances, who don’t get to show their love on stage. This show is for them. And therefore, it’s for us. Aren’t we bored of seeing the same love, the same actors, the same stories shown on stage?

Well here, you can see a different show each night. Here, you can watch a different love story each night. Watch an actor shine in every role. And surely that is where we need theatre to be?

All I ask? Come find out for yourself.

Our First Last is at the Space from 6 - 14 June.




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