A Death In Drafts opens Sunday 23rd August at the Camden People’s Theatre, exploring fame, success and the limits of the human mind. Learn more about what you can expect:
1: Why did you choose to tell this story this way?
This story is one I’ve been trying to write for years and I’ve struggled figuring out how to tell it. But, I ultimately chose to use theatre because the audience has to be in the room, and in turn, they become participants in the writer’s spiral, they become the eyes that won’t look away, and I love that interactiveness. I played around with a few different genres when I first began thinking up the story but decided to go with a psychological thriller, partly because I love them but also because it’s quite a direct genre, it delivers a message very clearly and that’s what I wanted. I love hearing people discuss and dissect art and think about the messages and influences behind it. I wanted people to have to think and debate the way we treat public figures and this felt like the best way to do so.
2: How much of the story reflect real experiences of public figures?
Whilst not explicitly about any one person or experience, the story is heavily inspired by real experiences of public figures that I, and many young people grew up being exposed to via the internet and the media. Growing up, I was always very interested in the entertainment industry, it’s always been something I’ve wanted to get into and so watching the way that same industry abused and exploited people, particularly young women that I looked up to was horrific to me. It’s a story that’s happened over and over again and it should anger us and upset us, and so in many ways, A Death in Drafts is my reaction, and my anger towards that treatment, it’s a plea for that to change and to put care, and empathy at the forefront of these discussions and into the industry as a whole.
3: Is the horror in the play supernatural, psychological or something else entirely?
The horror in the play really leans into the psychological but in a very human way. I’m really interested in psychology and the mind and whilst we know a lot about the brain, we also know very little and that is fascinating to me. I think there’s a lot of potential for horror in that, so maybe it is something else entirely. But I know definitely that the horror is a human one, it’s the fears we all have deep down, that we’re not good enough; that we said the wrong thing; that we’re making a mistake, but on a whole new level.
4: Where would you like the play to go from here?
I’d love for the play to be published, in an ideal world. As a writer, I love seeing different people’s perspectives on my work. I would love to be able to hand it to new actors, directors, and theatremakers and see how they interpret it and which direction they take it in because even in the script, there’s a lot left up to directorial choice, it will never be performed the same way twice and that’s the beauty of theatre.
5: What will audiences be most surprised by?
I think the audience will be surprised by the use of multimedia, as it’s something new and not commonly done. Our director, Lani and I both really love the idea of live cinema and camera work on stage so there’s elements of that. Also, we both trained in musical theatre growing up and are inspired by movement, dance, and physical theatre, so we’ve incorporated that into both the writing and directing too. So, I think the use of different mediums and inspirations to tell this story might surprise the audience.
6: What has been the most enjoyable part about creating A Death in Drafts?
Honestly, the most enjoyable part for me has been seeing the cast and crew come together to form something that we’re all really passionate about. A Death in Drafts began as a passion project I started thinking about at fifteen whilst sitting in my English teacher’s classroom because I didn’t want to go outside on my lunch break. And now, three years later it’s being performed at Camden Fringe after being performed at New Wimbledon Theatre with The BRIT School last year. That’s insane to me. To see a group of young people who met in a theatre classroom all come together and use everything they’ve learnt to create something we all love so dearly, it’s a really beautiful process and I’m so grateful to have met all these passionate and talented people because they inspire me everyday.
A Death In Drafts opens Sunday 23rd August at the Camden People’s Theatre. Many thanks to Toni Ruth Mina for answering our questions. Book your tickets here!
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