Writing and Staging Funny Plays

By Charlotte Guillain

What makes people laugh? How can you write a funny play? How can you turn a hilarious script into a side-splitting production?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Capstone Young Readers
• Release date: Aug 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781484666104

Charlotte Guillain

Charlotte Guillain has worked in children's publishing for over a decade and now writes non-fiction for children in Foundation and Key Stage 1. She has written on a range of subjects, including outer space, the environment and teeth! She lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two young children.

Book preview

Writing and Staging Plays: Writing and Staging Funny Plays by Charlotte Guillain

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

What Is a Play?

What Is a Script?

Comedies

Telling the Story

Taking the Lead

Acting in a Comedy

Behind the Scenes

Nearly Ready

Making Posters

Showtime!

Glossary

Find Out More

Index

Copyright

Back Cover

Cover

Title Page

Contents

Start of Content

cover

1

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

2

back cover

WHAT IS A PLAY?

People all over the world have been telling each other stories for thousands of years. Stories can make us cry, think, or laugh.

We have many different ways of sharing stories. For example, a storyteller can charm an audience with a story he or she tells from memory. Many of us enjoy reading stories in novels and comics, and lots of the shows we watch on television tell us a story. Some of the most popular stories make us laugh.

A play is a story

A play is another way to tell a story. A play usually starts life as a script. A group of actors work together to perform a version of the script in front of a live audience. Meanwhile, many people work hard behind the scenes to make the play run smoothly. These people often include a director, a set designer, sound and lighting engineers, and people in charge of costumes and props.

Three people wearing black hats and white face paint.

People love to watch funny characters in a play.

Some people write plays for a living. Others become professional actors or directors or get a job working backstage in a theater. Many people enjoy performing in plays for fun, and many schools give their students the chance to be involved in drama. Plays can be performed in many different places, from world-famous theaters in big cities to school auditoriums and community centers. Some plays are even performed outdoors!

An audience stands at a fence to watch people acting in front of a large yellow set house.