Sleep had, wine stains faded, it’s time to address the wash up …

Besides some sound effect editing, a quick pop in to tech rehearsal, and an equally quick evasion from debate about lighting options, my part was done at around 2pm. The director and actors were welcome to the script “Framed” from there.

By 3pm, babbling deliriously and leaning wearily on loved ones and strangers, I finally napped until show time. It was fitful sleep, not just because of the football telecast I could hear from the bedroom – I was getting nervous.

Tenpins, murder, jealousy, personal space invasion – “Framed” in action

Fortunately, not anything like last year as an actor where I fretfully paced around trying to get lines sticking to memory, freaking out fellow cast members and the occasional bar patron. Besides a worry at 3am that no end was in sight, the writing task is MUCH easier on the nerves.

Writers have delete buttons, autosave, or can just start again if it all turns to poo. Or just shout “It’s metaphor, obviously. You clearly don’t understand! Why does nobody ever understand?!” and flounce out in a huff.

Actors are up there on the tightrope, colons clenched, synapses firing. And 12 hours is a seriously short time to commit it all to transient memory.

And sometimes it doesn’t quite happen. Ah well, it’s all for fun.

As with last year, the standard of the shows was high, with varied interpretations of the theme, if a lot more dead bodies.

My personal fave was “Find It”, with a perfectly placed smartphone camera sound effect, and different take on the theme.

Find It – Australian theatre getting down to the true big questions in modern society

Lessons learnt?

• It is possible to work to a deadline – it’s just a matter of discipline, and plying myself with sufficient wine and pot noodle snacks
• Planning out a piece beforehand? Bah! I still find writing by the seat of the pants far more interesting and inventive.
• Sleep is good.
• It is possible to hand over a piece of work and say “All yours, go for it” to a director, and actually mean it.
• Sleep is, like, really good.
• A bowling tenpin is an incredibly useful stage prop if you put your mind to it
• Having knocked up a script in 5 hours or so, how did it take a year to finish off my latest play Spd D8n? (coming up this August, folks, plug plug)
• Sleep: Be In It

Writer waddles hasty retreat from adjudicators bearing gifts

A great experience, well-organised, culminating in a very entertaining night of theatre. Well done to Lorna and the Blak Yak posse for another successful 24 Hour Project.

Oh, by the way – Woohoo!