Frequently Asked Questions
Because all websites have one of these pages, here you go.
I reserve the right to not take your question seriously, go off on a tangent, and end up answering something completely different to what you asked.
Myself:
Who are you?
Chris Neville-Smith
I mean, do I know you?
Possibly. I have my fingers in a number of different pies across theatre.
Ah, your face does ring a bell. Where have I seen you?
You might have seen me active on the fringe circuit. Brighton and Buxton Fringes are my go-to for trying out original work. I have taken work elsewhere, but those have been the two places where I built up my reputation, and all other opportunities stemmed from those.
Brighton Fringe? Buxton Fringe? Eh? Don't you mean Edinburgh?
Nope. There is actually more than one fringe out there.
That's not it then. Not seen you at any of these fringe things.
Then you might have read my theatre blog. That's been running for over a decade and I review over a hundred shows a year, mainly at Edinburgh and Brighton Fringes. (Edinburgh is okay to review - just ridiculously expensive to perform in.) My reviews do actually get quoted quite a bit by the groups who invited me along, and if you've been following the fringe circuit a lot, you've probably seem one of my reviews mentioned at some point.
No, that's not it either. I think it might have been the telly.
No it wasn't.
Yeah, it was. I remember now. Some reality TV show?
No that was someone else. Who looks like me. And anyway, it couldn't me me because they said that guy was a Manchester student and I want to Durham. And they got my age wrong. Did I just say my age? I mean his age. Yes, they got his age wrong.
(Serious answer: If you really want to know what changed, why I now want nothing to do that, and where my poor opinion of this type of television came from, you can read this.)
Okay, okay, fine. Anything else?
Pretty much whether things take me. I've done some writing for Elsyium Theatre which was performed for people other than me, but most of the work for them is with sound design. And I've done from fringe venue operation in Durham. Oh, and also, out of all things, I'm now doing a comedy game show.
And is this your day job?
No, my day job is in software testing. I have a very accommodating employer who allows me to fit time and place of work around my various theatre commitments.
How I do things:
So why do you write then?
Not sure. Got a lot to do with sheer bloody-mindedness.
Can you be a bit more specific than that?
I honestly don't know why I do this. I started writing when I had an idea for a play, and when I started off I was fortunate enough to have people in Durham Dramatic Society who tried out some of my shorter scripts. The early plays weren't my better ones, but the more I put on stage, the better I understood how play writing and theatre works. And the more I understood how those things work, the better my ideas got.
There is a strange kind of stress associated with putting on your own play. It's a similar kind of stress associated with putting on someone else's play, except that the stakes are a lot higher. You will rarely see people put in so much of their own time because it's just something to do. We do it because it means a lot to us. There are few joys greater than seeing a story you care about come to life on stage, especially if it's come to life on your own terms.
The sheer bloody-mindedness bit is that I double down in the face of difficulties. Until the last few years, I did this with no support or even encouragement from the organisations who were meant to promote new writing. In their eyes (pretty much), the only correct way to be playwright is to send plays off and hope for the best. Anyone who ignores this - and instead goes ahead and does it themselves - gets treated like they don't exist.
If one thing more than anything pushed me to doing things my way, it was the knowledge I was doing what I wasn't supposed to do.
Why don't you just do script submissions like everybody else?
I've had a few successes with script submissions, but most of the time I don't bother. The number one problem is that the majority of people who enter get nothing (bar a few honourable exceptions who make an effort with feedback). There are two particularly harmful myths surrounding script submissions. One is that rejections are a learning experience, and the other is that you're only ever one play away from a life-changing breakthrough. Neither myth is true, but little is done to counter them.
There are numerous other problems with script submissions. However, much they believe otherwise, the artistic preferences of reading rooms are subjective. A script that does well in one submission can get nowhere in another. Script submissions often impose creative stipulations for no good reason; and, yeah, some people like to be inspired by writing to briefs, but it's harder to develop individuality if your hands are constantly tied. Some competitions' sole source of income is entry fees - you should be extremely suspicious of anyone who selling writers an "opportunity". Some competitions get greedy in the terms and conditions, claiming ownership of your play whether or not you get picked.
And some competitions do behave themselves. But you have to realise the big national competitions' winners and finalists are almost always people who with extensive writing credits, or jobs in the arts, or both. Yet this is frequently passed off as the logical next step after an introductiory playwriting course. I hate to break it to you, but that career progression is almost non-existent. If you must go down the script submission route, you are probably better off with regional competitions. The odds are still heavily against you, it's still heavily subjective and you gain nothing if you lose, but you do at least have a chance of getting somewhere.
So this is my firm call: if you have the means to produce your own play, or have it done by somebody who you know and trust, go ahead and do it. Don't wait for the thumbs up of a script reader, because it will probably never come. Your first play will probably not be that good. But you will get to see how it unfolds on stage, and quickly learn what works and what doesn't. There is no guarantee this will work - there's a delicate balance between confidence in yourself and learning from your mistakes - but it's worked for me. And there's no way I would have got where I am now with an endless loop of submissions and feedback-free rejections.
For more extensive thoughts I have on this subject, come this way.
Wait, are you saying I should just go ahead and direct my own play?
If, however, you're comfortable directing plays, go for it. There is a school of thought that the director and writer should be different, but there's really no firm advantage one way or the other. Some people find it better to have a second perspective on the script; some prefer to stay in charge knowing exactly what they want. Go for whatever works for you. And definitely don't be beholden to the idea that because no-one else will direct your work, it shouldn't be produced at all.
Whilst I'm on the subject of learning to do things, it's a good idea to learn how many different theatre jobs as you can. You might have access to somebody else who can do the job better, but it helps you a lot to understand what's easy, what's difficult, and what's impossible. This includes lighting, sound, props, set, costume - and yes, acting too. You are, after all, writing something meant to be acted.
Or, if you really want to know what it's like to act out your lines, you can always write something for you yourself.
Writing something for you yourself to act? Are you mad?
Yes, I know. Making yourself the writer-director-actor can end badly. Do you really want write a new The Room?
However, lots of people do it. A very large proportion of the fringe circuit are solo plays where the writer is also the performer. Some have a director to work with, some don't. This is particularly popular with drama school graduates, with this their only option to build a reputation. Anyone can do this though. Writing for yourself also has the advantage that nobody can bail on you.
Isn't doing your own play really expensive?
This is a common misconception (which I suspect is popular amongst people who'd rather you knew your place and didn't perform your work without their say-so).
It is true that Edinburgh Fringe is insanely expensive. Even if you can avoid hefty venue hire fees, accommodation costs are ridiculous. However, this is not the only option. My first Buxton Fringe production, with three actors, cost me a few hundred pounds to do all-in. I would be a bit more careful over Brighton Fringe - costs can more easily add up to something you'll struggle with. But for a Buxton-size fringe, most people can afford that if they're determined to do so.
What I would recommend before committing to any expenditure is think about what you expect to achieve. Making money or being "discovered" are generally bad reasons - if you're new to this, the chances of either are near zero. Better reasons are learning how to be competitive in a semi-professional environment, or networking in a semi-professional environment. Or you might even find it fun.
True, not everybody can scrape together a few hundreds pounds. I sympathise - but we're not going to make theatre more inclusive to people who can't afford the small cost by excluding people who can. What particularly irks me is how selective the moralising is over spending your own money. Funding yourself to a small fringe is no more expensive than submitting your scripts to reading services, which opponents of self-production seem to think is completely fine. I make no apology for funding my own productions when I have something to gain from it, you shouldn't either. Just make sure you're not picking the most expensive option when you don't have to.
Where did you get your ideas from?
I don't think anybody has a simple answer to that. There really is no pattern to what causes me inspiration that sticks. But, to be honest, I think the whole discourse of "getting ideas" misses the point. A great play is never just an idea. It's more about making the idea work as a play. A lot of the time, a great concept is unworkable as an actual play. To be honest, I think one of the biggest skills you can have as a writer is telling which of your ideas and workable and which are not.
For this reason, I would urge anyone sceptical of these playwriting tools promising to "kick-start the creative process". If you're struggling to make ideas work as plays, it's unlikely a book with 100 more ideas is going to help. You've got to get better at finding ways of making good ideas work. And that's something that only comes with experience. But, on the plus side, if you have an idea where everything falls into place, you'll know. And you could be on to a winner.
You're aren't half being cynical in these FAQs.
Believe me, this is just a warm-up. I write at length about the state of theatres and the wider arts industry on my blog, and I regularly bite the hand that feeds me. I will support theatres when I think they're doing the right thing, and speak out when I think they're doing the wrong thing.
There's a lot of issues I have strong views on. I strongly believe in artistic freedom, a true drive to root out harassment and prejudice (not just when it's popular), and a level playing field. I want aspiring writers, who aren't hand-picked by an influential few, to stand a fair chance against those who are. And if the price of getting noisy is fewer opportunities for me, so be it. I'm not really keen to work with people looking for yes men.
Do you get pushback?
And on the particularly thorny issue of why nowhere gives any feedback for script submissions ("Oh, don't be stupid, that can't possibly be done, anybody who's got any experience knows that"), Papatango did me a big favour that demonstrates it can be done and lots of people find it useful. So ner.
My plays:
Where can I see you?
Can I be in your play?
Most of my projects now are created either for me, or people I already have a working relationship with. I no longer regularly put out casting calls - it's just too unreliable to commit first and hope I have a cast later. Performing a play you wrote for yourself an extremely stressful experience, but at least I don't have to worry about somebody bailing on me. That happened surprisingly often. Even with people I considered to be reliable. Even if I was paying.
True, the two Elysium plays were committed to production first and cast later, but I left it up to Elysium to suggest people for me.
So if you ask me if there's a part for you, the answer will probably be no. But if you're interested, ask anyway. The best indicator of reliability is enthusiasm. You never know, you might be perfect for a future project.
I want to tech your play.
I must warn you, however, that I am not be be trusted when I say it's easy. "This should all be straightforward" never turns out to be straightforward. One sound cue per minute tends to be my usual fare.
Can we perform your play?
Very occasionally I get this query. Short answer is, yes, probably, provided you know what you're doing. If I'm planning to produce it myself, you'll probably have to wait until I'm finished with it. Unless you have the means to do a better production in which case I might let you do it first. But that'll have to be a good offer. Anyway, drop me a line saying who you are, what you want to do, why you want to do it and how you propose to do it, and we'll take it from there.
Under most circumstances, I will expect payment for this. Whilst I could stop getting income from all theatre activities tomorrow and still make a living from a steady job, I'm aware a lot of artists don't have that luxury. I do not want to be the artist who deprives other artists of a living by undercutting them. Obviously I will take into account your circumstances, as well as likely income. Amateur performances can expect a lower rate than professional companies, as long as I get my fair share. Mates rates at my discretion.
The exception is my ten-minutes plays. Those are freebies for amateur performances, and you can go ahead and do that without asking me just so long as I am credited. Professional performances will probably also get a waiver if it's a free and/or charity performance, but I'll need to be asked first to check it really is free and/or charity. Anything else, I'll probably settle for a token payment.
Will you perform your play for us?
This does sometimes happen, most notably with Waiting for Gandalf.
Ask me, I'll probably be interested. Terms negotiable. I will at a minimum expect expenses to be covered. Other than that, it will probably depend on who you are and what you want me to do, but I won't agree to anything that I think undercuts what other artists who do this for a living.
Of course, if it was something I was planning to do anyway, I will be more amenable.
Will you ever publish your scripts?
In general, to get a play published by Samuel French or Nick Hern, you need it to have received a full professional production. Bit of leeway over what a "full professional production" actually means, but a long way to go before I'll be a candidate for that.
Beyond that, there are other smaller-scale publishers (either paper or online) which are a lot more inclusive about scripts. I am a bit wary about those, because some of the terms and conditions seem a bit of an over-reach. In particular, I've seen a somewhat questionable practice of some publishers "waiving" rights so that playwrights can perform their own plays. At the moment, the is the main barrier. I'm sure that some of these publishers do behave themselves, but I haven't got round to checking terms and conditions.
So for the foreseeable future, it's just me. If you want to script of one of my plays, just ask. If you're thinking of performing it, you can probably have a copy for free. If you just want to read it, I'll decide on a case-by-case basis. You might get it for free if I decide it's too much hassle to arrange a payment. As always, ask nicely.
What about the plays you didn't write?
I did Howard and Mimi as director. I've been trying to do that one for years because - come on! - who doesn't want to direct a play where the two characters in it are a dog and a cat? I finally managed to do that in the opening year of Durham Fringe. Long story, but it was an absolute joy when it finally went ahead. And in 2015 I was producer for A Nasty Little Play, which was set in a 1950s sex shop. This happened because a theatre friend Alan Godfrey wanted to take his play to a fringe. He was ready to finance and direct it, but I knew how to navigate a festival fringe and work with a venue. Credit where it is due - that had far better sales than anything I did. Seems that 1950s smut is a better audience pull than I gave credit for.
The short answer is that I never plan this. Any time I've done my play or someone else's play, it's always been what was the best opportunity at the time. I will probably do someone else's play again, but as to what that might be, your guess is as good as mine.
Will you help bring my play to a fringe?
I did that with A Nasty Little Play in 2015. That was - as many things are - a useful thing for me to do at the time. I have no plans to do something like this again
I'm looking for someone to produce my play. Will you read my script?
Unfortunately, this is unlikely. I've made encouraging noises about this in the past and failed to live up to them. I don't want to over-promise and under-deliver.
Where I have produced plays other than my own, it was one that I already knew about. There are lots of other plays I'd like to do to, but only a small number that fit the very specific combinations of something that achieves a specific purpose for a specific time AND is practical for me to do. I simply don't have the time to read script after script in the hope of finding the occasional one that is not only what I want to produce but also what I can produce.
But I remember what it was like to get started, and how valuable every chance was to get something of mine on stage, so I will make one concession. I will read your script if you pitch it to me and somehow persuade me that this might be worth doing, I will read your script. If you manage to get that far, I will give feedback.
I won't tell a lie, that exercise will probably be an even bigger waste of time than the script submissions that I think aren't worth the bother. But if I still haven't put you off, get in touch. Tell me who you are, what you want me to consider, and - crucially - why you're approaching me. And good luck.
Hey, I'm from the National Theatre. We want to commission your play on the main stage. We'll give you a 10K advance, a month in the south of France, and your own A-list girlfriend.
Okay, that sounds interesting. Same as everyone, I'm happy to consider it as long as I'm satisfied you value my play for what it is. We should arrange a meeting, except your your PA has just turned into an alsatian. And my late grandmother's just come to tea. Wait a mo, that's not right.
Ah crap, it was just a dream.
Other stuff:
How did you get into sound design?
Completely by accident. I almost always design my own sound and lighting in plays I'm producing/directing myself. When I did Haunting Julia in 2018, this was picked up by Jake Murray for Elysium Theatre, and I ended up doing sound for most of their projects. (Not all: which one I do tends to come down to practicalities in individual cases.) My sound design for Haddock and Chips (CaroleW Productions) was also through Jake Murray as director.
Is sound design difficult?
Yes and no. I believe anyone can get the hang of doing sound design, and it's not too difficult to teach yourself. I recommend Freesound as a good sound repository and Audacity as go-to resource for mixing sounds together. I also recommend using some sort of sound cue software. A standard media player is okay, but every one I've seen run on to the next track if you don't stop it manually, and that's fiddly. I reckon I could teach you everything I know in an hour - everything else is experience.
As a rule of the thumb, sound design is easy if the actors work round the sound plot, and hard if the sound plot is working round the actors. Professional theatre is usually the latter. There was a time when I felt embarrassed over the amount of money I was being offered for something I considered easy. I've long since realised how they get their money's worth.
Don't you need QLab and a Mac to do sound?
Qlab is analogous to Final Draft in a lot of ways. Both pieces of software have some very powerful tools which in certain situations are extremely useful - in certain situations. In the case of QLab, this means you can perform some very advanced operations on a sound board, such as multiple tracks on multiple speakers, integration with lighting plots, and even editing on the fly during a performance. However, you need to be doing something exceptionally complicated for this to make a difference.
My generic advice for expensive technology is to start with something cheap and learn as much as you can. Only move on to something pricier when you've reached the limit with the cheap stuff. Somebody who's made the most of photographs on a bog-standard smartphone, will do a better job than someone who has £5,000 worth of equipment and no idea how to use it. If, however, you know exactly what you need and exactly how QLab can help you, go ahead.
(You might need QLab if you're regularly exchanging files with other people, but so far I've never needed to do this. I prefer to bring along a physical device and just plug it in.)
Will you do sound design for us?
Please bear in mind I do all of this on top of a full-time job. I can only take on a finite number of jobs before I run out of time to do this. My day job is not like bar job where I can stop working for a few weeks and come back later - I have no-one to delegate work to. Joining you on tour is possible, but usually more trouble than it's worth. The good news is that I put a lot of care in handover from sound designer to sound operator, and it's always gone smoothly so far.
However, also bear in mind that sound design isn't the career I'm trying to build for myself. I am quite happy to do sound design for Elysium Theatre because I also get to build links as a writer. That doesn't mean I'll say no if you only want sound, but all other things being equal, an all-purpose relationship with a theatre company beats a cog in a machine.
Will you do [some other form of tech] for us?
Again, just ask. My experience varies from discipline to discipline, but I'll give you an honest appraisal of what I can and can't do for you.
Other than that, all above caveats apply. I'll be more enthusiastic over a project where I'm a valued partner than an unpaid role where I have no creative input. Your call.
Hey, you worked for [other creatives] for cheap/free. Will you do the same for us?
But I do occasionally do freebies. These are my red lines:
- My priority is my own projects and my paid work. If you want me to give priority to your project instead, I will expect full professional rates.
- If I do work for cheap or free, it will be in gaps when I don't have other competing commitments. Putting in more time than I originally agreed to is at my discretion.
- If I say I'm not doing cheap/free work for you any more, I mean it. If you ask me after I've told you that, you can fuck right off. (Yes, that has actually happened.)
- I stand to gain experience in something I haven't done before;
- I think we can build a proper working relationship;
- I trust you to know what you're doing;
- I like the play you're doing;
- I like working with the other people in the play; and/or
- I get a say in the creative decisions.
Hey buddy, great website! Just the thing I was looking for! My name's Crystal. Why don't we hang out on my page? I'm single BTW.
Fantastic. I've already sent you my credit card details, PIN, security code, online banking password and mother's maiden name.
Didn't you use to be in Durham Dramatic Society a lot? What happened to that?
Short version: when I said I did hard work and was rewarded with more hard work, they were the worst offender. Wasn't the final straw, but it was the main contributor to parting ways.
Long version: If you must know, read it here.
I haven't completely cut ties. I am still willing to work with the few members who I still have working relationships with. I am holding out hope that the newer members will be listened to, and one day maybe there can be a culture change to something I can work with. But will not return to business as usual. I cannot risk the people in charge pulling any more stunts on me like the ones they're done before.
Sorry to those of you who liked working with me or seeing me on stage. Wasn't your fault.
Tell me a joke.
How many amateur dramatics directors does it take to change a lightbulb?
Change? ... Change? ... CHANGE?
What about Durham Fringe? Are you still doing that?
Until 2023, I was operating pretty much everything in the City Theatre for Durham Fringe except ticketing and front of house. If you ran any event and needed any kind of technical, staging or logistical support from the venue, I was probably your contact. However, my position was replaced by an agency after, so it seems, Durham Dramatic Society (who own the building) went behind my back to Durham Fringe and told them I no longer had any involvement. That's not true, and if I'm going to be kind I will keep open the possibility there was a misunderstanding - but like I said, this all happened behind my back. By the time I found out what was going on, it was too late.
I make no secret of the fact that I think fringes shouldn't be curated. I sincerely believe that if Durham or any other curated fringe chose to let everybody in, the sky would not fall in, the bad things that they feared about wouldn't happen, and in a few years' time everyone will wonder what the fuss was about. But that's a fight I don't want to pick. Contrary to what some people seem to think (based on reading into non-existent subtext) my praise for the work Durham Fringe has done - both for making Durham a festival city, and the vast improvement over what there was before - is genuine. And I am not preparing any explosive statements. Move along, nothing to see here.
Doesn't it get tricky doing both theatre and theatre reviews?
Can you review my play that you're helping with? We need some publicity.
No. Please don't ask me to do that. I do relax the rules a little on conflict on interest for previews, but under no circumstances will I review anything that I've had any involvement in myself. If I wouldn't be comfortable giving you a bad review (both productions I'm connected to and productions friends are doing), it's not appropriate for me to review you at all. And it's DEFINITELY not appropriate for my to give you any kind of publicity if you've been leaning on me. At my discretion, I may find a way to publicise you which doesn't have conflict of interest issues, but I won't be able to help you if it comes across that you think I owe you publicity.
Also, please bear in mind that when I get involved in plays, I don't always think that highly of it, or the way it's being directed. I may be doing my best for a play I don't really care for out of professionalism. The last thing I want it someone things I owe them a good review. Please refrain from this, otherwise I may be forced to say what I really thought of your play.
What about a play you're not involved in. Will you review that?
Come this way. (This is a little out of date at the time of writing, but it should get you started.)
If you are north-east based, please be aware I now have a lot of conflicts of interest. Durham is especially difficult. Anything connected with Durham Fringe or Durham Free Fringe is definitely out. I may reach the point in the near future where I decide I can't review local theatre at all, but for now I'll consider things on a case-by-case basis.
What if I don't want a review but would still like to know what you think?
Not committing to anything yet, but that's another case-by-case thing I'll consider if and when it happens.
A comedy game show? Is this is the same Chris Neville-Smith?
Yes, 2024 was the first year of It's Not Cluedo! Believe it or not, there is a much bigger overlap between fringe theatre and comedy game shows than you'd think. My previous fringe ventures have got me on Imaginary Porno Charades and Late Night Dirty Scrabble. I had an idea for something in this format, it stuck, and to my surprise the test runs worked exactly as I hoped they would. I mentioned this idea to the Rotunda with the hope of having an informal run in Buxton Fringe 2023, and they've ended up as co-producers.
Sounds cool. Can I be in this Not Cluedo game?
Maybe. The Brighton Fringe Rotunda one was primarily aimed to other Rotunda performers. Apart from that, no decision. I encourage the people taking part in this to be comfortable with comedy, or improvisation, or both, but that's not a hard and fast rule. In case you haven't already worked out, there object of the game isn't to win as such. Is to give yourselves and your audience the most fun.
But let me know anyway if you're interested. If I know people are queuing up to take part, that will encourage me to do more of this. And if your enthusiasm to be a guest spelt a difference, you will have probably earned yourself an invitation.
Nice website. Who did it?
I did. I'm using a generic web hosting package that i also use for theatre e-mail, installed WordPress on that, and just used a standard-ish template and updated the content. Only reason I did this was because I suddenly needed to train in website development in my day job, and this was a good learning opportunity.
In my experience, 90% of the job of doing a website is easy. All of the flashy stuff is now part of some very standard packages. However, the final 10% of the job is a massive faff. This is a playwriting website and not a computer website so I won't give you a blow-by-blow account, but, boy, the last bit of programming was blood, sweat and tears. You have no idea the amount of pain I went through to get a working contact form.
If you're wondering, the theme I used is "Scoop", which by default is set up as an ice cream shop website. It is, however, very very strongly configured for selling ice creams and puts up a lot of resistance to being anything else. If you find a stray reference to two-scoop Raspberry Ripple, this is way.
Will you make one for me?
I wouldn't recommend asking me this. I probably could make one for you, but whether I get round to it is another matter.
There again, I wouldn't consider myself a website expert at all, but I've seen some companies produce considerably crappier websites than this one, for considerably large sums of money. If enough people ask, I might make this template open source.
Hey, this article isn't half going on and on.
Don't worry. We're nearly done now.
Oh yeah. I can see the footer.
Will you ever take an FAQ page seriously?
Nah.
Last updated 3rd March 2025.