A play or drama script is a story written for actors to perform, with the term ‘play’ relating to a theatrical performance.
People who write them are called Playwrights; sometimes, the physical scripts might be called manuscripts, while some historical scripts are called folios due to their format.
They are essential, so everyone involved in a theatre production can learn the story and do their role in sync, both onstage and behind the scenes.
Children will learn about them during drama lessons at the primary level and study drama in more depth at secondary school. Plays produced specifically for schools are generally called Theatre in Education.
Play scripts can be written in all genres, including:
- comedy
- drama
- tragedy
- thriller
- romance
- musical
- political
- physical
They are written differently than stories and novels, focusing more on dialogue and stage direction so that actors know how to make the characters behave on stage. In addition, each production can interpret play scripts, making changes to highlight its chosen themes.
Features of play scripts
Character list
Like TV shows and movies, a play usually features a variety of characters interacting with each other throughout the scenes. Because of this, most scripts begin with a character list that introduces all the different characters.
Some scripts feature a description of these characters next to their name so that the actors know a bit about them before they play them on stage and for casting the roles.
Once plays have been cast, some scripts will include the actor’s name alongside their character.
Acts, Scenes, and Settings
Play scripts are split into different acts.
These are sections of the play that detail different parts of the story.
For example, Act One may contain introductions of the plot and characters, Act Two might set up a problem for the characters to overcome, and Act Three might feature the performance’s climax.
While there is no limit to the number of acts in a play, most scripts use either a three-act or five-act structure. Some plays only use one act. All these variations have certain conventions for how the plot unfolds during each act.
Within these acts are different scenes. These are like book chapters that split up the action. A new scene usually means a new setting, where the scene takes place, or sometimes when time has passed in the exact location.
When a new scene begins, the playwright will usually write a setting description to help actors imagine their environment so that the technical and creative team can interpret the setting through direction, costume, scenery, and special effects design.
Dialogue
The words spoken by characters in drama scripts are known as dialogue.
Whereas these are written inside speech marks in books, in scripts, they are written after the character’s name and separated by a colon. This makes it easier for actors to follow the lines they must say when performing the script.
Stage Directions
Stage directions tell actors what to do or how to act while reading a particular piece of dialogue. These can be instructions on how to walk, speak or stand or just suggestions on mood.
These are included in the dialogue using brackets. They can relate to any character, not just the one speaking.
Stage directions are not said aloud during a performance, although they often are during a rehearsal reading. They are always written in the present tense.
Narrators
Some scripts include a character called a narrator. These characters explain what is going on in the story for the audience’s benefit.
They do not have to be a character in the story who interacts with the other characters, but their lines are written similarly. Productions aimed at a family audience often use a narrator to help interpret events, as in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat or Blood Brothers.
How to write a play script?
Teach your children to write a script for the drama and perform and produce a show with our helpful resources.
A helpful tip to remember when writing a play script is “show, don’t tell.” This means it’s better to show something rather than write lots of dialogue to explain it. An excellent example would be if someone is scared, have their hands shake to express this visually.
