In praise of a cluttered desk

We asked our playwright, Non Vaughan-O’Hagan how she approaches her work.

Non's desk

"I want my audiences to feel as if they are in the room with my characters. Most of my plays seek to shine a light on those corners of history which have languished too long in the shadows, so my work begins with research, lots and lots of research. I do all that reading so that an audience can feel confident that what they are experiencing is, as far as possible, grounded in reality. However my research doesn’t solely rely on the well-written biography but extends to the grit of daily life. I am, for that reason, a magpie of knowledge - it is surprising which shiny fact will be pressed into service in my scripts! Weather forecasts, anyone?

Above all, every script must entertain. I believe that an audience member should be able to settle into a seat not knowing anything about my characters or the time in which they live and still be entertained. But I would hope they will leave intrigued, thirsting to discover more.”