Chequered Flags to Chequered Futures. Mark Wheeller

within the text.

      We decided to take this approach during the table read and early pre-production meetings. I remember sitting with the cast, showing them rough sketches I had drawn, set pieces and playing them pieces of music to see what they thought. The atmosphere was positively electric and the general consensus was to keep things simple, symbolic and impactful. We didn’t want to make any changes to the text, the thought never crossed my mind. However, I did look at the opening from a different perspective. In the original script for CFTCF we see a flashback of Chris Gilfroy in one of his drama classes, being the centre of attention and generally enjoying some activities and improvisations, something he was clearly very talented in. Mark’s stage directions call for the action to be fast-paced and gripping with a clear undertone of humour which gives the audience a calming perspective into the nature of Chris’s humane persona. I loved reading this scene but secretly felt as if it needed something different, something that resonated with the tone and atmosphere we were trying to create.