Directing I: What makes theatre engaing?

I had the good fortune of being in a workshop led by Rufus Norris once.

He asked

What makes theatre engaging?

He asked it from a director’s p0int of view, but I think it’s an important question for writers as well. These are some of my notes from that session.

What makes theatre engaging?
Going to a boring film is a disappointing but stress free use of time. Going to a boring piece of theatre is infuriating. Theatre demands a complicity with and from an audience who demand certain ingredients in return. A good story and honest acting are almost a given. However, along the journey there must be

Action – energy, momentum, the engine
Variety – colour, contrast
Character
Atmosphere
Pace – rhythm, energy.
Focus – story, detail, guiding the point of attention

More on this anon.