Openings

Abstract

Plays tend to open in the middle of a conversation, or piece of action (in classical dramatic theory referred to as in medias res, literally, in the middle of things). There are good reasons for this, all of them signalling how distinct drama is from other literary forms, such as the traditional novel. Drama is predicated on action: for the plot to move forward, for characters to clash, to conflict and to come together during the short space of the performance time, the narrative and dramatic structure must foreground action and conflict. The audience needs to be involved and engaged from the beginning. The best way of doing this is to plunge into the middle of a situation encapsulating the themes and conflicts of the whole play. We are then ready to recognise such themes as they develop, and often encouraged. from this very early stage. to take sides.