Writing and reading playscripts is a pastime I adore, but I am never truly switched off from reading like a director, and as a result there isn’t a distinct moment that my creative process begins. If a script doesn’t hold my attention enough to be read in one sitting, then there is something lacking. I read The Incident Room four times in one afternoon. I was totally mesmerized by the writing of Olivia Hirst & David Byrne, by the history, and by the sheer human emotion that oozed from the page, ultimately gearing the creative wheels greased to direct this powerhouse production.

Contextualising is the first part of my process where I research and apply social, historical, political, and narrative context to the play. The Yorkshire Ripper terrorized the North of England for five and a half years in the later half of the 1970s, murdering thirteen women and attacking at least seven more. It is a controversial era of British history spanning issues like attitudes to women, judgment on the working class, brutal murder, and police malpractice to name a few. The play begins after the Ripper has claimed five victims, and pressure is mounting from both public and political forces to identify and apprehend a suspect. The writers of this play have gone to incredible lengths to research; speaking to those involved in the case at the time and have used Michael Bilton’s book Wicked Beyond Belief as a starting point, so that’s where I began too. Of course, the play dives into themes that are all too relevant now and so I also looked at specific cases and incidents of the last few years to draw parallels to in rehearsals.

Next, I conceptualise the play. This is where I dream up the world I wish to create. This case has been well documented in documentaries, books, films, and TV series but I wanted to add an air of creative license. The play tackles the theme of retrospect and hindsight through the eyes of Megan Winterburn as she struggles to relive the events of the case. For me, the suggestion that Meg “never leaves the room” implies that The Incident Room is suspended in time, withdrawn from everything else but the chaos and the detail remain. Hence why I opted for a very minimal but detailed set.

In this part of the process, I also design the look and feel of the play. Whilst some costumes/props need to be period appropriate, such as uniforms, I get to flex artistic license in this process, taking my research and developing my own interpretation of the world around the case, introducing things like colour theory. One of the most impactful examples of this is whenever a new attack happens, we reveal an item of white clothing. I have opted for the colour white as this is a symbol of innocence, which is then tarnished by mud or blood, a suggestion that the victim’s innocence has been stained by an horrific incident.

The final stage is the realisation to stage, which brings together context, concept, design, and direction. This runs from the first rehearsals un$l the curtain closes on the last night. My rehearsal process is very collaborative, I value each member of the cast and trust in their process and interpretations. I begin by introducing the cast to their characters in a more two-dimensional way before applying “truth”. With this play, the “truth” is that of the real people the characters are based on and their own lives. I then encourage the characters to apply their own lived experience and truth to it presenting a more rounded and contemporary approach to the characters, for instance, the experience of women fiAy years ago has, unfortunately, not seen much change and therefore the women in the cast can apply (if comfortable) their own lives to the piece.

We also realise the blocking of the show, and the motivations behind movement and interaction – right down to why a character might smoke in a certain moment of the show. In this stage of the process, any issues and challenges are ironed out, including venue restrictions or technical problems. From day one, I tend to have the cast rehearse in full costume and interact with most of the actual props and set dressing we will use to allow the cast to be immediately comfortable in the environment and be able to comprehend absolutely everything that I’ve created for the show. This also allows us, as a creative team, to discuss and collaborate, some ideas may get scrapped or put on the back burner for a later stage. Keep an eye out in The Incident Room for the TV and the whiteboard, and how they are into the play. These items came into the rehearsal room at a much later stage, but I couldn’t imagine the show without them. This realisation process for me never stops, we will be tweaking and changing right up until the final show.

It has been an incredibly rewarding process to revisit this show after the initial run earlier this year. We have been able to revisit scenes and apply different approaches to them, introducing new lighting and sound elements, costumes, props, and altering any blocking to adapt to the new space meaning that for this run at Liverpool’s Royal Court (10th – 21st October), The Incident Room is going to feel bigger and better, and I can’t wait.

WORDS BY: ALEX CARR - DIRECTOR OF, THE INCIDENT ROOM