The BAFTA Rocliffe New Writing Forum celebrated its 10th anniversary earlier this month with the performance of three short extracts of submitted work from new writers. Presided over by special guest Elizabeth Karlsen (The Crying Game, How To Lose Friends and Influence People), the three pieces were performed by actors in front of a group of industry experts and aspiring writers.

Death and Deliverance

The first, 'Death and Deliverance', was from a feature film written by Suzie Halewood. Two journalists on leave from Iraq meet a man in the Arizona desert who is searching for his lost daughter. The script is based on a true story published in the LA Times, and leads the journalists to question whether they should report on foreign affairs when there are deaths in their own backyard.

The concept, setting and story all point to a moving journey of self-discovery and catharsis, yet the interplay between the leads felt a bit clichéd, not helped by actors who had not properly prepared their lines. The problem faced by each of the writers was that the format of the event meant it was difficult to put the extract into the context of the overall story. However, there was much to praise from such a worthy story.

Dealers

The second extract, 'Dealers' by Ajay Gosai was about a young man who buys drugs on credit from a ruthless dealer and then blames his friend when he cannot afford to pay.

This piece felt very ordinary, particularly as Skins seems to have already covered the premise in its first series. Not only that, but there are too many characters and too much dialogue. In fact, the original inspiration for the story is much more interesting. It involved a friend dropping calcium into a fish tank at school and then blamed it on Gosai when all the fish died. Gosai had to stump up the money so his parents would not find out.

And the Award Goes To

The final extract, 'And the Award Goes To...', by Caroline Gold is a witty pastiche of dull award ceremonies. As with the other pieces, it was difficult putting workintended for cinema or television on stage, something seemed to be lost in the process. The main problem, however, was that there seemed to be no real theme, and more needed to happen to make us empathise with the lead character.

Following the performances, there was just enough time for a few words from Elizabeth Karlsen who gave a brief overview of her rise from proof-reader to her current position working alongside the renowned Stephen Woolley. Overall, an enjoyable night in conjunction with BAFTA.

Written by Ben Lamy