Ents: Arts

Interview: Patrick Hinton

By Hannah Kirby
Published: 23/03/2009

I like observing people. Seeing how other people interact, learning about them, is what really interests me. I became really good friends with my drama teacher at school, and after I’d left we ended up devising some more together, and took a play to the Edinburgh Festival. Creating theatre like that felt like a light-bulb switching on inside of me. I knew, this is what I wanted to do.

It’s the interaction of drama that really inspires me. With suTCo, I’ve had the chance to be involved in the dramatic process; we’ve worked as a group, so the dynamic’s always different. I see myself as part of a process; it begins in ideas and thought, but grows through people.

There are the director’s and producer’s ideas, then the actors’ and technicians’ interpretations, and finally the audience’s reactions, which will always vary in the same ways as when people look at paintings or photography. I always welcome constructive criticism - it shows people are paying attention.

As a result, I never really feel protective. I suppose that without me there wouldn’t be a play to put on, but that’s just as much the case with everyone else involved. It might start with me, but that’s not the be-all and end-all: being protective would be pointless.

hat I really love is seeing how people react to things. Everyone sees things differently.

One of my absolute favourite parts of the rehearsal process is seeing how people change my lines. Their interpretation of how the words ought to be said is always refreshing, always different. Once it gets to the performance stage, the play ought to be stable (that’s only fair to the audience). But during the read-through, the blocking, the rehearsals, it ought to keep growing. For new writing, for someone like me who’s not really got loads of experience, I think it should be like that. As long as I feel that my central theme stays true, I’m quite flexible; I think there are always different ways of doing things.

My only constant concern is that, when I write, there should always be a reason behind why people are talking. I find it hard to see why people just talk for the sake of talking. Having said that, as I learn more I suppose I might become a bit more of a control freak; maybe that comes with experience.

My latest play, It’s Alright Ma, was a more solo project, and the initial writing process was much lonelier. Just writing is definitely solitary: you mull over your ideas for longer, and let them sit. It emerges a more considered, honed and philosophical piece, and I suppose that’s powerful.

In devising, though, I’ve always played around with my work as part of a group, and that way you get more objective opinions. It might initially feel less deep, but it’s certainly more vibrant, and things snowball. There’s richness and diversity, and the depth comes later.

I’ve been exceptionally lucky with suTCo, in that I’ve been allowed to do both. University’s definitely been a supportive environment. In any closed society, with personal politics, there’s always the potential for a little funny business and if there were any I know my friends, like Dan Rutter, would be there with a little pick-me-up to get me back on track. So far, though, I’ve been lucky enough not to encounter any. After next year it’ll be a bit more daunting, but just this week I found out that my application to Central for an MA in Scriptwriting was a success. The challenge will be amazing…and I’ll hopefully continue to keep any inner control-freakishness at bay.

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