FORMED in 2016, the Wyz Wimmin and Friends Theatre Company recently hosted a workshop for emerging playwrights in Coffs Harbour.

Director, Anne Joyce, a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and award-winning playwright Carrolline Rhodes, from Nambucca, spent the weekend helping writers hone their skills into writing for theatre.

“The difference between writing a short story, for example, to a play is that in a play it’s about showing, not telling,” Anne told News of the Area.

“I am blown away by seeing stories come to life and hearing unexpected turns in a script.”

Participants travelled from as far as Woolgoolga, Dorrigo and Scott’s Head and revelled in the spirit of sharing stories that revealed they had much more in common.

They learned how to create characters and how to make them authentic with demonstrations acted out.

The basics of storytelling, what drives a narrative, what keeps an audience engaged and how to lay out a script was discussed.

A read through of their work by actors gave a new perspective.

At the event’s conclusion the playwrights were encouraged to finesse their scripts and submit them to the company for consideration.

“I’m so in love with the way our audiences respond,” Anne said.

“We sell out before opening due to the fact we engage a demographic who are not used to theatre, but who come because it’s a novelty.

“Then they get hooked.”

The company has staged four productions on the Mid North Coast and is planning its fifth later this year.

By Mary KEILY