Writer Gavin Yule talks about the experience that inspired his debut play.
The play was inspired by an event that happened to me about two years ago. I won't say exactly what happened because there's a similar scene in the play but I can say it was a verbal disability hate crime.
For a while after this I was angry at the world and angry at the society that we still live in, a world where disability hate crime happens. One day, one of my friends suggested writing my thoughts down to help with the healing process. They only way I know how to write is in a script format, because I went to a drama college where you have to write your own scripts. So, that night I sat down and wrote a short script which in the end became the second scene of the play. You could say the play was inspired by my own anger.
I think people should watch the play as it would open their eyes to the fact that even in today's society disability hate crimes still happen. I would hope if they watched it, it would make them think. They should also watch it because it's a moving and funny show.
Overall, the play took about two and a half years to write. I never really intended for it to be produced – writing the short script that night was really just a way for me to begin the healing process and clear my head. But when a director friend said I should work on it further I actually considered developing it into a full-blown play.
I also had a series of mentoring sessions with Andrew Edwards, a fellow playwright who mentored me through the development and redrafting of the play. These sessions were useful to me as, this being my first play, Andrew was able to help me see the full picture of the play rather than individual parts. As an actor, this was something I initially struggled with. Actors tend to focus on specific parts and scenes while a playwright has to look at the bigger picture.
Working with Andrew allowed me to further develop the characters and the plot and therefore made The Bus Stop the interesting piece that it is.
These mentoring sessions also showed me that as a playwright you have to write the play you want to write and not worry about what everyone else thinks.
It was a very long process, a lot of writer's blocks, a few redrafts and adding and deleting scenes and characters… and here we are, two and a half years later!
I'm very proud to say that this is my writing debut and I don't want to stop here. I do intend to write more.
Gavin Yule
The Bus Stop is available to watch on Traverse 3 until 8 December. Click on the following link to access www.traverse.co.uk/whats-on/event/the-bus-stop