What an opportunity it has been to rework, reimagine and remount Dropped for a season at La Mama. As a playwright it is all too rare to have the chance to revisit your work; once it is out there it is done – judged, seen, over … Sure, you have some photos and a video recording (video never can quite capture theatre can it?) but the ethereal nature of theatre, particularly a show like Dropped, means once it’s gone it’s gone. Just … Like …That ….

Thankfully La Mama picked us up and we had another go at it. The Fringe Festival season was successful but now, looking back, feels like the creative development of the piece. It was where we got to “try it out” and figure out how we could all work together. We worked quickly. We worked cheaply. We were exhausted. But we got our work on and seen. Getting your work out there; that is what Fringe is all about for me.

We were happy with the Fringe season but I desperately wanted to do the show again. I felt we hadn’t finished with Dropped yet …

The beauty, and frustration, of theatre is that we can never quite have it all figured out. There will always be things I could change and alter and develop in Dropped; I could be rewriting this piece forever. Even so, having the chance to rework the piece through reflecting on that first season has been an absolute treat. Feedback from the director, actors, designers, audiences all helped in the development of the work – I am confident that the piece is stronger for it.

As the show closes tonight I have started the reflection process again: What could I do differently? What needs to be stronger? How can I make that bit more effective? What the hell am I trying to say there? And the rewrites will start again … hopefully for a final time but who knows?

I will have to leave it alone one day I am sure.

But, as Dropped closes for a second time in Melbourne, we are looking towards another “go” at it in another place at another time – not too far from now …

Watch this space!