The Stage: Dear John

Dear John

John Byrne answers your queries in his weekly showbusiness advice column.

Collaboration or going solo?

First published 7th February 2008

Question:
What is collaboration on a creative project like compared to working solo? Are there dos and don'ts to avoid it ending in tears?

Answer:
Over the years, I have collaborated on quite a few writing and performing projects, occasionally with people who are still speaking to me. In some of the other cases the cause of rifts was not having a clear, unwritten agreement as to the nature of the collaboration, who is doing what and how much both of you are getting paid should any income ever result from your joint work. This particular precaution may be very embarrassing to have to insist on if you are working with a friend. In fact, it is twice as important if you are working with a friend, assuming you want both the friendship and the collaboration to survive beyond either the first setback or the first big success. There are also partnerships which seemed like a good idea at the time, but simply weren't workable because we both had very similar skills and spent twice as long doing something we could have both done independently in half the time. But it is equally true that sometimes former working partners (or even ongoing ones) don't keep up much social contact once a particular project is over, simply because they are very different people with little in common. The big 'don't' of collaboration is, don't assume you will find the ideal collaborator first time out. And, even if you do, don't assume that person will be the best individual to work with on all your future projects (or theirs). Here are two successful collaborators to give their view from both sides of the topic in relation to their latest show.

This is a picture of Kirsty Eyre Kirsty Eyre

Kirsty Eyre writes for both the screen and stage. She started off by writing and producing musical pantomimes sponsored by Eurostar - Musical Murder on the Eurostar, You're a Star Academy and Cattle Class. She has since written, directed and produced stage plays. Her bittersweet comedy, Class, was a box office success in both London and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007.

"For me, collaboration is all about getting the best of both worlds. Of course, compromise is part and parcel of a partnership, but it's more about drawing on each other's strengths.

"I have just written a new musical, The Suburban Spaceman. By 'writing it', I mean that I have written the stage play and also come up with the songs (lyrics and melody), but as I cannot score music and don't play any musical instruments, this is where Shale Morgan comes in.

"Shale is an established musician and has translated my dulcet tones from his dictaphone in to full piano songs. Some songs have been pretty straightforward for Shale to work his magic with, others have been more complicated in terms of rejigging 'middle eights' and fine tuning choruses.

"One thing that I overlooked is pitching songs to suit the masses. What suits my voice doesn't necessarily suit other people's. In retrospect, I would look at which characters (male or female) are singing and pitch it accordingly.

"Whilst I believe collaboration works well with musicals, as the scope (script, lyrics, music, etc) is so vast, you often need two brains rather than one, I personally can't say the same for scriptwriting. In the past, I have co-written scripts and concluded that working solo is the only way - plot, dialogue and characters can't be pulled in two directions and two people are less likely to have a common vision of an entire play.

"This is what I have found. I suppose, like other forms of working together, you have to try collaboration by various methods to find the one that works best for you."

This is a picture of Shale Morgan Shale Morgan

Shale Morgan took up piano at the age of eight and has been enjoying all aspects of music since. He first became interested in composition, both traditional and electronic, while studying electronics and music at university. He has performed in all sorts of groups, from classical to surfy beach pop bands, as well as engineering and producing rock and ambient collaborations. In recent months he has left his full-time rat race job to concentrate on music.

"I love collaborations, as the human interaction that occurs between two different artists brings something very creative that neither might be able to achieve by themselves. I never have been a 'blue sky' thinker (sorry for the business speak) and I think my strength is taking an idea and realising it. Since very few people in any business are equally strong in every talent needed to produce a completely successful finished product, it is the very fact that artists like Kirsty have a different set of skills than me, which means I learn from her and as she says above, she has learned from me.

"I also find that two working together can produce results more quickly - you focus on the task in hand without getting too bogged down in detail, because you are valuing the other person's time as much as your own, you can't endlessly agonise over every nuance (at least at the beginning stages) which is what sometimes keeps solo projects from ever getting past the starting blocks.

"Of course, when you are at the polishing stage, the opposite applies - having another person who is as committed to the project as you are, looking at it from their own angle, means each of you will pick up on details and tweaks the other might have missed."

John sums up

I'm particularly pleased to mention a small (but perfectly formed) show and theatre in relation to this week's question, as it gives me the chance to remind you that not only is no question too small for the Dear John column - some of the most important ones are the most basic - but also that in relation to this page, 'experts' are not just the ones who come from blockbuster shows or huge venues. So while queries are always welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk, if you have come across any great career lessons - or, as in my case, made mistakes you would like to help others avoid - which you think would be usefully shared here, please do let me know. Thanks also to everyone who entered our annual new year coaching session competition (now closed). I'll announce the winner next week (14th February 2008).

* Kirsty and Shale's collaboration is on display in the musical The Suburban Spaceman at London's Network Theatre (www.networktheatre.org) from February 12-16 2008.

* Kirsty may be contacted at www.class-stage.co.uk

* Shale can be contacted at shale.morgan@yahoo.com

* Feedback/queries are welcome to dearjohn@thestage.co.uk
Please note that letters will be assumed to be for publication unless otherwise indicated. Name and address must be supplied but can be withheld on request.

Dear John homepage

John Byrne is a showbusiness life coach, the author of several bestselling career guides for performers and writers including The Agent Ebook and a regular broadcaster on TV and radio. Listen/talk to John live on the Friday edition of Colourful Mornings with Amina Taylor 9am-12am Colourful Radio "Talk Radio with Soul". Listen live and check out previous shows online at www.colourfulradio.com