Tanya Ronder

Tanya Ronder

Biography

Tanya Ronder wrote the version of Peribanez by Lope de Vegas (Young Vic Theatre & Company B in Sydney, Australia), the version of Blood Wedding by Lorca (Almeida Theatre), the version of Macbett by Eugene Ionesco (RSC). She adapted Saint Exupery’s novella Night Flight (Vol de Nuit) (Muztheater, Amsterdam) and the novel Vernon God Little by DBC Pierre (Young Vic Theatre). She edited Romeo and Juliet (Vesturport Theatre at the Young Vic and Playhouse Theatres). Her short film King Bastard is currently in production.

Interview

Jenny: So Tanya Ronder you were the third writer of the Chain Play.  What were the particular challenges of being in that position – right in the middle of the writing process?

Tanya:  I think the biggest challenge was that I knew we had six actors between all of us.  I kind of thought being number three I’d be able to sneak in the last one or two characters, but no they were all there – all six!  So in a way the dice were cast and that was the biggest, you know the thinking time at the beginning, trying to bring the two scenes together with all six characters in place, unless I was going to double, which I thought about in different ways but actually knowing that somehow I had to amalgamate the two characters from the first link and the four characters from the second link and they didn’t easily go together at some level instantly anyway.  But after a bit of thinking…

Jenny:  So does that mean that there were a few ideas that you sort of thought about and then you rejected because they weren’t quite working?

Tanya: Yeah.  Yeah. Yeah, definitely.  Yeah, cos you kinda go actually you can go anywhere.  That’s the fun of the Chain Play, that it’s an open brief and you haven’t got ultimate responsibility for (laughter) whether the whole thing makes sense and is balanced and you know is serious and funny and all those things so actually it is an opportunity to go off in any direction.  So yeah there were a few ideas that I went through and enjoyed going through before landing on the one I landed on. 

Jenny:  And does that mean you were thinking of who you were handing it to, when you were kind of going through those ideas and knowing what you’d been given, where you aware of the next two writers to come?

Tanya: Yeah. Yes, I suppose the sort of not wanting to close it down at all, wanting to you know give it longevity – make it be able to sweep on through for two more writers beyond me.  So, yes, I was conscious of that.

Jenny:  How much were you aware of trying to fall in with a particular tone that was set by the other writers - because obviously everybody’s got their own distinctive voice, but you want to try and create a complete evening for the audience?

Tanya:  I mean in a way that was part of the challenge, the first question you asked me, because the voices of Abi Morgan and Neil LaBute were quite different in their ways within their two links.  So it was somehow keeping both voices alive and kind of keeping the funny side of it – you know catering to the evening that we were having I suppose ahead of us, so yeah so tonally kind of marrying it up and moving it along and keeping the bubbliness in it, I suppose.  But finding room for your own voice and for your own ideas at the same time.  I guess, I guess, although actually I’m used to adapting, so I’m really happy to kind of swim alongside other voices…

Jenny:  And actually you’ve adapted for the Almeida before, because you adapted ‘Blood Wedding’ for us so you know the stage very well.

Tanya:  Yes

Jenny: So were you thinking about that, were you aware of the space when you were writing that scene?

Tanya:  Yes I think so. I think so, because it’s such an intimate stage actually and knowing that definitely impacted on the choices and seeing that you knew it could take place. Yes, I didn’t sit and think about it consciously but I guess the fact that I knew the stage impacted on it.

Jenny: Given that ordinarily you’d be in rehearsals particularly if you’re adapting, but also if you are writing something new, you’d be there very much alongside the director, but given there are five writers it seems kind of not very workable that you’d all be in the room.  (laughter).

Tanya:  Yeah!

Jenny:  So is it quite weird for you to be on the outside of that?

Tanya:  Er, yeah, but it’s quite liberating in its way.  I mean, you know, yeah it would be completely impossible for Indhu to have five writers (laughter) in the room.  And you know it’s actually been part of the pleasure of doing the job that you work really hard for two weeks and it’s totally your responsibility for two weeks and then you pass it on.  And that’s it and then we’ll turn up at the end of February and see it and you know I’m looking forward to that.  So although I love being in rehearsals and that’s part of the process of putting a play on that I really enjoy normally, you know I’m not going to miss it on this one cos it was never part of the brief and actually the very particular and quirky and extraordinary brief that this is I have really enjoyed.

Jenny: Brilliant!

Tanya: Yeah.

Jenny:  So you’ll see the other writers on the evening, on the 29th.

Tanya:  Yes, I’ll see this play that we have between us knitted together, without really knowing what we’ve knitted until we see the garment on the night!  Yep.

Jenny:  Brilliant – thank you very much!

Tanya:  Thank you.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the interviewees and are not necessarily shared by Coutts & Co.

 

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