Intervu Halls

“Halls” Poster

I sit down with emerging creative Rosie Parsons to talk about her new play, Halls.

 “If you stay in a shell you never know where you are going to go.”

I ask Rosie to describe herself and her new play?

“I’m Rosie!” She says warmly,  “I am a student at Exeter University and I am in my second year, and I am studying English and Drama and my work…my goodness!...What a question! At the moment, I am a playwright and I am co-directing an original play called “Halls.” She tells me, before selling the play to me, “…just for context, it’s about six university students who find a baby at the front door of their accommodation.” Finally, she adds, “That’s me, really.”

I ask them what their process was like making Halls, both as a writer and a co-director?

“Halls” was very different in terms of writing.” She tells me,  “I started writing it in first year and I took quite a big break from it, thinking ‘this is going to go nowhere..” Solemnly, she says,s “Didn’t have much confidence in myself with my writing. It had been two years since I had put on my previous production...”

But then, more hopefully, she goes on, “I was just kind of using my surroundings and course…Then I saw something go out for a society called Theatre with Teeth!” Her happiness returns, and she exclaims, “I thought I may as well and go for it. The worst I could do was put it out there!”

“It was strange in a really good way.” She tells me as she explains that her play was chosen from a call out. “When I got the thumbs up from Teeth, my parents, who have been absolute rocks along the way throughout the process and every single process said ‘people are going to come up with ideas and you’re going to have to rock with them because my mind can only go so far and funnily enough, I’ve always been very open to hearing new ideas and that’s really exciting!” 

“I saw it as a blueprint, really.” She tells me, when talking about the shift from playwright to co-director.

With enthusiasm, she speaks with passion, “The difference from writing to co-directing is so amazing because you realise just how much you can build upon it and when you see your work come to life like that and you begin to have more of a collaborative approach…it’s amazing how it can expand!”

She praises her team, “It’s been great. I think we’ve chosen really well with the production team, with the cast and the whole company!” And with a laugh, says, “It’s hard work but we all come out buzzing.”

“Halls”

I ask her what the message of Halls is?

“I’d say my theme is relatability.” She continues, telling me about her history, “The three plays I’ve had the pleasure of writing have all been comedies. The first one - which sounds so funny to look back on, I was 15 - it was called “The Cake.” That was about a family of four in lockdown and the grandparents bring over a cake for their grandson and you had the dad who was freaked out by covid ‘What are we going to do? Get the grandparents out of the house! This cake is contaminated with covid!’ 

She chuckles, “It was relatable for the time and it hit the right audience I thought. Even if I was just performing it at school.” She goes, and tells me that“the sequel to that was called the “The Destination” and it followed the same family, and everything that can go wrong in an airport. So it’s that kind of relatable idea. So with “Halls” we have students. 

“Relatability. Whether it is as absurd as a baby - touch wood that will never happen.”

I ask her why people should see the play?

“Great question! I think they should see “Halls” for many reasons but the main one is: escape. Although it’s a comedy there are so many sentimental parts to it that the whole company have been able to mould into something that is so much beyond the humour of it.” Glowing, she says, “It reminds me of so many things! It reminds me of childhood! It reminds of the friendships we make at university. It reminds me of being thrown into this new place and you’re literally stripped back to square one. You don’t know what to do.”

“I think it’s a reminder to the audience that you don’t have to do everything at once. That you’re still learning.”

“Halls”

I ask Rosie what advice she’d give to other creatives?

Immediately, she imparts: “Don’t let that mental block of you’re mind saying, ‘no, this is no good, no, no,’ because you can spend so much time writing and writing and writing because of this, it becomes biased in your own mind.”

“Equally don’t be afraid to put your writing out there, because someone will like it! Or someone at least - worst case scenario - will say ‘it’s good! But it needs some work.’ Also keep writing because it’s never finished and you can always keep building and building upon it.

Half jokingly, but with wisdom, Rosie leaves me with:“Because if you stay in a shell you never know where you are going to go.”

I ask her what’s next?

“Radio stations! I’m actually going on one to talk about “Halls!”” She buzzes, “At the moment, I am on a trillion facebook groups looking at a million runner and AD jobs as possible, trying to build up my CV there.”

She goes on, “I am going to apply for a role in production - just to try and get on that side of things - for a show, “Bonnie and Clyde” at Exeter, which I’m excited for. But I’m probably going to keep writing if I’m being honest. I have an idea to steer away from the comedy, I’ve done my fair share now.” Eagerly, she tells me, “I want to look at a thriller. I have this idea called ‘The Commute’ about a deaf man and or woman.”

“Halls” will perform at Kay House from the 13th - 15th of March

The instagram for “Halls” can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/halls.teeth/

The instagram for Theatre with Teeth can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/theatrewteeth/

Rosie’s instagram can be found at: https://www.instagram.com/rosiieparsons/

“Halls”