read through
read through is a live table read of a screenplay, usually one I have written, in front of a ticketed audience at ht.live.
Why it exists
A script reads differently out loud. Hearing the whole thing performed shows where it works and where it is weak, and the room tells you faster than any notes can. The longer intention is to decide whether a script should become a film.
What the night is like
The cast sits, scripts in hand. They have had little or no rehearsal, so the evening has the surprise and rawness of people meeting the material for real. It is meant to be in good humour and unpolished. The audience gets that energy; I get an honest hearing.
Three outcomes
- The cast earns. Actors in the read sell tickets under the same co-featured deal as the other live shows.
- The read is recorded. Segments can go out as livestreams and on Watch Replay.
- The script gets better, and perhaps becomes a film.