Writer DC Moore talks to PostScript about 'Another Place.'

By Sophie Scott

Following his critically acclaimed The Empire at the Royal Court Theatre (a Theatre Royal Plymouth co-production), and The Swan at the National Theatre, DC Moore’s Another Place is a play about our obsession to uncover the secrets of space, and the tragedy of what we leave behind. On the eve of its opening, Sophie Scott put a few questions to him:

What is it that interests you about Space?

All of it, really. The more you read about the wider universe, the more you realise the distinction between us and it is a false one. We're literally made of the same stuff and the answers to all the big questions (Are we alone? How did the Universe begin? Is it the only universe?) are out there.

I also think the various efforts to leave our planet, tell a pretty compelling story about who we are. For example, as the Cold War died, so did our more substantive efforts to explore space. It was a gigantic pissing contest and as soon as Russia stopped urinating, so did America. Which doesn't speak very well to us a species, I think. Or my ability to come up with metaphors. But I think the combination of technological advances and depleting resources means it's imperative we properly begin a new space race. It's literally our only way out. So, perversely, a few more wars on Earth (cold or otherwise) might actually help us to survive in the long run.

What is it that drives you to write and what inspires you as a writer?

I think it's a combination of ego, addiction and (mostly false) hope. The great thing about writing is that you nearly always get another shot to try and be better next time on your own terms. That's sort of the beauty and often agony of writing (because if you fail it's very often your own fault). A bit like the gambling addict who just wants to play one more hand of cards. But with writing. So completely different.

Do you prefer to write to commission, or to make proposals of your own?

Totally depends. Sometimes you have a nugget of an idea you want to take to a theatre, other times a theatre will approach you and try and coax something out of it. Both can work. Or fail. Or just about muddle through.

Did you/ do you have a game-plan for you career as a writer?

No. I have some general aims. I want to write better plays, keep being able to make a living from writing and make enough money that I can choose work simply for artistic reasons. That's about it, really. And would make me extraordinarily lucky. I don't think writing really suits itself to proper game plans unless you're a bit of a psychopath and you're constantly trying to manipulate the world/people. But maybe I'd have been more successful if I had a plan. Who knows? I might just be an unambitious psychopath.

Do you like to be a writer-in-the-room? How much do you involve yourself in rehearsals, and what is your relationship with director and cast?

Rehearsal rooms feel like home to me. But, ultimately, it's the director's room. They know how to work with actors and you should be there to consult and advise, but - mainly - to keep quiet and be ready to re-write if something isn't working. A general rule is to be about in the rehearsal room for the first two weeks, then take a week off and then come back for the fourth and final week. That way you come back to it with some clear eyes and a bit more energy.

Why did you give up directing? Is it something you might return to?

I didn't really give it a proper shot, professionally speaking. I directed a play at university and then, after I graduated, did some assisting, as well as directing a few, short one-off plays I wrote for nights at pub theatres. But I realised pretty quickly I wasn't suited to it, so never made a proper stab at it. I just don't have the right sort of mind to do it and I'm usually pretty honest with myself about my limitations. I was never paid to direct and I think that's probably about right.

What drew you to write about John Clare in TOWN?

He's pretty much the only working class Romantic poet, he's from Northamptonshire (where I'm from) and I always really hated Wordsworth. Also, I read Edge of the Orison by Iain Sinclair, which investigates Clare's three-day walk from an asylum in Epping Forest back to his home in the country. It's an extraordinary book and opened up lots of thoughts about Clare and all the many modern resonances.

Who is on your bucket-list of people to work with?

James Macdonald. Katie Mitchell. Lucian Msamati. Penelope Wilton. Linda Bassett.

What aspirations do you have for your future work?

To be better.

Which playwrights do you admire, and why?

There's loads and loads, but for now: Conor McPherson; Caryl Churchill; Samuel Beckett; and, Annie Baker. Because of their plays. And from what I've read/seen, they seem like they are - and were, in Beckett's case, obviously - decent people, too.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?

Write. Get stuff on (wherever you can). Learn from failure. Accept that dealing with failure is two thirds of the job. Write about what scares you. People are policy; which means, basically, find people you can get on with and you trust and then do as much as you can with them, as theatre usually doesn't pay enough to spend your time working with arseholes, or worse, people you don't trust. There's no rush. There's no fixed career path. You can start at any age, any time. Even if you write a stinker, your next play might be a modern classic. Even if you write a modern classic, your next play might be a stinker. Read as many plays as you can. See as much theatre as you can. Use your hate constructively. If you see something terrible, use that experience to write the opposite. Be nice to people. If you are an arsehole, they will remember that, so make sure you're only ever an arsehole when you absolutely have to be (sometimes it is, unfortunately, essential). Balance being nice with protecting your own work and health. Writing isn't as important as your actual, you know, life.

Does the audience feature in your thoughts while writing?

For me, writing doesn't really work like that. There's a space in my head that I write in that isn't really on a real stage or in front of an audience or in the 'real' space that a scene is meant to be taking place in. It's somewhere different that I can't quite describe. You keep an eye on letting a reader (as the actors and director and crew need to read the script) or audience member understand what's going on but, ultimately, it's not how I visualise it when I'm writing.

What effect do you hope to have on the audience of ANOTHER PLACE?

To laugh, think and be a bit scared. That would be lovely.

Theatre Royal Plymouth presents ANOTHER PLACE By DC Moore Directed by Jo McInnes 6-22 November The Drum, Theatre Royal Plymouth

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