Out of the Limelight and the Singing Detective

: a comparative study

Abstract

This Ph.D. in Creative and Critical Writing is presented in two parts.
The first part consists of a cycle of four original teleplays entitled Out of the Limelight, portraying the experiences of members of a theatre company. The
main character in each case is drawn into a world of constructed realism. Each
character reacts in an individualistic way, in accordance with their purpose. In
some cases there is a remedy, brought about by the character himself or by an
outside force. Sometimes a combination of both is required. In one case the
result is tragic.
The second part of the Ph.D., a critical response to the Creative Writing of the first part, is in the form of a comparative study between the four teleplays and
The Singing Detective by Dennis Potter. The relationship between reality and
constructed realism is apparent in Potter's text in that the main character, Philip
Marlow, uses a constructed world both as an escape mechanism and as a means of self analysis. The techniques used by both playwrights (myself and Potter) will be analysed and comparisons made in order to show the use and purpose of a
constructed world in the experience of the characters in both Out of the Limelight and The Singing Detective.

Date of Award	Dec 2007
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Bangor University