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Nothing about the narrative has changed, but it has been fractured in a non-linear narrative. Splitting it up in this way means that the story is revealed piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle for the audience. Stylising the car crash is a good way of making it work in a theatre space where it’s very hard to stage it in a naturalistic or believable way.

Karen’s monologue serves as a form of narration and gives us an insight into her feelings so that we empathise with her more. Stopping the action and adding direct address from Karen’s friends keeps the issue of their responsibility at the heart of the piece.

Using Physical theatre and non-naturalistic devices such as the nightmare sequence and the freeze frame mean that the actors can multi-role more effectively. It also makes it easier to establish a range of locations. The flashback device enables some suspension of disbelief.

The non-linear structure has created a more episodic work with a stronger message for the audience, strengthened by the use of symbolism and direct address.

Try and write your own example of a linear and non-linear story idea, breaking it down scene by scene. Before your final performances, you could also test two completely different versions of the play with a small audience. Ask them which version has the most impact and why.

Dramatic tension

Dramatic tension is a build-up of anticipation or excitement for the audience about the outcome of events onstage. Tension builds effectively in a non-linear narrative as the audience can be aware of what’s about to happen to a character before they do.

Building the tension keeps the audience wanting to know what happens next and is an important part of a good story. When devising drama you must consider how and where you might build tension in your work. A slow and steady build to a climax or the most important or exciting moment, can be useful in building tension. Tension is very closely linked to pace or the speed of your performance. For example, if clumsy scene or costume changes slowed the pace of your work then the build-up of tension for the audience might be lost.