One of the biggest buzzwords in communication is storytelling, and for good reason. Stories connect us, create common ground, inspire (or warn) us, and stick with us.
As we incorporate storytelling into communication strategies, let’s remember what makes a good story: Great characters, great plot, a central theme, conflict, and the narrative arc (set-up, rising tension, climax, and resolution).
This has been on my mind lately as I was lucky enough to see Eddie Izzard's one-person show of “Great Expectations” in New York City last weekend. Are you thinking what I thought? Great Expectations is a grand, sweeping story with multiple characters and intersecting story lines. How do you do that with only one person and make it a success?
Here’s how:
1) Keep it simple. Izzard’s brother, Mark, wrote the stage play, and he pulled down the story to the basic plot and expository to help audience members follow the thread. The staging was likewise simple, and there were no costume changes. Izzard performed the entire show in an elegant costume of black and white. In communications terms, this means making your main points up front, avoiding jargon, sticking to the most important information, and having a clear call to action.
2) Keep it moving. The show was a master example of pacing. The complex story moved along at a brisk pace. For communications, this means using short sentences, examples, quotes, and illustrations to get your points across.
3) Make it lively. Izzard used asides, variations in voices and expressions to draw us into the story. We believed that Pip and Joe (or Miss Havisham or Estella or others) were there in the room with us. The voice of your communication matters. Is it warm? Formal? Inviting? Scolding? Does it reflect the way you want the audience to feel?
4) Make it intimate. The theater was small, giving the impression that we were part of the production. We felt Pip’s heartbreak, surprise, and frustration because we could relate to it. How are you relating to your audiences to make them feel part of the story?
Simple, well-paced, lively, and intimate communications draw us in—and keep us coming back.
What stories are you telling today?
Great Expectations is running through February 11, 2023, at the Greenwich House Theater, 27 Barrow Street, New York. I highly recommend it.
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