An ‘interactive’ approach to interpreting overlapping dialogue in Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls (Act 1)

Abstract

A notable feature of Caryl Churchill’s post-1979 plays is overlapping speech notated in the play script. It can be variously interpreted by readers: as marking interpersonal opposition, lack of interest, self-centredness - or enthusiasm and support. So the reader’s understanding of overlapping may influence his/her interpretation of the dramatic situation and character. I propose that certain discursive features in the play script may affect this interpretation in particular ways. I shall briefly analyse some extracts from Churchill’s Top Girls using a Conversation Analysis- (CA) based ‘interactive’ approach to the overlapping dialogue. Essentially, I suggest that co-participants’ reactions to conversational actions should be attended to as they reflect the discursive significance of those actions. Consequently, interpreting overlaps as disruptive interruptions will to a large extent depend on the interruptee’s response format. An interpretative resource is provided for the analyst with regard to the dramatic situation and character.