Private Peaceful: A Director’s View
5 May 2021
How does it feel to finally give audiences a glimpse into this highly anticipated show?
I am so excited to get back together- albeit virtually- with this fantastic company. There was such a sense of excitement and imagination in the rehearsal room and I am delighted that we get a chance to share some of that powerful storytelling with an audience.
How does a rehearsed reading and performance differ?
Well, a rehearsed reading can take many forms. It nearly always means the actors have scripts in hand (they aren’t what we call ‘off book’), sometimes if a rehearsed reading is happening in person the actors might be on their feet but in general it means that you will be hearing a very lived/characterised reading of the play. There is no set, props, lighting, movement. I suppose you could think of it as a radio version of the play without the sound design!
What are the challenges of directing over Zoom?
I don’t know…. this is the first time I will have done it! I imagine it will be similar to lots of our experiences of Zoom but heightened. Directing theatre is so much about gathering the feel, the mood of a room and capturing the nuance from actors and characters. These very instinctive ways of communicating and channeling storytelling are much trickier to pick up via your computer screen.
What are you looking forward to most about the rehearsed reading?
Seeing everyone again. It was the strangest professional experience of my life the day we all got disbanded and the nations theatres were shut down. I think there will be something very joyful and healing about us getting back together again.
What can audiences expect from Private Peaceful next year?
A visceral and beautifully physical show exploring love, loss, fear, jealousy and loyalty. A live experience thrumming with the joy of storytelling and imagination which looks at what happens to a boy when the entire world is turned upside down.
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