Awards and memories

Earlier this year Corinne and I booked to see John Doyle's production of 'Sweeney Todd' on tour, when it came to York Grand Opera House. A few weeks later we were informed that the performances had been cancelled - not the tour, just the week in York - I'm still not sure why.

Corinne was therefore deprived of seeing Jason Donovan, and I missed the chance of seeing John's production, for which he has just won a Tony award for best direction of a musical.

(Okay, here comes the name dropping bit) John was artistic director of York Theatre Royal for a few years in the mid 90's, where his forte was (and clearly still is) actor/musician musicals. By this I mean that he works with a fairly small cast who play all the roles, but also provide all the music for the show, playing all the instruments. He certainly directed some memorable and innovative productions* - Moll Flanders, Cabaret, Tom Jones, although not a musical, probably one of the most beautiful productions of Twelfth Night that I've seen, Into the Woods and the 1996 York Cycle of Mystery Plays, which I was lucky enough to take part in**.

I learned a lot from John, mainly because of his sheer professionalism, whoever he was working with, and his ability to draw amazing performances from people. He instilled that sense of professionalism in his actors, even when it was around 50 amateur performers, and I suppose his standards remain my standards, and ones by which I judge other performances. It was about focus, and listening, and not just acting, but reacting, and learning the the greatest impact in a scene can be created by an actor who isn't speaking - and similarly, the greatest distraction can be caused by one who isn't focussed. This was the first time I'd been on the stage of a 'real' professional theatre, and it was thrilling. He stood for no nonsence - mess him about, and you'd soon know, and if a performance was s**t then you'd know from his notes - but his love of the theatre and of the effect that theatre can have, was infectious, and I think somewhere in that hot and rather magical June of 1996, we all fell a little bit in love with him.

I'm thrilled for him that he's won this award, and I really have to see another of his productions

*Many of them also had utterly fabulous costumes

**I was 3rd Daughter in Law of Noah, and had to help build the Ark - I wore deck shoes, which was allowable, as I was on the actual deck, of an actual boat (sort of) - and lead townsperson at the stoning of Mary Magdalene (I think the writer's bible stories went a bit wonky here, as I don't think Mary M was stoned!)