Theatre
NEW APPOINTMENT
DOMINIC HILL
Steve Cramer talks to Dominic Hill, who has just been appointed artistic director at the Traverse
Theatre, replacing Philip Howard, who leaves in
December
Steve Cramer One of the things people will ask
Tl‘tt."“:’;-:}"\.'-Z‘:f3 'ti 3;.r'. ‘.’)..‘ as art'stic director of the Traverse is
hov; .".‘tii)"‘ excer e'ice of new work you have.
Dominic Hill Ir‘ terms of "‘y exi‘)erier‘.(:e. I haven't done
.' Ark since l came to Scotland. but I did do a bit
...:>"-'i:1.ati>a::es tke lie Orange Tree and The Bush. I've f'. at se<:<.nd productions. where you work a lot
SC Sn yo. ‘.'.‘-f;'-.} kee'i to pick up this challenge?
DH I've "arr :i fantastic five years at Dundee. and I think I've as a director. but I think it was time to move (if‘. l‘fl; " r:-p~ "wit to be thinkzng: ‘V‘Uhat éiay by a dead writer
ye "o\.'.r?' A'so. that guestion of how am | gomg ': make '. '<"<;‘.'a:it. how are l going to make this play. written , z,‘ years ago. about today? I do feel I needed to do work t"a'. “at: a" i"ll’.‘~€)fil£1(;y. relevance and acceSSibility. and ‘ y fteii today. that's what you do. The reason why ‘-:: a flr"{:(,‘i()l ‘.".'tt$§ that at universny I used to read new ig'a\,:; ram: T"..'t'»<I 'This is really exciting. people need to see
80 THE LIST ' '_,. j' ,1. .;:
OPEN AIR THEATRE
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING 8- THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Macrobert Arts Centre, Stirling, Fri 20 Jul
Long before site-specific theatre was fashionable. lllyria was darting abOLit under the sun and stars in various bucolic locations in order to entertain a very broad audience. The English touring company under the tutelage of artistic director Oliver Gray is notable for winter hibernations and frenetic summers. where the remit. in terms of Shakespeare. is to play the work entirely without cuts to the text.
This year. you can see the hard- lieaded Beatrice and the misanthropic Benedick play out their stormy romance in Stirling. Though Much Ado. in particular. requires a pretty large cast. lllyria usually restricts itself to a minimum number of actors and some pretty transformative doubling. The sets are also minimal. which tends to focus attention 0n the skill of the pertormers themselves.
The kids are welcome too. as the company is also presenting an adaptation of The ‘r’Vl/TC/ iii the Willows which the pret y parkland setting wrll thrs.‘ So coming here. where you can direct a play where no doubt offset nicely. (Steve Cramer) people don't know what's geing to happen in the end wil: be good.
SC The Traverse has tended to focus on specifically Scottish writing in recent years. Will that change?
DH There's a huge raft of writers that I admire. but it's not Just Scottish playwrights. The core of the Traverse is always going to be developing new Scottish wrzting. but I'm interested in putting that work in a broader context. The Traverse is an interirationally renowned theatre. which already has the Greigs. the Harro vers. the Hannans. the Patersoi‘is and so on which it has developed. I’m interested .ii putting writers like that in a context with other UK writers. like Dennis Kelly. Simon Stevens and so on. It feels like this theatre can be a home for them. rust as English theatres; have staged work by writers from Scotland. like Zinnie Harris and Douglas Maxwell. My deSire is to put on more work. and the best work I can.
SC How Will the building feet under your artistic directorship? DH I would like a building that has a buzz and puts on a lot more work. It w0uld be great to get to the point that there was different stuff on all the time. even for runs of less than a week. I want it to be an inspiring place o be in. There'!l be a lot more partnerships wrth other companies. It needs to be inspiring not iust for the time of the Festival. but. to the other 47 weeks of the year.
YOUTH THEATRE? INTO THE WOODS JUNIOR 8. AFTER JULIET Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, Fri 20—Sat 21 Jul
It's that time of year when. as the Festival looms. there's a certain hiatus in the theatre. The big companies are busy preparing their showcase events. and all seems quiet. But on closer inspection. you might find some July entertainment that you hadn't expected. Especially if you listen to Xana Maclean. the dynamic woman in her second year in charge of lyceum Youth Theatre.
The much acclaimed company for people aged 1 l to 21 is mounting its yearly iaiiiboree for the stars of the future with two shows. Into the lit/oods Jirriior is a version of Stephen Sondheim and James tapine's dark musical incorporating fairytale characters. especially rewritten for youth companies. And After Juliet. Shannan McDonald's play. is said to be based on an idea her actress daughter Keira Knightley had about the lives of the Montagues and Capuiets after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Mclean has a particular take on the lyceuiii's success with youth theatre. which is abetit the work. ‘The way I see lYl' is that all of the benefits that young people get from youth theatre — things like public speaking and team building — are all there. and you'd get them from any good tutor in youth theatre] she explains. ‘Whei'e I like to place a different emphasis. though. is that we're intent on producing good quality drama as well. That's where it's not Just about those benefits that young people get. The tfllll)lltti$lt§ is on the show I think that's why
we've got this reputation for Tittltttlt:.' ii3te‘.c (irriincrr