Contemporary Performance Practice... On Directing: An Interview with Paul Allain

"Those who are interested in directing perhaps have more of an interest in the context of theatre, the history of theatre, perhaps see it in a broader dimension."

Allain explains how a combined approach to practice and theory is key to UK theatre training and why the concept of the desk-bound director is becoming ever less common. He discusses the comparatively brief history of directorial theory, through Stanislavsky, Meyerhold, LeCoq and Brook, drawing the line to the present and the exploratory advantages of the likes of Katie Mitchell being prepared to openly discuss and write about their work.