2006 Tony Awards Q&A: John Doyle
By: Robert Diamond Jun. 02, 2006
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John Doyle, a nominee for Best Director for a Musical for Sweeney Todd has been artistic director of four prestigious regional theatres in the U.K. He has directed more than 200 professional productions, and for the last 10 years has been an associate director of the Watermill Theatre, where he has pioneered musical theatre through actor-musicianship. Notable productions include The Gondoliers (transferred to the West End), Fiddler on the Roof, Irma la Douce. His work has won three Regional Theatre Awards for Best Production of a Musical, as well as four further nominations in the same category (most recently for his acclaimed revival of Mack & Mabel). Sweeney Todd is John's Broadway debut.
Being based in the
I was actually flying into
Were you planning on coming into town because of the nominations, or?
I actually had the flight booked earlier, headed here to go to the Drama Desks on Sunday. It's nice to be here in
Have you had the chance to see any of your fellow 'Best Revival' nominees?
I have seen The Pajama Game and loved it. I will see The Threepenny Opera though while I'm in town this time.
How have audiences been reacting to your 'non-traditional' approach to Sweeney Todd?
Audiences have been reacting extraordinarily well to our show which cuts across the rules. We use a totally different set of theatre techniques and audiences are always going through it with us.
And all the accolades both critically and now during awards season must help to validate those choices?
Absolutely, and it's validation that I'm sitting here, talking to you.
Was there criticism early on?
Definitely. I remember standing outside under the marquee hearing "how dare he do this he shouldn't be allowed!" And the irony was, that we had Stephen Sondheim in the rehearsal room that same day saying how great it was. That's an extreme example of course, but I wished that I had him nearby to tell them that!
On the whole though, audiences seem to be loving the show and seem quite enthralled during the production…
I love when people tell me that they can sense a silence in the theatre, which means that the audience is working along with the actors, so the response has been fantastic. A lot of young people are coming to see it also which is great. That has to be a good thing.
Did you see the original production of the show?
I had seen the original which was wonderful, and others along the way, many of which have been scaled down themselves. I've seen it a number of times, but it never really intrigued me particularly, and I never set out to make it different. It just so happened that the environment I was first in, was limited anyway, so I couldn't recreate the Hal Prince version even if I wanted to. I had to recreate it as a more intimate story.
And the more intimate orchestrations came out of that then as well?
The orchestrations are part and parcel with how things are being worked out, and I think it's great because you can really hear the words. That's very important with Sondheim's works. And God bless the actors who have been able to learn the whole score, because it's a fantastic feat really. As an ensemble they are extraordinary, and I hope they feel that, and are being recognized for the incredible work that they do. Just to do it 8 times a week is great.
Tell us about Company, which is headed into town later this year with what we hear is a 'similar formula.'
It's a very different model, and because it's set completely contemporary, it's very different. David Gallo has done a beautiful set, and Ann Hould-Ward of Beauty and the Beast has done the costumes, so it's a classy team. I'm thrilled about the piece, and about Company coming in. I feel that it completely works for 'now.' You could perceive it as being dated, but I don't think that it comes across that way at all.
Was there any trepidation on your part about how folks might react to another 'stripped down' show?
I was nervous doing Company in Cincinnati that people would say – oh he's doing it the same way he's done Sweeney Todd, but I think that show lends itself even more to that way of story telling. To watch Sweeney is like watching a jigsaw puzzle, trying to figure out where everybody is all the time. Company on the other hand is very still, and very simple so it's very much a contrast. I'm hoping to have them both running at the same time.
And again actors will be working as an orchestra?
With no orchestra, it fits as being Company cause that's exactly what that show is. Raul Esparza is terrific in the role, which is why he got such great reviews. It's a real tour-de-force so far. I'm excited, and having both productions on Broadway at the same time would be great. I always thought that Company was a little problematic, and I always thought that I could take a go at it. We're using the revised book and it's set now, but we haven't touched the book at all. Everything still works, people are still smoking dope and everything else in there.
Have you begun to give thoughts on how you'll recast Sweeney Todd?
Haven't thought about re-casting it, but we will. It takes a long time to find people who can play the piece, the orchestrations. The time that it takes to learn them, and the skills needed, let alone to be right for the characters is enormous. We're always on the lookout for people that could then be appropriate.
When they asked me to do the show here, I said let's first start auditioning because I didn't think that people would be used to putting their skills together. Not that they didn't have the talent, but nobody was doing it together like that.
After Company, are there any other shows in the Sondheim cannon that you're thinking about tackling?
After Company, I'd want to do A Little Night Music, which I think could be done the same way, and lends itself to being stripped the most. I think it would suit the style so well, and I think that it might have been in his (Sondheim's) mind already.
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