Phillip Rouse Director/Writer

How does a director turn an old text into a living piece of contemprary theatre?

For director and writer Phillip Rouse, reviving an older work is not simply an act of preservation. It means deciding why the play deserves an audience now, finding the image that unlocks the production, and reshaping the text until it can speak directly to the people sitting in the room. In this Talking Craft conversation, Rouse discusses Australia’s theatrical memory, the distinction between adaptation and translation, the strange negotiation between his writer and director selves, and the responsibility he believes every production carries towards its audience.

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