Kirstie Davis

John Doyle
My first experience of theatre was at the Cheltenham Everyman. John Doyle’s production of ‘A Streetcar named Desire’ really ignited my interest in theatre and made me realise its potential power. This production opened up the world of the playwright and made me want to read all of Tennessee Williams’s work. It led to the discovery of other American writers, such as Arthur Miller. I vividly remember elements of the production, which seemed to me, at the time, to be challenging the comfort threshold of the audience and yet taking us on an emotional journey that we were colluding with. 

Marion Orchard
I went to the University College of Ripon and York St John’s to study English, Drama, Film and Television. At this point I wanted to be a film director. I had Marion as my drama tutor and during my first year she made me direct an extract from Pirandello’s ‘Six Characters in Search of an Author’. As I watched my fellow students perform the piece, an electric current went through me and my hands shook. Marion turned to me and said, “You are rather enjoying this aren’t you?” I was hooked. The thrill of working with actors has never left me, and when the rehearsal room is buzzing with ideas and play there is no better place to be.

Nancy Meckler
After graduating I headed straight to London and wrote letters to every director I had ever heard of. Nancy very kindly invited me to meet her, and one of the first questions she asked me was what I thought about physical theatre. I had not seen any Shared Experience shows, and so I denounced the practice in ignorance and youthful arrogance – without knowing who I was talking to. Nancy then invited me to attend her auditions for the production of ‘Trilby and Svengali’. As I watched her meticulous and unique way of auditioning I realised that there was so much more to learn about theatre, and that I was only just starting out on that journey. The physical engagement with a play became as important to me as the words and my practice slowly changed with more experience. ‘Trilby and Svengali’, and the two Shared Experience shows I saw after that (‘The Mill on the Floss’ and ‘Anna Karenina’) remain some of the best productions I have ever seen.

Lawrence Till and Mary Caws
I spent six happy years at Watford Palace Theatre as Associate Director, and in that time I was offered many opportunities to develop and flourish. Watford Palace Theatre went through a massive refurbishment and for two years we were out of the building and had a skeleton staff in a warehouse. When we moved back into our building, Mary and Lawrence created a strong senior management team. We all believed in the new vision for the building and where we were heading as an organisation. They were an incredibly successful partnership as Joint Chief Executive, because they balanced each other out and brought out the best in the team they were managing. It was an exciting time and everyone felt as though they were contributing and being listened to. It was also very creative, and Lawrence and Mary supported my ambitions as a director and nurtured my ambition to become an artistic director.