This is turning into an amazing year of collaborations with so many of my close directorial colleagues asking me to do several projects each, how can I say no ! So with Michael Boyd, after Open House and Cherry Orchard, I will be doing Tamburlaine, taking up where we left off in 2014 at TFANA this time in the Swan at the RSC. Erica Whyman is directing Romeo and Juliet and a new chamber musical by Sam Kenyon, Miss Littlewood, both at the RSC. Indhu Rubasingham is directing the Great Wave, teching next week in the Dorfman at the NT, and then later in the year we will be working on an exciting as yet unannounced adaptation in the reopened Tricycle Theatre. I hope to be heading North, weather permitting, for rehearsals of Long Days Journey into Night directed by Dominic Hill and we will be working on a scots version of Cyrano in the Tramway later in the summer.
In the world of Music theatre Carmen Cubana that I designed in paris in 15 with Chris Renshaw , is being revived for a tour of Germany , with a stop off at Sadler’s wells in July. We also in the middle of designing a new large scale touring version of Dr Doolittle. Zorro might be returning to Moscow too !
This is only possible through the great support of associates such as Maddy Girling and Max Johns and the wonderful work of costume supervisors like Jan Bench, Emma Cains, Tasha Ward, Elaine Coyle and Sam Pickering, who give invaluable assistance and do much of the real work !
Meanwhile with Paul Cummins and the whole 14-18 now team, we have 6 poppy installations to create, at Hereford Cathedral, Middleport Pottery Stoke, Fort Nelson Portsmouth, Carlisle Castle and IWM North and London.
I wasn’t sure how best to contact you! I bought one of the Tower’s ceramic poppies and did not wish it to be anonymous.
I found a soldier who died in 2017 aged 22 who has no known grave. I chose him as he has the same surname as myself and comes from my home town of Liverpool. I have found out quite a few facts about him but have no idea if we are related or not. His name is Albert Gregory 357467. He was in the Kings Scottish Liverpool Regiment.
I found one blurry picture of him and it inspired me to write him a poem. His poppy is in my garden but comes inside during the winter months, to go out again on Easter Day. I just thought you might like to know what happened to at least one of your poppies! I am attending the Tower Remembers on the 6th and shall be thinking of Albert. Thank you for your inspiring idea and design!