Peter Rowe is the
Artistic Director of the New Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich and a prolific writer. He
has written seven record breaking Christmas shows including Dick Whittington,
the rock ‘n’ roll panto which was a recent hit for the Gatehouse Theatre. As a director his productions have included Sweeney Todd, Perfect
Days, Double Indemnity, A Family Affair, A Mad World, My Masters and
Leader of the Pack.
After training at the Thorndike Theatre, Peter became the Artistic Director
for the Southampton-based Solent People's Theatre, then Artistic Director for
the London Bubble Theatre Company, touring London in a big top tent. He
has held two other Artistic Directorships at the Chester Gateway Theatre and
the Liverpool Everyman Theatre.
For the last three
years he has directed Stafford Festival Shakespeare and will be returning again
to direct Romeo and Juliet. We had an
exclusive interview to find out what it is about the festival that keeps Peter
coming back and his love of rock ‘n’ roll pantomimes…
“There’s a sense of
celebration that I really like about Stafford Festival Shakespeare”
- -This year will be the fourth time Peter Rowe has
directed Stafford Festival Shakespeare. He describes it as “a pleasant job for
everybody, as people come up with their picnic
baskets to have a good time” .
When asked about early ideas for the show, Peter revealed it will be set
in South America in an era that will reflect some of the key themes of the
play; passion, corruption, religion and family loyalty. A regular feature of
the Stafford Festival Shakespeare is the use of dancers and musicians, with
Peter adding “that sense of passion will feed into the music”. The castle setting has become as much an
important part of the festival as the plays, and this is something that has
drawn Peter back to the festival over the years.
“There’s something
magical when the sun goes down at the castle”
-As the first tragedy Peter has directed for Stafford
Festival Shakespeare, the setting couldn’t be more perfect. Peter recalls his
first time at the festival, directing Twelfth Night in 2009. “It’s quite a
bittersweet play really, there’s lots about Twelfth Night that’s funny but it
turns sour and dark in the second half. When the sun goes down at the castle
it’s usually in the interval, so in the second half the light begins to go,
stage lights begin to register and the atmosphere closes in, which I think will
really suit Romeo and Juliet ”.
“Romeo and Juliet is
a young play, by a young playwright about young people so it should move very
fast”
-Romeo and Juliet is such an iconic play that some may feel
intimidated when staging it. Peter embraces the challenge, saying “often
you’re approaching it with a group of actors who probably haven’t done it
before so you’re all discovering your own way of telling the story and playing
the parts. Obviously there’s a lot of interpretation and history that hangs
over it but as long as we make it fresh for ourselves and understand the
dynamics of the relationships ourselves it will come alive for the audience”. This desire to keep each production fresh and unique is largely responsible for the festival maintaining a loyal following for
many years.
“I think people have
a need to gather together and witness something communally”
-This year Stafford Festival Shakespeare falls between two
key events; the Queen’s Jubilee and The Olympics. When asked his opinion of the
impact these events could have for theatres Peter comments “there’s a debate in
London at the moment about whether the Olympics means theatres may as well shut
up shop or whether they will get business from customers coming to the Olympics
and looking for things to do in the evening. I don’t think anybody really
knows”. He adds “That sense of celebration in my view helps the habit of people
going out to be entertained and take part in a communal event. I think in
Stafford there is a strong, loyal following for Stafford Festival Shakespeare”.
“Shakespeare is a
constant source of inspiration”
-As a writer, Peter describes how the rhythm of
Shakespeare’s verses “seep into you”. His passion for Shakespeare’s work is
reinforced when he states that Shakespeare “is very much part of our literary
heritage and I think it’s really important when the plays are performed they’re
not treated as museum pieces but as thrilling plays in their own right.” When writing his rock n roll pantomimes, he
describes how Shakespeare’s rhythms even influence characters such as the fairy
narrating the story. Peter has written seven rock n roll pantos, including Dick
Whittington which was a huge hit for the Gatehouse this Christmas.
“Rock ‘n’ Roll Panto
gives the Gatehouse a unique style of pantomime...It’ll be great if the theatre
can gain a reputation for that style of show”
- After watching Dick Whittington at the Gatehouse Peter
said “It’s a great treat for me to see those shows working so well for their
audience. Seeing a group of people having a fantastic time and going out with
smiles on their faces and the buzz that comes from being part of a really great
event like that is very special. I’m very
proud of being partly responsible for
some of that”. He’s been directing the rock ‘n’ roll pantomimes at Theatre Clwyd
Cymru for fifteen years as well as co-directing the shows at The New Wolsey
Theatre, Ipswich. He describes it as “a fantastic formula- that mix of the best
bits of panto and the excitement of the live music. It’s proved to be a winning
combination in lots of different places”.
“As a director I like
to mix it up as much as I can”
- When asked about his future as a writer and
director, Peter clearly has the desire to stay fresh and challenged. His new
show 20th Century Boy, a musical about Marc Bolan, opened at The New
Wolsey Theatre in Ipswich last year and is due to open at the Belgrade Theatre
in Coventry in September after it’s sell
out success. Still writing new material, Peter says “we’re currently talking
about what shows we will do here in the autumn at the New Wolsey in Ipswich,
and it’s likely to be a new play”. He added “the mix of classical work, musical
work, straight plays and new work is what keeps it exciting and challenging for
me. I still very much enjoy directing and being in rehearsals with a group of
new actors and I’m happy for that to continue!”
Romeo and Juliet
will commence on Thursday 28 June and run until Saturday 14 July 2012. Ticket prices start at just £10.00 for the
first night and Monday evening performances, with tickets for other evenings
starting from just £17.50. Performed
under the stars with all weather grandstand seating it is the perfect summer
night out.
Book Tickets
Book Tickets
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| Comedy of Errors 2011 |
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| Comedy of Errors 2011 |
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| Merry Wives of Windsor 2010 |
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| Twelfth Night 2009 |
Great Blog! Shame i am not in the UK to come and see some of his plays!
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