The Seckerson Tapes: Director Rufus Norris

Theatre director discusses his radical new ENO production of Don Giovanni

by Edward SeckersonThursday, 04 November 2010

Rufus Norris: A reforming opera sceptic

In 2001 Rufus Norris cleaned up on the awards front with his stunning production of Festen, the David Eldridge adaptation of Thomas Vinterberg's disturbing film which started life at the Almeida Theatre. But it was his grimly ironic staging of Kander and Ebb's Cabaret that I would put among the half-dozen or so best productions of a musical that I have ever seen.

Now comes an even bigger leap - a hell of a leap (pun intended) - with his major operatic debut at the English National Opera: Mozart's Don Giovanni.

In this wide-ranging audio podcast Norris discusses how much of a shock to the system that has been, how music in all its guises fuels his theatre and film work, and how easy it is to misuse. Right now Norris is a reforming opera sceptic - and on the basis of this candid conversation is likely to deliver a Don Giovanni like no other.

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Don Giovanni at the Coliseum until 3 December
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