Interview with Stage Director Nina Brazier

Nina Brazier, director of Clapham Opera Festival's La bohème, has vast experience directing opera at Buxton Festival, Tête-à Tête, Grimeborn and Stockholm Interplay Festivals. She has been called 'One of Britain's leading young directors of opera' by the Observer. Just before La bohème's opening night, I caught up with her to talk about the art of directing. 

Is it your first time directing la bohème?

Yes. I worked on the opera as an assistant director at Welsh National Opera quite a few years ago. I assisted the main director and supported the in-house side of the team and found it a very different approach when bringing it to life.

I can imagine it's very exciting right now?

Yes, it is. We have young emerging singers who are establishing themselves so we’re very lucky on that front. 

Alongside La bohème, what other Puccini operas are you dying to direct?

The epic opera Tosca. That's an incredible one I'd like to get my teeth into. It's such a great dark tale. There are other beautiful ones like Rondine and the lesser known ones I haven't worked on that would be interesting too.

Let's talk about your directing style. Some people like to work alone, utilise the internet or collaborate with others. How do prefer to work?

I work very collaboratively. Normally in a project you would work hand in hand with the designer and together you will brain storm and come up with ideas and visuals. I find this more interesting than looking online. I would also rather go out to an exhibition or go to the zoo where you can really share ideas and come up with a common vision. Having ideas from people and throwing them back and forth at each other is part of the collaborative process with the designer. It’s to ensure you have an idea of the elements in place and what's out there to play with such as entrances, exits and that sort of thing. It's also a step-by-step process. 

Speaking about art exhibitions have you seen anything recently that really caught your eye?

The Ai Weiwei exhibition is on at the moment at the Royal Academy and he has got an incredible exhibition. It's quite hard to describe. It's about human rights in China essentially. There were enormous earthquakes over there and he was putting together the names of the children who had been killed because the local services wouldn't release them. The whole thing was extraordinarily tragic. The schools that had been built collapsed in the earthquake killing thousands and thousands of innocent children and nobody was putting the pieces together because it would have become a big scandal. It was him and his team who were digging through the debris to work out what had gone wrong and they found corruption in many of the buildings of these properties that he is now creating artwork of. They reflect all of that corruption. I found that incredibly powerful.

Right now, I'm working on a piece on human rights and it’s interesting to see ideas that go back to the origins of human rights. There are so many corrupt societies today. I find it powerful given what is going on at the moment.

The other recent exhibition I’ve seen recently is Frank Auerbach at the Tate Britain. That was absolutely fascinating. The paintings are built up slightly in 3D and have a fascinating theatrical effect. 

Do you go to art exhibitions regularly?

I really like sculptures. Seeing them in 3D sets off your imagination in terms of structures you might use for building a set. You can imagine things working as entrances and exits. I like things that have sculptural properties. I have to remember to take photos and have them ready in my mind as it could be useful later down the line.

Of course, you can absorb information from wonderful artists. We are not trying to steal things from other people but it's just the gem of an idea. By Victoria Park, in Hackney, there are some extraordinary straw sculptures that rise up out of the big ponds and I'm always thinking about how I can use them in some way on a set. 

Do you have specific artists you turn to for your work or is it constantly changing?

I did a production last year, one that springs to mind is the Coronation of Poppea and we had the three gods at the beginning. Their designs were based on wonderful Klimt portraits. That was certainly inspirational. It was god-like and it was a starting point as we were working on a small budget but it was something about the colour and the intensity of those characters. How they were framed and haloed. We tried to capture the use of gold leaf and bringing that to life.

So I would say it always changes from piece to piece and very much depends on how much budget you’ve got, and whether you have the ability to bring something like that to life. With saying that, I'm hugely inspired by Alberto Giacometti's sculpture. These human forms are stripped back to nothing and they are so skinny with long limbs. There is something that he said one time that really stayed with me. It was that he didn't mean for them to come out that way but it took away everything that wasn't meant to be there. He took everything away that didn't need to be there. Keep it to the necessities of the personalities and the characters. I really like that and find his work dynamic. 

I understand you are directing A Song of Good and Evil at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

It's this weekend which is the 70th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials and it's a narrated piece written by human rights lawyer, Philippe Sands. He has already written a couple of books and this is one of his latest pieces. It's all about the origins of human rights and tying together song, storytelling, narration and images. It is all around the three men originally involved in the trials. There's music that tie these men together and it becomes an exploration of modern justice. It's difficult to explain because it's not a play or an opera. Philippe, the writer, is one of the narrators. Vanessa Redgrave is the second narrator and we have a second performance where Vanessa has to come back to London. So, on the opening night of La bohème at Clapham Opera Festival, I'm jumping on a plane in the early morning as we open on Saturday night at Nuremberg. I can't wait until Monday when I can breathe.

What inspires you? Gets you out of bed every day?

It's different everyday. If you're in rehearsal mode you have to be up, out and have the energy to lead the room and coordinate with the music director. You have to have the energy to inspire others. It's your responsibility and I often find that your energy is mirrored in the people you are working with. On other days I'm at home in preparation mode. I have to be disciplined and be in control of my time and be ahead of different projects. It's about finding that balance between being excellent but also learning new things at the same time; looking for improvements and saying, 'I could have done that better' and not getting distracted by other things. Looking ahead into the future is also important. 

What would you say is the most challenging part of directing?

There are a variety of challenges including technical challenges. Last year there were moving elements of the set that were getting more and more complicated and weren't working properly. With that production it were the technical things which meant choreographing a lot of scene changes as there were around 17 scenes. These sets were starting to disintegrate and going wrong and I had to totally rethink that. Meanwhile the cast were a dream. They were getting on with it doing a wonderful job.

There might be another scenario where you might find it difficult to get on with the singers. Or other people who find it difficult to get into the production. Occasionally it might be the people. You find with any given show there seems to be something else that becomes a challenge. There may be one day where I might be able to get through more challenges (I'm not sure). Another challenge is keeping everything fresh and not falling back on old directing habits. You have to think about how the production is going to be different and how is it going to be new. That's a creative challenge in trying to keep your production fresh and interesting whilst not allowing your directing style to become stale and tired. 

How did you feel when you told by the Observer that you were  ‘One of Britain’s leading young directors of opera’?

I thought they were very kind. The press is such a random thing and people get picked for this and that and I feel very lucky to have such a lovely quote. I have been around for a while but it is nice to be considered as a leading person. You take it with a smile and with this difficult industry you have to be grateful for positive things. So, take it and enjoy it! If it's useful, it's wonderful. It doesn't make me feel smug. [Laughs]

Do you like reading reviews of your work? 

Generally, if you get positive ones it is wonderful. The thing for me, and I say this on behalf of emerging artists, is that when you leave a show all you can take with you are production photos as a record of what you have done and anything you get from the reviews. If you take it away it becomes difficult for that production, the show and that emerging artist. Yet it can be disheartening if you get a bad review especially if you feel like your work has been misunderstood. But for the most part it feels like validation of your work because it is out there for the world and it’s from someone who is coming in as a critical observer. And for many artists it is incredibly important that those reviews happen even if it is a negative review. The fact is, someone has come to see it. In terms of documenting your work for a portfolio it's what us artists need to build up.  It's also fascinating getting someone's objective opinion as well. 

What's next on your directing agenda for 2016? 

After this weekend in Nuremberg we are moving A Song of Good and Evil to the South of France and we are doing it in French because most of the people involved are French. Philippe, the writer, is half French including some actresses. We recently had our rehearsals in Paris and it was my first time directing in French and that was a massive challenge because the whole team from singers and pianist are French. It's definitely a second language for me.

In January I'm taking some time off but taking up intense German lessons. That's the next language on the agenda. Then I'm directing a few opera scenes for the Royal College of Music. I was there earlier this year and they've invited me back. After that I’m moving ahead with showing A Song of Good and Evil in Istanbul in April and then performing it in London in May. Everything's ticking along.  

What are the kinds of things that you want the audience to feel, see or even take home when they've seen a show you've directed?
For me it’s the clarity of the storytelling, and the interaction between the characters and making that as vivid and real as possible. Coming from a theatre background, the characters, their journey and the music, which make up the essence of story has to become real. It's those moments, the sparing of the characters, moments of chemistry, moments of contact, when they are together, and not together, that is alive and immediate. I might think differently in ten years time when I'm playing with enormous sets but for the moment, as I'm working at this scale, it's about keeping those moments true.

LA BOHÈME at the Clapham Opera Festival– FRI 20TH NOV 7.30PM & SUN 22ND NOV 4.30PM (click here to purchase tickets)

For more information about Nina Brazier and A Song of Good and Evil, click here for her website. Due to be shown in London next year in May. 

Ben Falk - Entertainment journalist and visiting lecturer at Birkbeck University on his passion for Hollywood movies and the moment he almost spilled a drink on Natalie Portman

Why did you decide to get into entertainment journalism? 

I fell into entertainment journalism mainly because my dad was actually a film critic and I remember quite early on going to film previews like going for my 10^th or 11^th birthday to Howard the Duck preview screening. I seemed to love movies and it transformed from there and that’s where I got into the whole showbiz spiel.

Why did you write the books you wrote such ‘The Rise and Fall of Robert Downing JR’ or your most recent book, ‘The Wonders of Brian Cox?’

It is a good test for a journalist to write a book because we are used to writing 400 or 1200 word pieces. This gave me an excuse to delve into something deeper and try to write something well thought which I think is a real skill.

Did you get to meet Brian Cox or Robert Downing Jr.?

Oh no! They were unauthorised biographies. You don’t need to have permission to do them as such. Brian Cox, I interviewed before I did the book. I was actually commissioned to write the Brian Cox book. As for Robert Downing Jr., he is such an interesting guy and I love his movies. I thought it would be a great story to tell.

You’ve covered the Oscars, Emmy’s and Golden Globes at Hollywood. How glamorous is it really?

Yeah it is. I wish I can say otherwise but there are elements of it that aren’t like the fact that the Oscars’ red carpet starts around 3 or 4pm in the afternoon Hollywood time. So you have to be there at midday and sit out in the sun for quite a long time in a tuxedo…it’s quite hot and there’s a lot of waiting around. Seeing all these people walk past is incredible however, especially when you get to go backstage and experience it from the auditorium.

And would you go back?

Yeah, I would love to do it again. Blagging your way into a party is always fun. I remember almost spilling a drink on Natalie Portman once and going to… what was it called? Oh, Elton John’s Oscar party. Free champagne obviously and I did some work for the red carpet so we got to see Elton John and John Legend sing ‘Rocket Man’ duet and I think Prince and Pamela Anderson. So it is glamorous in that way but obviously you have worked the whole day so by 10 o’clock that night you’re absolutely exhausted in a really good way, on a high.

You’ve also produced for the likes of Channel 4 and Sky. Is this something separate to your journalism career or have you used producing shows and pod casts as another form of entertainment journalism?

Producers are journalists or at least they should be. I was doing segments for TV shows and working on breakfast shows choosing content, editorialising the content, making it feel journalistic, compelling and executing it. So I was writing scripts, reviews and raddling talent. It is absolutely journalistic.

We tend to have negative pre-conceptions of working at a newspaper as stressful and chaotic. Was this the case when you were at the Sun newspaper?

I was actually a freelancer there. Hmm, not really, however, when I worked at the press association office, it is hard work and now it seems harder since I left. The turn over of content is huge.

What made you decide to take on teaching? And why, Birkbeck University?

When I started out in Journalism I was aware of how important it was to have someone giving you shots. I learnt on the job really and I would practice on my own but no one particularly other than my dad, I suppose, helped me. Someone taking you under their wing is important. So every journalist needs someone to say, ‘this is how you do it,’ but everyone is busy these days and it happens less and less. You need to be in multi-media. You need to be able to shoot and edit, work with different mediums and be a positive force in some way to make people think that journalism is an enjoyable thing to be part of.

In terms of Birkbeck, I like the flexibility in that it is during the night and there are good, nice people. There is no particular reason as when you are a freelancer, you take any job and that’s how you treat it as.

So you write books, produce, have a television pod casts, write articles for big media names and teach - how do you manage your time? 

I write fast so I write quickly as I get going. I decompartmentalize a lot and figure out what I am doing. Be prepared to work weekends and nights that’s why it is important to enjoy and be passionate about what you want to do.

Do you have a diary or check list?

No. I write lists, lots and lots of lists that I tick off on that yellow ‘things to do’ pad.

What is your greatest and most memorable moment in your career so far?

(Laughs) That is a really hard question. The greatest moment is writing a book. Writing a book, finishing a book, having it in your hands and seeing it there in a shop is pretty amazing. The Robert Downing Jr. one was by myself and it was really hard work.

Some of the people I have met are fun that’s part of memorable things. Like going on a junket to New York to meet Julia Roberts. One of the great things about journalism is the comradery. There will be a group of us going to the junket and we would do stuff together. I remember my friend, Colin, and I flew first class to New York and it was totally awesome. We went to a junket in Athens and it was someone’s birthday out there. We went out there for work but we were by the pool and Vinnie Jones was learning his lines for his next film in the hot tub. We also went out for someone’s birthday and visited the Acropolis. And was thinking what a great job this is. I mean I love talking about films and talking to movie stars like Angelina Jolie, who I also interviewed there. It’s running to the Oscars and covering it. I had to get to a party but because it’s Oscars night Hollywood is blocked and there are so many limos around that you can’t get anywhere. It is gridlock and I had to file my copy from the back stage still in a tuxedo. I sent my copy back home and then I ran down to try and find a cab to get to this party. It is things like that that is a weird thing to do for a job but it is cool.

Where do you think Journalism is going?

I am comparatively old. I am 37 and there is a whole raft of people that are two generations of journalists below me that are doing things that are really innovative but I think that ultimately there are still readers that still want to read papers and magazines. So I think print is not going anywhere but how we treat print maybe different and more like a luxury item. I know a lot of magazines and media conglomerates are spending money on tablet journalism so soon we will read our paper on tablet. But journalism is not going to change. We still need to find stories, hold people to account, review records, or whatever you want. The things journalists do on a day to day won’t change but new journalists will be able to do a lot more. I think the journalists coming through now will, hopefully or certainly the people I teach.

Any advice for amateur journalists who want to make a mark in the world?

Remember that journalism is a craft and you can’t get good at it straight away. Writing my opinions is not what journalism is. It is not just about saying what you think. Realising that quickly is already important. You have to practice and it takes people a long time to get really good at it. You have to love the media and you have to love reading. You have to cover yourself with media until you become part of the media you want to be in. You have to love reading the papers and be part of the magazine. Just be a part of it and just enjoy reading, watching and also understanding what you are good at and what you are not good at. Also finding a niche quite early on and I don’t mean something that you can only do but having a focus from the get go is really useful.

Jeff Rawle on living life on the edge, not forgetting your glasses and the challenge of playing 10 prominent characters that influenced Margaret Thatcher.

Jeff Rawle, famous for his sinister role as Silias Blissett from Channel 4’s ‘Hollyoaks’ and Amos Diggory from blockbuster movie ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’, talked to me from a small room with a bowl of soup in front of him. It was his lunch break and the soup was kindly offered by the stage management team of the West End theatre where the play, ‘Handbagged’, will be shown this April since its move from the original Tri-cycle stage

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(Rawle as Amos Diggory, father of Cedric played by Robert Pattinson from the Harry Potter movie) 

Rawle explained how excited he was to be back with the cast members from last year’s production directed by the Tri-cycle theatre’s own Indhu Rubasingham. ‘It’s the fourth day from a four-month break. It’s lovely! It’s a chance to have another go and revisit the proof reads. We have Moira Boffini, the writer, with us at rehearsals and tweaking things.’

Last year, the play sold out immediately due to its interesting nature, which looks at Thatcher’s historical and political reign. Rawle has the challenging task of playing 10 characters for ‘Handbagged’ which he described as ‘a funny, engaging and witty 80s play about Thatcher’s remarkable right into power and her relationship with the Queen and others like Ronald Reagan.’

Having had a fair share of playing multiple characters at the National Theatre’s ‘Cocktail Sticks’ and ‘The Power of Yes’, Rawle thrives on playing characters of different ranges and in this case that includes Jerry Adams, Geoffrey Howe, Ronald Regan, Dennis Thatcher, Prince Philip, Michael Heseltine, Neil Kinnock and Peter Carrington. “It is  almost impossible especially when you’re coming off and on stage in a fast speed. Sometimes you literally have three lines to change from one character onto the next. It’s fraught with disaster, especially coming on with the wrong hat or forgetting your glasses. Apart from Neil Kinnock, that is.’  Nonetheless, the hassle of grabbing his characters’ props on time hasn’t stopped him from loving them. He acknowledges Reagan’s talents with the camera and microphone as a former actor himself, but saw that Howe was closely aligned to his range physically and vocally. ‘I never voted Conservative but I thought he was sensible, erudite and a bit of a dark horse. He was the one who brought Thatcher down and spoke sense when he made that remarkable speech.’ Rawle even had the pleasure of working with Kinnock whilst filming Channel 4’s comedy show, ‘Drop the Dead Donkey.’ 

Rawle told me how he loves cooking and reading in his spare time. ‘Doing nothing is quite an art for me as I am always doing something.’ He described the trials and tribulations he experienced in his 40-year acting career where he learnt to follow good plays and writers, guessed where his next role was coming from and ‘live life on the edge,’ but not in the cool and wild sense. Yet, he is looking out for his next role, ideally something classic like Shakespeare. 

(Rawle as Silias Blissett from ‘Hollyoaks’)

As we ended our conversation, he gave me a personal account on how ‘Handbagged’ compared to Britain during the 80s. He said: “It makes you feel empowered after watching ‘Handbagged’ especially when you are old like me and had lived through it and on a day-to-day basis. I didn’t realise what was happening around me in a dangerous way and to sit back and watch it played out -10 years - in front of you is amazing. The Tri-cycle play is all razzle-dazzle and we deserve to be at the West End because we sold out quick last year.’ Be sure to get your ticket now. 

‘Handbagged’ will showcase at the Vaudeville Theatre from the 3rd April to the 2^nd August 2014.