Unless you have:

• the patience of a saint
• access to 103 hours in every day
• the memory of an elephant
• the ability to carry on functioning on less sleep than Margaret Thatcher
• the optimism of an adolescent, and
• the negotiating skills of a devious politician

my advice is….

DON’T DO IT!

And this is before you have read the Protocol.

These are just some of frustrations I’ve experienced as a Director over the years:

1. Spent hours pouring over catalogues of plays which will appeal to both our audience and cast.
2. Spent hours writing scripts when I haven’t found the suitable play mentioned in point 1.
3. Offered actors roles in plays in point 2 only to find that they have swapped roles with someone else.
4. Organised rehearsal schedules only to discover I’ve chosen a day of the week when my actors all want to go to the cinema.
5. Been ready to start rehearsing when I discover that the rehearsal space is no longer available.
6. A month before the show the theatre which you booked and paid for 6 months ago has given the dates you agreed to someone else.
7. The person you asked to design a poster has forgotten to do it.
8. The theatre heating system has broken down on the opening night.
9. The Leading Lady has lost her voice completely and has to act like Polly in Fawlty Towers.

On the other hand, the rewards are incredible!  It’s so exciting to see words on a page come to life as your actors get into their roles.  To experience the sense of wonder when you see someone achieve something that they never thought they could do.  To watch a group of people slowly come together and gel into an Acting Company whose one aim is to help each other to put on the best show that they possibly can.

Then perhaps you can understand why year after year, having sworn NEVER NEVER EVER to direct another show, I found myself once again in the role of Director!