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Nicholas Hytner

In January 2004 Robert Butler, author of The Art of Darkness, (Oberon Books), interviewed National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner about his experience as director of the staging of Philip Pullman’s epic trilogy His Dark Materials. The event took place on the National Theatre’s Olivier stage before an audience.

In a wide ranging conversation they discussed the challenges of adapting what some thought was an unstageable trilogy of novels into two major theatre productions. Nicholas Hytner explained how he assembled the creative team, and the workshop process from which the narrative form of the plays, and the key design decisions, including the use of puppets to depict the daemons, emerged. He also examined the issues which arise when you cast actors in their early 20s to play twelve year-olds, and talked about the extent of author Philip Pullman’s involvement in the creative process. He related the experience of the technical rehearsal where he learnt that the first play was running over length by two hours, and how the plays were received by a young audience.

The event closed with questions from the audience.

To view the conversation click on the links. You can go straight to the topic which interests you, or watch it in sequence.

 
1. What made you think you could do it?
 
2. Meeting Philip Pullman and finding Nicholas Hytner
 
3. Why two plays from three books?
 
4. The creative team
 
5. The workshop process
 
6. Like Nicholas Nickelby
 
7. Can we do it?
 
8. The set design
 
9. Casting
 
10. Playing a twelve year old
 
11. Twin track rehearsals
 
12. Creating daemons
 
13. Philip Pullman’s involvement
 
14. The Technical Rehearsal
 
15. Previews
 
16. The Director’s role
 
17. Will it return?
 
18. Advice for amateurs
 
19. The budget
 
20. Working with puppets
 
21. More musicals at the National?
 
22. An attack on religion?
 
23. The challenge of the big stage
 
24. The challenge of a large cast
 
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