I first encountered Kip Williams’ work in
2013, with his production of Romeo
and Juliet for the Sydney
Theatre Company. From the opening moments with the Montague boys swinging
on the chandelier, to Mercutio’s mustard-coloured velvet suit, the revolving
mansion, a tangibly dangerous knife-fight, snatches of Alt-J and Max Richter in
the soundtrack, and the devastating conclusion of empty white beds in a black
void, I was struck by the poetic imagery and exuberance with which it exploded
onto the Drama Theatre stage.
I’ve since had the pleasure to see the
rest of Williams’ work for the STC. From the stark isolation of his Macbeth,
to the aching Chekhovian lyricism of Children
of the Sun, the luscious haunting of Suddenly
Last Summer, and the frenetic kaleidoscope of Love
and Information, Williams’ body of work is nothing short of remarkable.
Following my recent chat with fellow STC
Resident Director Sarah Goodes, I sat down with Kip Williams for an
engrossing and lengthy discussion about the nature of scale, the poetics of
space, the enormous challenges of wrestling Love
and Information to the stage, and the promise of STC’s 2016
season.
