The Stage

Gate goes Headlong into launch of radical directors competition

Published Tuesday 6 November 2007 at 14:55 by Alistair Smith

West London venue The Gate is teaming up with Rupert Goold’s touring company Headlong to a launch a new competition to create a radical restaging of a classic international text.

The scheme, which is called New Directions, is open to emerging directors, theatre professionals who wish to cross over into directing, or established practitioners from other art forms looking to work in theatre.

Entrants will be asked to chose a play from a range of famous playwrights such as Goethe, Aeschylus or Moliere, which they must then reinvent for The Gate’s studio space.

Headlong artistic director Goold, who is currently working on Macbeth with Patrick Stewart in the West End, said that he hoped that the competition would become an annual event.

He added: “The project came about because we wanted to have a dialogue with new directors and theatre practitioners and we felt that there weren’t enough prizes out there for them.

“We want radically rethought approaches to existing texts and all the authors who have been chosen are out of copyright so that is possible. We’re looking for a great idea and a production with great vitality.”

The winner will have their vision turned into a full production for The Gate in June 2008, with the possibility of a further tour through Headlong. Proposals must be submitted before December 10 to newdirections@headlongtheatre.co.uk. For the full list of eligible authors and conditions of entry visit www.gatetheatre.co.uk.