Kate Gaul is a theatre and opera director, creative producer, festival director, and designer. A graduate of NIDA (Directing 1996) and Artistic Director of Siren Theatre Co. Kate undertook a residency with SITI Company (NYC) and was Associate Director at Ensemble Theatre.
She brings a wealth of experience and talent to Q Theatre Lab, where she is directing Thomas Campbell’s first play, Betty is a Butcher, currently in development as part of the Q Theatre Lab Artist-in-Residence program. We caught up with Kate to get her thoughts on the work, the process and her life.
Photographer – Alex Vaughan
What do you most want people to know about your work in development?
This is Thomas Campbell’s first play, written for himself to perform and exploring family and legacy. It’s highly theatrical and is a work in which he can play to his strengths as an actor – great with text, heightened characters, fertile imagination. Essentially, it’s five monologues that interweave/are linked
How has it evolved?
It’s been great to take time to mine the ideas, themes and words; and the individual sections or scenes have developed well and will benefit from the audience next week.
Please describe a day in residence…
Usually a fresh look at text and now getting it up on its feet. Solo performance needs pacing so we generally work in 90 minute blocks.
What did you want to do with your career when you were growing up?
I always wanted to be an artist or a private detective
What has been your favourite moment or moments in the theatre?
Before the curtain rises and the applause at the end.
Name six people you’d invite to dinner if you could invite anyone at all, living or not.
Enda Walsh, Gilbert & Sullivan, Queen Christina of Sweden, Queen Elizabeth 1, Hilary Clinton.
Photograph: Harvey House Productions
Model: Lara Lightfoot Hair/Makeup: Natalia Ladyko
Kate directed the spectacular, gender-bending H M S Pinafore for a Sydney season in 2019 and its NSW tour in 2020. The production returned to Sydney in 2021 as part of Sydney Festival (Parramatta Riverside Theatre). A national tour is planned for 2022.