Directing the Decades: Lessons from Fifty Years of Becoming a Director

Directing the Decades is an examination of the development of theatre in the UK since the revolution of the 1950s until the present day, viewed through the individual progress of a female director from a working-class background.

In this book, theatre history and lessons on directing are interwoven: the history is presented decade by decade, examining particular productions. Each historical theatre chapter is followed by a method chapter examining directorial influences and techniques predominant in each decade, as well as examining the working experience of the author in that decade. The book also includes practical advice on the directing process, including exercises, plans for rehearsals, and camera plans. Sue Dunderdale offers a unique perspective on the evolution of theatre directing in the UK, and her work, which served as the foundation of the creation of the Theatre Lab and Directing program at RADA, continues to influence working directors today.

Directing the Decades will be of interest to students and practitioners of theatre directing, acting, and theatre history, and to theatregoers with a consciousness of class and how it impacts on our lives.

The book also offers access to online transcripts of interviews with 16 practitioners, including Rufus Norris, Michelle Terry, Kwame Kwei-Armah, Indhu Rubasingham, Nadia Latif, and Nadia Fall.

Sue Dunderdale came from a working-class family and studied Drama and English at Manchester University from 1966 to 1971. She has been a director ever since and, in that time, has founded the touring theatre company Pentabus, been the Artistic Director of the Soho Theatre (1984-88) and Greenwich Theatre (1988-89), a director of many television dramas and films, and the Head of MA in Text and Performance, the MA in Directing, and the MA Theatre Lab at RADA (2004-14). Since leaving RADA she has been a freelance director and writer and has run workshops for directors and actors at the London Film School, Actors Studio, Shanghai University, and Head for Heights Theatre Company.