I’m fortunate to have directed so many productions. It’s taught me how stories work and how people work too. The act of dramatic storytelling is like trying to recreate a cosmic event at the birth of the universe. The cast and creative team are thrown together like primordial elements and with a burst of energy create compelling and exciting new worlds. However, for the process to work you need one crucial ingredient; kindness.

Like dark matter, kindness binds us together, an invisible force that makes us feel safe which means we relax, we have fun, and as a result we do our best work. It isn’t glamorous, it doesn’t have the mystic allure of the tortured genius, but in a world that continues to enable and reward abusive behaviour, kindness becomes an act of quiet resistance.

This isn’t just a theory, I practice it every day. Directors have a duty of care, to the story but also to the people telling it. We’ve all had the misfortune of working with objectionable people, unfortunately it isn’t always possible to avoid them, but we can choose not to be one of them. I believe everybody has the right to feel happy and comfortable at work, to explore openly and to express themselves freely, without judgement.

That’s how I like to work. I prefer to save the all drama for the production itself.