John Caird is an English stage director and writer of plays, musicals and operas. He is an honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, a regular director with the Royal National Theatre of Great Britain and the Principal Guest Director of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm (Dramaten).

John Caird is a guy who defies convention and at the same time has achieved incredible conventional success. His credits include the epic The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Jane Eyre, a ton of shows at the RSC, operas all over the world and oh yeah, that little show called Les Misérables.

He’s also a writer as well, and his most recent credit happens to be Daddy Long Legs playing at my very own theater.

While we were in tech for DLL, I pulled John aside to hear what other advice he had for me and for all of you out there, including:

• What he thought right after the heard the demo of Les Miz (his answer should be printed on a t-shirt and worn by artists everywhere).
• Why he doesn’t read reviews.
• Why he wouldn’t let Andrew Lloyd Webber change the title of Song & Dance.
• Would the 8.5-hour Nicholas Nickleby get produced today?
• With all these big shows and big operas, why he was so drawn to an intimate two-character musical like Daddy Long Legs (and why you should be too).

Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway

www.theproducersperspective.com