An interview with John Doyle¹

Director John Doyle is one of the foremost re-interpreters of Sondheim’s musicals. His productions of Sweeney Todd and Company introduced the practice of actor–musicianship to UK and US audiences and transformed assumptions about how those shows could be produced. As artistic director of Classic Stage Company (CSC), Doyle directed groundbreaking productions of Assassins and Pacific Overtures; before taking on the leadership of CSC, he directed a re-imagined version of Passion. Doyle also worked with librettist John Weidman and Sondheim to revise what had been Wise Guys and Bounce into Road Show. In this candid and illuminating interview, Doyle discusses his relationship with Sondheim and his approach to Sondheim’s musicals.