Tom Littler: "SATURDAY NIGHT is both thought-provoking and really enjoyable from start to finish"

Tom Littler founded in 2003 Primavera, the only non building-based theatre company in London specialising in the production of revivals and rediscoveries. Through his professional career he has directed over 20 plays. This last year he has assisted Sir Trevor Nunn in the direction of the new production of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, which is at playing at The Menier Chocolate Factory until March with all tickets sold-out.

Littler is currently working on the direction of SATURDAY NIGHT by Stephen Sondheim, which will open officialy at the Jermyn Street Theatre next February 12th. Helena Blackman is the leading lady of this production. It will be the first British revival of the musical since it opened in London for the first time in 1997. It will also be the first time the revised book and score of SATURDAY NIGHT have been seen professionally in the United Kingdom.

Tom Littler talks about this new version of SATURDAY NIGHT and about his professional career as founder and director of Primavera.

SATURDAY NIGHT WAS WRITTEN BY A YOUNG SONDHEIM IN 1954. WHAT DID YOU SEE IN THIS SHOW TO BRING IT TO THE STAGE IN 2009?
Sondheim wrote the show about the world of New York in 1929, immediately before the Wall Street Crash. The characters invest what little money they have in the stock market. We, the audience, know what will happen next, but they have no idea. It struck me that a revival of this show was particularly poignant and timely right now, in today’s financial turbulence. It’s also a classic love story, full of beautiful ballads and comic patter songs.

THIS NEW PRODUCTION OF  SATURDAY NIGHT WILL BE THE FIRST BRITISH REVIVAL OF THE SHOW, FOLLOWING ITS PREMIERE IN LONDON IN 1997. IT WILL BE ALSO THE FIRST TIME THE REVISED BOOK AND SCORE (AMENDED FOR ITS OFF-BROADWAY PREMIERE IN 1999) HAVE BEEN SEEN PROFESSIONALLY IN THE UK. WHAT ARE THE MAIN DIFFERENCES  BETWEEN THIS REVISED VERSION AND THE ORIGINAL ONE?
That’s right. This version has two new songs added by Sondheim, including one about the stock market itself. We’re excited to be premiering these songs in the UK!

COULD YOU COMMENT ON THE SATURDAY NIGHT PRODUCTION THAT WILL OPEN NEXT FEBRUARY AT THE JERMYN STREET THEATRE?  
Sondheim specifies a very young cast and we’ve tried to be faithful to that youthful quality. We have a brilliant leading lady in Helena Blackman and I think people who come and see the production will experience a true ensemble piece of theatre, which is both thought-provoking and really enjoyable from start to finish.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME YOU´RE INVOLVED IN A SONDHEIM: WITH PRIMAVERA YOU HAVE ALREADY STAGED PASSION AND INTO THE WOODS. HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE THE WORK AND MUSIC OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM?
Sondheim is the finest lyricist musical theatre has known, and probably my favourite composer of musical theatre as well. He’s endlessly witty and clever, but he’s also very brave – he’s never content to make an easy choice, dramatically or musically – he always wants to explore further. I think directing Sondheim is very hard, because you’re combining so many different things – once you’ve got the bug, you want to keep working at it. I certainly hope this isn’t the last Sondheim show I direct!

THIS YEAR YOU HAVE ASSISTED SIR TREVOR NUNN IN ANOTHER SONDHEIM MUSICAL, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, CURRENTLY AT THE MENIER CHOCOLATE FACTORY. COULD YOU TELL  US ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH SIR TREVOR NUNN ON THIS PRODUCTION?
Trevor is, of course, extraordinarily gifted. I learnt a lot about directing musical theatre from him – partly about how you can handle the direction of songs, but also more generally Trevor’s meticulous approach is extremely admirable and inspiring.

YOU FOUNDED THE PRIMAVERA THEATRE COMPANY IN 2003, WITH THE AIM OF SPECIALISING IN THE PRODUCTION OF REVIVALS AND REDISCOVERIES. WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO SPECIALIZE THE COMPANY IN SUCH KIND OF PRODUCTIONS?
Well, originally we just did plays I enjoyed! Later I realised that I was unconsciously choosing revivals. I was either directing classics in a fresh way, or I was doing little-known rediscoveries. Latterly we’ve specialised more in rediscoveries – there are so many wonderful plays out there which have been forgotten and are hardly ever performed.

HOW WOULD YOU EVALUATE THOSE SIX YEARS OF PRIMAVERA, SINCE ITS CREATION UNTIL PRESENT?
We’ve worked with some wonderful actors and I’m really proud of the work we’ve done on the rediscovies for ‘forgotten classics’. I believe passionately that doing this kind of work is every bit as important as developing new writing. If the work is being seen by the audience for the first time, it’s new work. It doesn’t matter whether it was written in 2008 or 1608, to me.

WITH REGARD TO MUSICAL THEATRE, WHAT SHOWS WOULD YOU LIKE TO BRING TO STAGE? BESIDES SATURDAY NIGHT , HAS THE COMPANY ANY OTHER PROJECT RELATED TO MUSICAL THEATRE?
We always have lots of things in the pipeline, but you’ll have to wait and see! We have some exciting rediscovered plays and some classic plays too, and there are lots of musicals out there waiting to be rediscovered and given a new life!

YOU HAVE WRITTEN SEVERAL PLAYS. WOULD YOU LIKE TO CREATE A NEW MUSICAL?
Of course! But finding the money and the time is hard. Musicals are very expensive to develop, but there are a lot of talented young composers out there. It would be thrilling to work on a new musical, and of course I want to do more writing. As part of our Saturday Night project we are running some showcases of work by new musicals writers, as we think it´s really important to support people trying to make new work.

WHAT IS YOUR OPINION ABOUT THE CURRENT SITUATION OF MUSICAL THEATRE? IS THERE ANY SHOW THAT YOU LIKE SPECIALLY?
And composers shouldn’t feel that they have to try and do everything themselves. Most of the best musicals were collaborative efforts. I’m looking forward to seeing the work at the new Curve in Leicester, where any musical theatre fan should try and go as they are producing some very exciting things soon.