Profiles

For over forty years, the name Julia Stafford-Northcote has meant one thing above all to people in Staffordshire – exciting theatre. 

For many local actors, with whom she worked so much in youth drama and community theatre, it also meant opportunity.

It was a sad day for them, when she announced her retirement in 2008.

Directing

Her inspiration as a director comes from the book ‘The Empty Space’ by Peter Brook. Peter Brook is one of the great theatre directors of the twentieth century, so you couldn’t learn from a better source!

Like Brook, Julia says she does not like an overcrowded stage but feels that the audience should always have something to look at.  (Julia told me that only one scene in her last production ‘Company’ had an empty stage, but that this was a deliberate decision by her).

I liken her to Hal Prince, who recognised that he must try to keep the audience alert by having lots of visually stimulating scenes. He always ensured that, like Julia, the stage was packed full of action for the audience to look at.

To hear my interview with Julia, in which she talks about her achievements, her ambitions, and her decision to retire, please click on the link below:

Staffordshire girl

Julia was brought up at Bishton Hall, the beautiful Georgian mansion at Wolseley Bridge, near Stafford. Her father ran the adjacent school, and her first venture into theatre was directing the boys there in amateur dramatics.

She has lived at Bishton nearly all her life, and the gorgeous building formed the backdrop for many of the productions by the company she founded in 1985, ‘Lookout’.

Her talent to organise a stage and to direct young people was best used when she was recognised by the management at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre; and she ran the Children’s Theatre and Youth Theatre there.

Julia has put many summer musicals on at the Gatehouse, including Cabaret, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, The Wizard of Oz and Wind in the Willows. 

She has directed nearly sixty productions at the Gatehouse alone! The Gatehouse also asked her to direct for the annual outdoor ‘Shakespeare at Stafford Castle’ for five years.

Lookout

But I suppose it must be the work with Lookout that will be her legacy (Julia’s open-air "Mikado" performed by Lookout is pictured right). 

Many of the Lookout members have gone on to perform in professional productions, which is something that makes Julia very proud.

She has directed over one hundred plays at Bishton Hall, since 1960 where she taught students for many years and guided about 400 through their L.A.M.D.A exams. She takes pride in making children confident through the performing arts.

I asked Mark Stewart, the one-time arts reporter for BBC Radio Stoke, what he remembered.

He said: "Some of Julia’s directorial devices did not come off, but when they did, they were spectacular. I remember one play, at Bishton, many years ago, ‘Salome’ I think, in which a throat-cutting scene takes place. 

"I wondered how she would do it; and, as the knife ‘sliced’ the throat, a huge dark-red silk banner unfolded and fluttered before the victim, who slumped to the floor. It was just stunning, as the ‘blood’ seemed to be flowing everywhere. A terrific ‘coup de theatre’ as they say…!"

Retirement

Company, the Stephen Sondheim musical, was Julia’s last production. It was at the Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. She directed it in November 2008, before moving to London. I had to go and see it.

I thought she chose an excellent swan song because the very sophisticated musical combines comedy and drama.

The most amazing part of the evening, in my opinion, was her use of space. The MET is a circular studio with the audience sitting on three sides. She made it so that, wherever you sat, the view was amazing.

I think that London fringe theatre could be gaining a wonderful director - but Julia said she would only direct if she feels like it.

Stafford has lost an amazing asset to the performing arts but I wish Julia every success in the future.

Robert Brown