hubalicious.org - Professional Profile: Peter John Cooper-Theatre Director

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This is the section where you can talk to someone in your chosen career. This should hopefully help you to decide whether this is the path you want to take. They should give you an idea of what qualifications you need, what experience you need and obviously if you actually want to pursue this career. All the Professionals have their own profile with a set of questions to help you with your choices. They also have some contact details so that if you have any questions you can ask them!!! How cool is that???

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Professional Profile: Peter John Cooper-Theatre Director

What is your name?
Peter John Cooper

What is your profession?
Theatre Director (Also Writer and Performance Poet)

What does it entail?
Directing actors in plays. Liaising with designers, administrators, Stage management and technical staff. A lot of preparatory work on scripts, sometimes working with writers. Sometimes I am in complete control from the beginning, sometimes I’m brought in when the project is well underway. It all depends on the project.

How did you get into it?
Started as a stage technician, became a stage manager and then got asked to direct.

Did you need any qualifications?
No.

If not, did you need any other skills to get into your profession?
No.

What tips would you give to someone interested in your profession?
Do as much as you can in youth theatres, amateur groups. Watch as much theatre as you can. Talk to people. Theatre people are always happy to talk about what they do. Blag your way in to little jobs in theatres even if it’s only sweeping up or selling icecreams.

How competitive is it to get into your area of work?
There is only one of you in the whole world. Be yourself and you have no competitors. But do not expect to much of a living.

What do you enjoy the most about your profession?
Creativity. Working on risky projects where you don’t know whether they will work or not.

What do you enjoy the least about your profession?
Administration. Not enough of the creative stuff. Being without a project.

What’s the most interesting thing you have done or the most interesting person you have met?
Created a new form of community theatre for villages in Oxfordshire where we found out what people really thought about things. I made a lot of friends like that.