Director Diaries
from Petersfield Shakespeare Festival
Taking local arts to a wider audience
Petersfield Shakespeare Festival is a highlight of our town’s cultural calendar.
Within the ground of Bedales Schoo, the 2019 festival staged three productions to critical acclaim.
One of our objectives at Petersfield Community Radio is to open the town’s creative arts to a wider audience and amplify its impact in the town.
In a series of nine ‘Director Diaries’ listeners could go behind the scenes of the festival in sound for the first time.
Through this unique collection of audio, discover how theatre professionals and members of the local community brought the festival to life and hear the thoughts of the creative teams as their opening nights approached.
Director Diaries audio
Director diaries: Hamlet, its staging and its original music
Hear the composer and some of his original score for Hamlet, plus artistic director Jake Smith on his approach to Hamlet.
Director diaries: Becky and Sam on opening night
Opening night for ‘The Comedy of Errors’, directed by Becky Hope-Palmer, and a final day of rehearsals for the cast and crew.
Director diaries: Becky with musical director, Ed Court
Becky Hope-Palmer and composer/musical director Ed Court discuss music in rehearsals.
Director diaries: Movement Rehearsals for Comedy of Errors
Rehearsals progress for the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival, today directors discuss the movement of comedy.
Director diaries: first thoughts after a world premiere in Petersfield
Abyss by Laura Turner just received its world premiere at the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival.
Director diaries: Becky and Jake discuss rehearsals
Directors Becky Hope-Palmer and Jake Smith discuss ongoing rehearsals for their fast approaching performances.
Director diaries: The Twins of The Comedy of Errors
Becky Hope-Palmer explains the two sets of twins in Comedy of Errors and we meet two actors.
Director diaries: Jake and Becky with actor Laura Peterson
Directors Jake and Becky update on rehearsals, and you’ll hear from actor Laura Peterson who presents a one-woman show at the festival.
Director diaries: Becky Hope-Palmer on The Comedy of Errors
Rehearsals are underway for this year’s Petersfield Shakespeare Festival. The directors share their thoughts as their productions develop.
Jake Smith
As Artistic Director of the Petersfield Shakespeare Festival, Jake has led its creative development since 2015.
He began his career at Hull Truck Theatre as a Creative Learning Facilitator and he has since been Resident Director at the Almeida Theatre, Trainee Director at Chichester Festival Theatre and trained on the National Theatre Directors’ Programme.
Jake serves on the advisory board for Petersfield Community Radio where his role is to help the project amplify the town’s creative arts through radio.
Holly Stevens
Radio producer
The audio from Petersfield Shakespeare Festival was produced by Petersfield student Holly Stevens.
Holly is from Buriton and studies Production Arts in Stage and Screen at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.
She has previously been involved in writing short radio plays and podcasting as well as behind-the-scenes work and prop-making for several Bristol Old Vic performances.
After her studies, Holly plans to pursue a career in radio and film production.