Henrietta Bredin talks to the Young Vic’s David Lan and ENO’s John Berry about the joys of collaboration
Walking into the Young Vic these days is a hugely pleasurable experience, and it’s even more of a pleasure to see the delight with which David Lan, its artistic director, looks around him at a theatre that has become so lively, busy and welcoming. The building recently underwent a much-needed overhaul and reopened in October 2006 — impressively on time and on budget — with three performing spaces, including two new studios, and public areas that are really appealing to spend time in. This is all to the good for English National Opera, which is about to launch a collaboration with the Young Vic with productions of two unique pieces of music theatre: Harrison Birtwistle’s Punch and Judy, first performed in 1968, and Lost Highway by Olga Neuwirth, which had its première in Graz in 2003.
‘These are genuine co-productions,’ says Lan, ‘with benefits for both companies on work that neither of us could do alone.’
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