Terry Hands

“You can’t do Shakespeare unless you love the verse. It’s the music of the play.”

“It’s very easy to put Shakespeare on a pedestal... But in fact he was a jobbing playwright who had to get bums on seats. We’re in the same business.”

“There's a danger in being too reverent. Shakespeare was a populist; he wanted to entertain.”

“The space dictates so much. You have to work with it, not against it.”

“Theatre is an ephemeral art. It has to be born again every night.”

“My job is to ask questions, not to give answers. The audience must find their own answers.”

“Directing is about creating a world in which the actor can be free.”

“A great play is like a mountain. You climb it, and the view is different every time.”

“Lighting is not just about visibility; it's about mood, focus, and telling the story.”

“The word is the core. The word must be spoken with clarity, with understanding, with passion.”