Katie Mitchell at the Royal Opera House
(Picture: Matt Writtle)Has the culture finally caught up with Katie Mitchell? In years prior, she’s been regarded as Britain’s most respected auteur - or its most divisive and uncompromising, depending on who you asked. Her feminist interventions into the classical canon of theatre and opera have provoked devotion, along with their fair share of grumpiness from certain quarters. But at the end of last year, there was that rare sound of critical harmony: her visionary production of Rebecca Watson’s experimental debut novel, little scratch, prompted a raft of unanimous praise, with the director hailed as being at the peak of her powers. And now, anticipation is building as she prepares to bring Handel’s Theodora back to the Royal Opera House for the first time since its 1750 premiere - adding some Mitchell-esque surprises (of which more later).
“I think some of those narratives about sort of being, you know, difficult, controversial, all of those things, are the narratives from earlier in the 21st century,” she tells me, before erupting into a big laugh. “Gosh, who knows? Who knows where these narratives come from? I just try my best on each piece of work I make, to make it as clear and dynamic as I possibly can.”
