In my view, the operas of Carlisle Floyd will find a place in the permanent repertoire.

I'd really been interested in opera when I was about 16, and I really like staging them.

With a film, I do my best to understand the author's intentions and try to bring the characters to life.

On stage, the audience watches from a fixed viewpoint and the director cannot retake something he doesn't like. It has to work straight through.

When I was 24 I went to Nigeria and it was such a culture shock, growing up in Australia and suddenly being the only white man in this unit full of black men.

The music of the most popular operas is so highly esteemed, it can stand endless revivals.

In silent movies, they tended to put the camera down, and everybody walked in front of it and acted, and then they all walked off. Cutting was quite infrequent.