Kate Mitchell Berkshire in 1964, grew up in the small village of Hermitage and read English at Magdalen College, Oxford. She began her theatre career in 1986 with a job at the King’s Head Theatre as a production assistant. She became an assistant director at Paines Plough a year later, and then took the same post at the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1988. In 1990, she founded her own company, Classics on a Shoestring, where she directed a number of pioneering and highly acclaimed productions including the House of Bernada Alba and Women of Troy.
In the decades with followed, Mitchell worked as an associate director with the Royal Court Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and the National Theatre. Whilst at the RSC, she was responsible for programming at the now-defunct black box space, The Other Place, and her production of The Phoenician Women earned her the Evening Standard Award for Best Director. Her unique method of incorporating media into her work and modernizing scripts of Shakespeare has made her known. And as an article by the Guardian crowned her she was "British's theatre queen in exile".
Feminism was a movement that grew after World War 2, as women were able to take on notable roles in the war. An article by Florence Binard presents how the treatment of women after the war is what initiated the conflict, as women were encouraged to return to their old way of living. In 1968, there were riots against the Miss World contest, which many believed forced women to conform to materialistic and consumerist ideals. Furthermore, in that same year, censorship in the theatre was abolished. This was also influenced by the growing question of "how should theatre be used?" Many said that it should be used for the expression of an individual, thus it should be genuine and raw. Along with this, they claimed that theatre should not be performed privately for the upper classes, but instead be available to the general public.
Throughout this era of change, women became more vocal in their lack of opportunities. In the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre, actresses presented their awareness of the prejudiced construct of theatre. And as illustrated in a journal by Michelene Wandor, Thus a "Women’s Theatre Season" was held at the Almost Free Theatre in London in 1972. It led to the creation of the Women’s Theatre Group, which was the longest-running full time, professional all-women theatre company in the country.
This is relevant as it is the context in which Mitchell grew up, gaining unconscious interest in theatre and presenting women in her work. In a recent interview from the youtube channel named TORCH | The Oxford Research Centre in the Humanities, she described how her focus on women, highlighting the marginalized roles in theatre was not intentional. And that she had only realized it over time, reaching an epiphany when she was finally confident to call herself a feminist in the field of theatre.
With her unique manner of focusing on characters often placed in the background, is her use of media to highlight them. Often, Mitchell would use projections, presenting what is happening onstage onto a larger screen. The screen would draw attention to the characters on the sidelines, bringing them into the spotlight even if they have no lines. Along with this, Mitchell would zoom in on little details.
"I really like the tiny things in life. My life isn't heroic. Fighting dragons etc. It's the tiny aspects of what it is to be human that you can only really get on film. So for me it's about the tiny made big so everyone can see". I thought this was a brilliant quote and explanation of why she would do things like zoom in really tight on someone's eyes or hands. As stated in the book entitled The Theatre of Katie Mitchell: "what the cameras gave Katie was an opportunity to get even closer to everything, but in particular to the actors and their faces, and their actions."
This technique also encourages actors to analyze their roles not only verbally or physically but also mentally. Mitchell wanted to show the psychological representation of a character, and how that influences vocal tone and movement, instead of the other way around. This is influenced by Stanislavski, who Mitchell is greatly influenced by. She borrows his method of creating a foundation of a character through imagination and empathy, and often uses his exercises for her own work. Mitchell aims to create an immersive world, not only for the audience but also for those who stand onstage.
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