In our first episode of 2019, Lisa Moore talks to Jamie Skidmore about puppetry, theatre in rural Newfoundland and visual language.

"One of the most important parts of my job at Memorial is giving back to the community."
- Jamie Skidmore

What are you reading?

Since Xmas I’ve read 16 Dr. Who Fairy Tales (they’re 30 page books); The Outsiders by SE Hinton; Tinker, Tailor, Soldier Spy by John LeCarre; Fire and Blood by RR. Martin; Open Doors by Ian Rankin; Warlight by Michael Ondaatje; To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee; and a guide book on Prague. I’m about to crack open Sweetland by Michael Crummey tonight.

What theatre projects should we know about?

I’m currently directing Jack Meets the Cat and Other Tales by Andy Jones and Sheila’s Brush, with School Zone Productions, which opens the NL Drama Festival on the MainStage at the St. John’s ACC on Sunday, April 21 at 8 p.m. I’m also doing the lighting designs for Marie Antoinette opening March 6, and Twelfth Night on April 3 at Grenfell. I’m a bit out of touch with what else is going on at the moment in St. John’s. I know Leo Furey has a couple of shows in production.

Who, in your opinion, is doing innovative theatre work here in NL right now?

An up and comer here in St. John’s is designer and technician Emily Austin. She’s a graduate of Grenfell and involved in a lot of shows these days.