In Conversation: Simon Stone on Theatre, Stars, and a Korean Chekhov
Australian director Simon Stone reflects on a career defined by bold choices, from coaxing film stars onto the stage to transforming family tragedy into powerful theatre. In a recent interview, he opens up about the challenges and triumphs that have made him one of the most talked-about voices in contemporary theatre, and why staging Chekhov in Korean stands as one of the proudest moments of his career.
Why lure Hollywood and world cinema to the stage?
Stone explains that his fascination with bringing film-level intensity to live performance grew from a simple question: how can theatre harness the scale and immediacy of cinema without losing its live edge? His approach often involves intimate, translation-rich adaptations and bold casting choices that blur the lines between screen and stage. When he approaches a project, it isn’t just about reimagining a classic; it’s about creating a space where a film star’s screen gravitas can illuminate a theatre‑going audience in a new way.
Balancing star power with theatrical truth
Putting film stars on stage is not about spectacle alone. Stone stresses the discipline behind a successful collaboration—rigorous rehearsal, a shared language between film and theatre sensibilities, and a respect for the audience’s expectations. He discusses the tension and synergy that arise when a beloved screen actor steps into a live environment, noting that the adjustment often leads to surprising, authentic moments that cinema alone cannot capture.
Family tragedy as artistic compass
Beyond his artistic ambitions, Stone speaks candidly about the family tragedy that has often informed his work. He says that personal loss can sharpen sensitivity, adding emotional depth to his storytelling. Rather than retreat, he channelled those feelings into a meticulous craft—craft that seeks truth, even when it is uncomfortable. This honesty, he notes, resonates with audiences who come to theatre to confront real human experiences.
Staging Chekhov in Korean: a milestone
A milestone in Stone’s career is his decision to stage Chekhov in Korean—a project that demands linguistic precision, cultural nuance, and a deep engagement with a theatre‑going public that may speak a different language than the original text. He describes the process as a collaboration across borders, where actors, translators, and designers work together to preserve Chekhov’s humanist core while letting the Korean voice carry its own music and rhythm. The result, he says, is a production that remains faithful to Chekhov’s moral questions while inviting a diverse audience to see themselves in characters that could belong to any culture.
Why this moment stands out
For Stone, the Korean Chekhov project represents a convergence of all his guiding principles: bold collaboration, a willingness to embrace risk, and a refusal to broadcast a single, fixed interpretation of a classic. He wears the achievement not as arrogance but as a testament to years of hard work, listening, and a stubborn belief that theatre can travel farther than film when it embraces multilingual realities and shared human concerns.
Looking forward
Stone hints at new challenges ahead—projects that demand the same nerve and the same openness to cross-cultural dialogue. He remains committed to pushing boundaries while staying rooted in the traditions that first drew him to performance. For audiences, the takeaway is clear: expect work that invites film-star magnetism to inhabit the immediacy of the stage, while never losing sight of the intimate truths that make theatre essential.
As he puts it, “It’s one of the proudest moments in my career.” The pride isn’t about accolades; it’s about bridging worlds—Australia, Korea, and the universal language of character and consequence—through theatre that speaks to everyone in the room.
