Interview: Director Dean Johnson on LIFT - A MUSICAL at Southwark Playhouse

After 10 years away from the professional stage, LIFT - A Musical is back and will soon be presented at the Southwark Playhouse. We spoke to Director Dean Johnson about this fan favourite and what we can expect from this new production.

For people who may not know, tell us what LIFT is about?

The premise of LIFT is quite simple: 8 strangers spend one minute together in the lift at Covent Garden station. Where things get juicy is that we get to see inside the head of one of the characters, a Busker, as he navigates his own life, namely his struggle to connect in the City and rebuild his self worth following a traumatic breakup, by imagining the lives of the other 7 strangers. It's a story of imagination, music and trying to find your place in a world full of strangers.

What was your first experience of LIFT and how did you get involved in this production?

I first came across LIFT from the concept album, like many others. I was immediately hooked. The music spoke to me in such a powerful, personal and cathartic way and I remember weeping the first time I heard ‘Lost in Translations’. This was regrettably right after the Soho production had finished, but I was in awe of the cast they had. During lockdown, I revisited some of the music, as it once again spoke to me in a very specific way. I made a tweet about how brilliant the show was and how the original cast had all gone on to do amazing things. I think I said "someone should revive this and showcase the next generation of talent". Fortunately, someone (Liam Gartland) agreed, and we got to work on how to make that happen.

As you mention, LIFT was first staged at the Soho Theatre in 2013. What does the musical have to say about our society today, nearly 10 years later?

I think one of the most relatable themes of LIFT is exploring what it means to live in a modern society. It can feel overwhelming and connecting and resisting being swallowed up by the vastness of that city while trying to find yourself and live your life can be tricky. In 2013, I think that spoke very specifically about London in the City, but with the internet the way it is, connecting us all in such a vast, relentless and unnatural way, I think that's a much more universal feeling now. There are pros and cons to that type of world, and LIFT navigates those beautifully. Our new production explores these new developments in society.

Despite having not been staged professionally in nearly 10 years, LIFT has retained a strong fanbase within the musical theatre community. Why do you think it is such a loved show?

Primarily, amongst these 8 very different characters, there is a chance for everyone to see a bit of themselves. The show has a universality to it, but it also very specifically explores the nature of being an artist, of loving too hard and hurting too deeply, of getting lost in the vastness of society. I think this is something a lot of creative brains can really relate to. In that way the songs tend to speak to people in a very specific way and so I think people get hooked on some of the music. Helping that is the fact that these songs are brilliant showcases of vocal and emotional synergy, so a lot of performers use it to showcase their work. There is rarely an audition where there isn't someone with one of the songs from LIFT in their folder.

LIFT is a musical based much more on characters and relationships rather than narrative. How does the rehearsal and creative process differ for a musical like this compared to a narrative driven show?

It can be challenging because the jigsaw pieces are less steadily placed out, but really exciting at the same time because of the creative possibilities a show like this offers. One thing that becomes very important is that you have to then base the production around the actors you have in the process and play to their interconnected strengths and idiosyncrasies. This is why I am so pleased we have an incredible cast of creative brains who can bring something authentic and generous to the piece. That means this version of LIFT will be like no other production of it as it is rooted in the people who create it. I think that should always be true in theatre, but this show allows for further freedom in that sense.

When directing a musical, how do you approach putting together your concept for it?

Sondheim used to say in writing "content dictates form" and I follow this same mantra when directing a piece. In that way, there is no one way to build every musical as each piece will need its own "way in". So discovering that way becomes an important starting point. I try to distill the themes of the show down to single words and understand what it is we are saying and most importantly, what that means today. I struggle to tell a story if I cannot find a way to connect its relevance to today. Once I have those answers, it's about collaborating with the right people to move that vision forward in every single department from Music, Movement, Design, Production. I want to highlight design actually, as I feel like we don't often enough recognise how important those roles are and celebrate the designers we have in the UK. I see shows in a very cinematic way in my brain, so I tend to work very closely with designers to translate that into a 3D space. Once we have a solid vision for the show, it's at that point that actors generally join the process, and suddenly everything begins to change, in a really positive eway. There is nothing more exciting for me than the moment when I think I know exactly what the show will be, and then a bunch of humans come in with their own creative input and turn that into something even better. That is the joy of collaboration.

What can people expect from this production and why should they come to see it?

There are lots of reasons I think people should see this production. Come for the cast, who are incredible, with a mixture of some of our industry's finest established talent mixed together with professional debutants I am very confident you will be seeing time and time again in the future. Come for the music. For fans of LIFT, there will be some surprises that I can't say anymore about for now... (what a tease!). Come for the design by Andrew Exeter, which is so innovative and will be like nothing you will have never seen before in an intimate space like Southwark Playhouse. Most importantly, come for the story. It is a story about people today and I think there is something for everyone to connect and relate to in this show.

It's also one of those shows that is layered with so much interesting detail. I have always been inspired by the work of immersive companies like Punchdrunk and while LIFT will be rewarding on a single visit, it is one of those shows I think you can gain a lot from by watching it several times and watching each characters thread through the show and see the show from different vantage points!

LIFT - A Musical plays at Southwark Playhouse from 13 May-18 June, with tickets available here.