Phyllida Lloyd Quotes

Powerful Phyllida Lloyd for Daily Growth

About Phyllida Lloyd

Phyllida Lloyd, born on April 14, 1965, in London, England, is an acclaimed British theatre director and writer, renowned for her innovative and groundbreaking productions. Her career in theatre began in the late 1980s, working as a stage manager before transitioning into directing with the Royal National Theatre's New Collective in 1992. Lloyd's breakthrough came in 2003 when she directed the award-winning all-female production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" at London's Donmar Warehouse, which challenged traditional gender roles in theatre. The success of this production paved the way for her next groundbreaking work, the critically acclaimed and commercially successful "War Horse" (2007) at the National Theatre. In 2018, Lloyd directed a gender-flipped version of "Mary Stuart," starring Juliet Stevenson and Adjoa Andoh as Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I respectively. This production, like her earlier works, highlighted Lloyd's commitment to exploring power dynamics, gender roles, and the complexities of female leadership in history. Lloyd's major works also include "Mamma Mia!" (2001), a musical based on the songs of ABBA that became one of the longest-running shows in West End history. She has been honored with numerous awards for her work, including multiple Olivier Awards and an Evening Standard Theatre Award for Best Director. Phyllida Lloyd's influential career continues to challenge norms and inspire audiences, making her a significant figure in modern British theatre. Her unique perspective and innovative approach have solidified her place as one of the most important directors working today.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Art is a way of questioning everything."

Phyllida Lloyd's quote suggests that art serves as a medium for exploration, inquiry, and challenge to our established beliefs, perceptions, and norms. It signifies that through artistic expression, we question societal conventions, personal values, and the very fabric of existence. Essentially, art is a powerful tool for self-discovery, critical thought, and intellectual growth.


"Creativity is about having the freedom and the courage to try things out, to play, to fail, to make mistakes, to grow, to explore, to be curious, to wonder."

This quote by Phyllida Lloyd highlights the essence of creativity as a dynamic and fearless process. It suggests that creativity involves attempting new ideas, taking risks, making mistakes, and learning from them. It's about embracing playfulness, curiosity, and wonder, which allow us to grow and explore our potential. Essentially, it's an invitation to be bold, experimental, and open-minded in our pursuit of knowledge and self-expression.


"Theatre isn't just about telling stories; it's also about making connections with the audience."

This quote highlights that theater goes beyond merely narrating tales; it's a medium to forge meaningful connections between performers and spectators. By evoking emotions, fostering empathy, and stimulating thought, theatre allows both parties to share an immersive experience, bridging the gap between the fictional world on stage and reality in the audience's mind.


"I think there's always a danger in theatre of thinking that because you've done something before, you know how to do it again."

Phyllida Lloyd's quote highlights the risk inherent in assuming past success guarantees future results in theater. It suggests that each production is unique and requires fresh understanding, as factors such as cast, crew, audience, and context can vary dramatically. This wisdom underscores the importance of remaining adaptable, creative, and open to new ideas when approaching a project multiple times.


"For me, the best moments in theatre are when an actor takes a risk and reveals something unexpected and truthful about themselves or their character."

This quote by Phyllida Lloyd emphasizes the power of vulnerability and authenticity in theater performance. The best moments occur when actors dare to expose their true selves or their characters' depths, revealing the unexpected and truthful elements that captivate audiences. These unanticipated insights make the experience more meaningful, immersive, and memorable.


I have been very lucky, and I think it all goes back to state subsidy for the arts. I gained my training and confidence and credentials in the not-for-profit world, and in England, that does not mean on the fringe of things. It means right at the centre.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Lucky, Been, Very, Subsidy

Movie-making is an extreme sport on many levels. It requires stamina such as I had never imagined.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Had, Many Levels, Imagined, Stamina

I was hellbent on going to drama school, but my mother, rightly, panicked and persuaded me to go to university on the grounds that a degree would be 'something to fall back on.' Whilst at college, I realised I wasn't good enough or robust enough to be an actress.

- Phyllida Lloyd

College, Back, University, Whilst

In management terms, directing opera certainly prepares you for a film set: the magnitude of it, the experts in other fields that you have to call on. Both are massive ensemble jobs in which there's incredible pressure to get things done on time and on budget - so much so that making the wrong decision may be better than making no decision at all.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Opera, Other, Wrong Decision, Film Set

I was given a mask of myself by Frances Barber when we opened 'Julius Caesar.' I looked much younger and prettier. Wearing it was certainly cheaper than Botox.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Cheaper, Given, Certainly, Botox

To have Hollywood tell me or other women like me that we're not a market that interests them is silly. Good stories work.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Hollywood, Other, Stories, Good Stories

If you have bad hair and you bite your nails, nobody expects that you can't direct plays.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Hair, Bad, Plays, Expects

Margaret Thatcher was pro-choice. She voted to decriminalize homosexuality. Was not profoundly religious. She was very liberal on social issues.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Homosexuality, Religious, Social Issues

In the theatre in the U.K., women are at the very top of the tree as freelance directors.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Theatre, Top, Very, Freelance

There's something about doing Shakespeare with a single gender, whether it is all-male or all-female, that opens up certain possibilities. You are able to throw the behavior of the men into a particular relief and be playful within a slightly larger-than-life way with it.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Possibilities, Slightly, Relief

I worked on live studio drama, which was one weird aberration in the 1980s. I worked on the 'Battle of Waterloo,' and my job was to reload the Brown Bess muskets - the only time the audience realised it was live was when somebody leant on a button and plunged the whole studio into blackout.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Studio, Waterloo, Whole, Only Time

I think I wanted to do something that retained the improvised chaos of 'Mamma Mia' the theatre show which set it apart from all the slick packaged productions.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Think, I Think, Which, Packaged

In a way, the debate about Margaret Thatcher in Britain has just gotten fossilized in this notion that she is either this she-devil who wrecked the industrial base of the country and ruined the lives of millions, or she is the blessed Margaret who saved the nation and rescued us from our post-war decline.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Country, Britain, Gotten, Base

In Europe, it is not so unusual for directors to move between opera, theatre, and film, and I have at least three girlfriends I can think of who have directed in all three genres.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Think, Move, Directed, Girlfriends

You can't wait for someone to discover you; you have to just get on and do it. Have confidence that directing is a very suitable job for a woman - with our gift for collaboration, listening, and reading the nuance of things.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Listening, Gift, Discover, Suitable

I realised you could become fat and bald as a director and still remain employable.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Could, Still, Realised, Bald

When I was asked to read a screenplay about Margaret Thatcher, I think I felt immediate apprehension.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Think, I Think, Read, None

As a woman, I think Margaret Thatcher felt she had to be ten times more prepared than the men.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Woman, Think, I Think, None

Margaret Thatcher always felt like an outsider in her party.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Her, Always, Like, None

I think Margaret Thatcher was a superstar in this country, and I think we all felt we needed a superstar to play her, somebody of huge intelligence, passion, and power and warmth.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Play, Think, Country, None

In London, it's quite a rarefied activity to be on an analyst's couch.

- Phyllida Lloyd

London, Activity, Quite, Analyst

Art is all about giving yourself these terrifying challenges, these peaks to climb. You're at the bottom of the mountain at the start of every new project thinking, 'Am I going to make it?'

- Phyllida Lloyd

Art, New, Terrifying, Peaks

Frankly, I find it very odd that, in a population that's more than 50 per cent of women, that Hollywood isn't producing more movies to cater to that audience. The demographic is being grossly underserved, in my opinion.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Hollywood, Very, Cent, Odd

Directing is quite a nuts-and-bolts thing. It's a mixture of creating an atmosphere in which actors can feel safe enough to be dangerous.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Dangerous, Atmosphere, Which, Directing

I didn't really realize I was a woman director until I walked onto the set at Pinewood Studios when I did 'Mamma Mia!' and everybody was calling each other 'Governor' and 'Sir'... and then, looking at me, 'Well... good morning!'

- Phyllida Lloyd

Woman, Other, Everybody, Sir

'The Handmaid's Tale' is a horrifying and horrifyingly possible vision of the future.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Future, Vision, Tale, Handmaid

Shakespeare was writing about his time, and it was a time when women were beginning to demand a voice, demand a say in their lives for one reason or another, mainly to do with the economics of the time.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Beginning, Voice, Reason, Shakespeare

To be invited to the Park - the greatest free Shakespeare festival in the world - is a great honor, and I don't take it lightly.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Honor, Invited, Festival, Shakespeare

In the not-for-profit world, I never felt that being female was an impediment. I was, however, given my break into commercial theatre by a female producer, Judy Craymer, and women - in particular, Donna Langley, president of production at Universal - were crucial in giving 'Mamma Mia' a home in Hollywood.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Commercial, However, Universal

If you believe that how you do your work is as influential as the work you do, then a theatre rehearsal, which is a microcosm of the world, is the perfect place to model social change because if it doesn't work this time, you can try again on the next production.

- Phyllida Lloyd

Perfect, Next, Influential, Social Change

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