Glasgow theatre and opera director Stasi Schaffer works internationally across new writing, musicals and opera, spanning both contemporary work and the established repertoire. Her practice is driven by a desire to create intelligent, relevant and exciting storytelling that resonates with audiences, illuminates their lives, and helps make sense of our place in the world. Alongside her directing work, she is also a lecturer at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she is passionate about supporting and expanding opportunities for young creatives in Scotland.
Her upcoming new musical Flora, based on the life of one of Scotland’s most famous daughters Flora MacDonald, is set to premiere at Glasgow Pavilion this 26-28th March.
What initially drew you to Flora as a project, and how did your interest in Scottish stories influence your decision to direct this musical?
I was attracted to Flora because it was a musical about a historic woman told in a very interesting way. I really liked the idea that this story is quite unknown to most Scots, but that her part in history was very pivotal. I also really liked the idea of shedding light on untold women in history. It is important to me that their stories are told, and the fact that it has great music is a real bonus.
How would you describe your directorial approach to a new musical like Flora—particularly one that re-centres a historic figure like Flora MacDonald in her own voice?
I have been lucky to be involved with this story for quite a few years, so I have been able to work on the development of the piece from its early stages. I really feel committed to it because I was able to work with the writer and composers to get it where it is for production.
I am very focused as a director on what is Flora’s story. How can we make that clear, relatable and exciting for the audience? We have a great team and a terrific cast, so it helps that it is very entertaining as well. What is the story? What is Flora’s journey and how can we bring the audience in to join us?
The story of Flora MacDonald spans imprisonment, migration, war and family—how have you worked to balance the historical context with emotional storytelling for contemporary audiences?
When I first heard Flora’s story I was shocked. She was in the middle of two major historical events on two continents in her lifetime, so the drama is there and constantly exciting for the audience.
One of Flora’s major themes is home and family. That was so important to her—she was driven to keep her family together and be home. I think that is relatable to us all and feels like something we keep hearing about even as time marches on.
Collaborating with writer Belle Jones and composers AJ Robertson & John Kielty must bring unique energy—how have those creative relationships influenced your vision for the show?
Yes, it is so nice to have worked with them over the past few years. Not only do we have a good relationship, but I feel like I understand their intentions, which helps. They have all been generous with their time with the cast as well, and John is actually the musical director, so he is in the room with me contributing.
Knowing them all and the vision we are working towards together is great because I understand what their intentions were, which makes it easier for me to help shape the show. Because everyone is still involved, we can stay connected and have a united focus.
Your career spans theatre, opera and new writing—how do these diverse experiences inform your work on musical projects like Flora?
They all feed into the projects I work on. Flora has amazed me in that it combines all those elements—it’s a new musical that we developed, so a new work, it is a theatre piece, but it has a lot of music and many of the emotional moments are told through song. It is great to work on something that combines all of my interests.
I am a believer in the idea that all the work you have done before helps to teach you lessons for the next project, and I do think that this is a good example of the other work I have done preparing me for this one.
At RCS you teach and mentor emerging directors as well as create work—how does that educational role inform your own rehearsal room leadership and collaboration with cast and creative teams?
Working with the students at RCS is such a good reminder of good practice in rehearsal. After a while you can stop consciously thinking about certain details or things you do automatically. When I talk about them with students, I become more mindful of those details and can ensure they remain part of my practice.
The collaboration we teach at RCS is such an important aspect, and it inspires me to work hard at creating a great collaborative experience for everyone involved.
What do you hope audiences take away from Flora, both in terms of their understanding of Flora MacDonald’s life and their experience of the show as a piece of theatre?
This production deals with a very important part of Scottish history and tells the story of a heroine who is relatively unknown. I hope audiences leave with more understanding of that time and the forces at play. It also shares a lot of Gaelic culture, which is a valuable opportunity to see that represented on stage.
The show is very emotional, with both challenging experiences and joyful moments, and I hope audiences enjoy that journey. It also has a lot of earworms, so I don’t doubt people will leave humming a tune or two.