For Phyllida Lloyd, directing theatre is in many ways vastly preferable to directing opera. “So why would I direct opera? Because when the conditions are right, to be a part of that massive collaboration with 80 musicians in the pit and 100 on the stage is to be part of something much greater than oneself, to help to give the audience a raw emotional experience like no other. Opera operates on a subterranean level and can reach parts of you that other art forms really do struggle to reach. Opera is an event.”