London

Deborah Warner's 'Julius Caesar'

Do the odd-shaped spaces at the Barbican constrain the artists?

You’ve got to take account of the aesthetics. It challenges artists, and in some case it inspires them, but it doesn’t have to constrain; it only does that if you let it. In some ways, because it’s not a black box or a white cube, you have to fight the building.

The acoustics in the Hall have been criticised. How do you defend against that?

There hasn’t been a complaint for a while. The Hall had major faults, which were partially rectified in 1994. By 2000 or 2001, they had been completely rectified, and now not only do people not complain but we get compliments on the acoustics. So I don’t need to defend it – it’s been fixed.

Doesn’t running thematic programmes mean shoehorning disparate strands into one building for the sake of it?

The short answer is ‘no’, but it is all too easy to get ensnared and try and fit everything into one theme. With the best festivals, natural links between different art forms appear, and you don’t have to force the issue.
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If you had to watch one Barbican production for eternity, which one would it be?

One would be the Merce Cunningham Dance Company’s ‘Biped’ [1999]. It was a multi-depth, multi-technology production with real dance alongside ‘virtual’ dance; the movements were translated simultaneously on to a screen, and it never repeated itself. There’s also Robert Wilson’s ‘The Black Rider’, which was a brilliant piece of black comedy.

Have you ever got lost inside the venue?

Of course, everybody does! These days we’ve got new signage and better orientation, so we don’t get nearly so many complaints. It’s a bit of a cliché now, but it’s still an initiation ceremony, finding yourself in one of the car parks and wondering how on earth you’re going to make your way back. It’s the Barbican adventure.

'Biped'

If your statue was put up at the Barbican, where would you like it to be sited?

The conductor’s rostrum in the Hall. It’s the only way I’m ever going to get to conduct an orchestra.

What will the Barbican be like in 25 years?

I hope that we’ll be able to continue on an upward curve, and I like to see us more out in the community and leading the agenda. Do I have a winning formula? I think so, but I’m not telling you what it is. The fact is, you can’t just stick to what you’re doing. Everything’s changing – from the art we create, to how we proselytise it, to how we sell tickets – so you have to be light on your feet. Somebody said recently that the Barbican is a big institution that behaves like a small one, and I’m happy with that.

Finally, where are the toilets?

Finding the toilets is easy. Simply follow the brilliant, logical and very clear new signage.