NEWSWEEK: You are famous for playing Shakespeare in innovative, eccentric places. RUTTER: Yes, cattle markets, mills, castles… well, you Americans would call it eccentric, [and] I suppose it is. There’s a madness in it.
Where is the strangest place you’ve put on a play? I suppose the cattle market’s got to come close… They sell sheep on a Wednesday and see Shakespeare on a Thursday.
Is it true you once received a letter of apology from a farmer who couldn’t attend your play due to lambing? Yup! They knew what dates we were at the cattle market, and you can call me stupid for picking those couple of nights around lambing time. But then I didn’t know, did I?
What does this say about your audience? It says they are wonderful, but also that they don’t go to any other theater but ours in the cattle market. I find this touching, very, very genuinely touching.
