Stephen Daldry talks about the 5 other holocaust films out in theaters right now along with “The Reader.” “Genuinely, this year I think it’s a coincidence. I think it’s a coincidence based on a number of peoples personal fascination with certain aspects of the story so I think that Bryan Singer and Tom Cruise have a particular fascination for that story and I think Edward Zwick had a particular fascination for Defiance and I think it’s also true for me, I’m just particularly fascinated with post war German but I thinks it’s just a coincidence that they are all coming out at the same time”

He talks about directing Billy Elliot. “I was going; well I don’t know how this is going to go down. Genuinely, I mean it was a surprise that the audience really took to it as strongly as they did and we go the reaction we did and it’s doing fantastically which is also still surprising.” 

He talks about high ticket prices on Broadway.  “I think people are finding those ticket prices too high, I think that the investors for new shows are difficult to find and I think that the impact of the economic crisis will continue to be felt particularly on Broadway. If the costs don’t come down, I think there is a real risk there won’t be a Broadway. I think the ticket prices have to come down and if the ticket prices need to come down to get the audience in, then everything else has got to work accordingly.” 

He talks about the difference between West End and Broadway Theater. “The main difference to stage work in New York is that it’s more expensive. It’s more expensive to create and it’s more expensive to see and that’s a problem, and I think there will have to come a time when it’s actually cheaper to produce and cheaper to see – I hope that’s true anyway”