Director of Opera at the Royal Opera House in London, and award-winning director in his own right, Oliver Mears talks to Nina Brazier about the influences and obstacles that shaped his journey. From writing and directing at university, through assistant directing and the pivotal production that turned him from theatre to opera, Oliver gives a candid account of the highs and lows of developing his craft as a director and finding his own voice in the industry.  He talks through setting up his first opera company Second Movement with his friends Abigail Toland and Nicholas Chalmers in order to create their own work, seeing an advert in The Guardian by chance that led to him becoming the founding Artistic Director of Northern Ireland Opera before taking over the Royal Opera House. Oliver shares his thoughts about the future, and finds the positive aspects to draw out of the biggest crisis in our industry’s recent history.