- published: 25 Sep 2013
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Stephen Joseph (13 June 1921 – 4 October 1967) was an English stage director and pioneer of "theatre in the round".
Stephen Joseph was born in London, the son of Hermione Gingold and the publisher Michael Joseph (whose name survives as an imprint of the Penguin Group). He was educated at Clayesmore School in Dorset. At the age of 16 he became a student of the Central School of Speech and Drama, where he graduated two years later. From 1941 to 1946 he served as an officer in the Royal Navy, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.
After the war he studied English Literature at Jesus College, Cambridge, leading to the award of an MA degree. While at Cambridge he joined Footlights and both wrote and directed La Vie Cambridgienne, a revue broadcast by the BBC in July 1948.
In November 1948 he joined the Lowestoft Repertory Theatre as director, then moved on to manage the Summer Theatre season at Frinton-on-Sea. While there he saw a production by Jack Mitchley of the Christopher Fry play A Phoenix too Frequent, staged in the round, which caused him to experience “a bee beginning to buzz at the back of my mind.” He returned to the Central School of Speech and Drama as a tutor, then in 1951 was granted leave of absence to study for a degree in playwriting at the University of Iowa.
Sometimes I taste sweet…
I can give you love,
And make you feel alive!
Sometimes I taste crude…
I can make you faint,
And then you’ll feel dead!
If you take me,
It’ll save you,
And bring you back to reality…
But if you break me,
It could thrill you,
And leave you dead center in this shit…
I’ll be your next fix,
Something that you crave,
So you just keep on using me…
The horror from outside,
You’re always stuck inside,
I just feel like I’m going insane!
I’m going insane,
I’m going insane,
I said I’m going insane!
There times that you can’t give it up…
I’ll make you black out,
And it feels so good!
There times that you’re losin’ your head…
I’ll make these walls spin,
You just want it to end!
If you take me,
It’ll save you,
And bring you back to reality,
But if you break me,
It could thrill you,
And leave you dead center in this shit…
I’ll be your next fix,
Something that you crave,
So you just keep on using me…
The horror from outside,
You’re always stuck inside,
I just feel like I’m going insane!
I’m going insane,
I’m going insane,
I said I’m going insane!
Now that I have lost it,
You’re going to take control…
I know that you’ll regret it,
So now you’ll pay the toll!
I’ll be your next fix,
Something that you crave,
So you just keep on using me…
The horror from outside,
You’re always stuck inside,
I just feel like I’m going insane!
I’m going insane,
I’m going insane,