In recent years, the cultural zeitgeist has pushed front and centre the prominence of ‘toxicity’ in the workplace – especially in the Arts. Once upon a time, the behaviour and actions of ‘tough but talented’ senior practitioners and teachers were condoned (or at least not spoken of publicly), but accountability – especially in drama schools – has been gaining traction in social media, in the hope of a sea change.
In Spider, writer and director Jude Benning addresses these themes in a comedy about the rise and fall of Frank Dowling (Jason Salmon) – a former West End star, who now spends his time as a teacher. To my knowledge, Spider is the first play that directly addresses these issues in a drama school setting, as opposed to say the TV or movie business.
As the first mainstream star of British physical theatre, Frank Dowling (Jason Salmon) made a name for himself – his dedication to ‘going method’ set him apart in this arena. Alas for Dowling (for various reasons…) fame and other roles allude him elsewhere, so he instead ‘passes on’ his experience, insights and expertise to the next generation of actors. The question is, will his ‘demons’ – a lifetime’s worth of frustration, bitterness and anger – also be passed on too?
The opinions and reactions of his class vary, but more often than not, the conversations revolve around ‘the myth’ versus a real person with ‘feet of clay’. So does Dowling treat the male and female students any differently from each other? At times maybe, but even when he shows ‘favouritism’ and preferential treatment, there are other occasions when his mercurial nature is ‘fair’ and equally scornful of all.
As someone lithe and not unattractive, Erin (Scarlett Green) finds herself one of the ‘favoured’ ones with one-on-one attention. However, there are times when even her looks are seen as ‘detrimental’, an impediment to having negative experiences that shape character and engender the fuller human experience to draw upon.
One could argue that Dowling is at times like JK Simmons’s character in Whiplash – sincere in the pursuit of excellence and possessing insights on ‘unpalatable truths’, but lacks the social graces or the ‘milk of human kindness’ for others to give his words credence.
But I digress.
For other female students such as Nadine (Calla Cambrey), she receives short shrift from Dowling – a sentiment she reciprocates. Why exactly this is the case makes perfect sense later… ‘For my money’, Nadine is the most interesting ‘student’ in the show, who doesn’t see herself as a ‘victim’ (unlike her peers), but acknowledges the choices she made had ‘consequences’…
In contrast to Nadine, neurodivergent Amelia (Saffy Andrews) has a hard time with Dowling’s ‘less than accommodating’ demeanour, further ‘justifying’ his notion that show business is ‘Darwinian’, where only those with the thickest skin survive. But it isn’t just the current crop of students who have been ‘traumatised’ by Dowling’s behaviour. Former alumni Jema (Shona Delvaille) still wears the ‘scars’ of her tenure on the course and is wary when she receives a call from Dowling out of the blue.
So how do the male students cope? Arguably, two of them are questionable choices to pursue acting. Mitch (Henry Burt) decided to go to drama school after not getting into the army. Nothing wrong with either vocation, but by their disparate nature, one wonders what where his passion truly lies and what really makes him tick. Then there’s Oscar (Joel Gibson). Knowing that Dowling is stickler for punctuality, Oscar is always late, blaming the trains. One doesn’t get the impression that performing is the be-all-and-end-all for him. It’s mentioned a few times that that he comes from a monied background, so that may have something to with it. Finally, there’s Luke (Tom Boxall). As a thoughtful, ‘nice’ person, Dowling sees his behaviour as a charade, a means to get everyone to like him. Of course one can say Dowling’s cynicism is a reflection of his own behaviour, but for the most part he doesn’t chase affirmation – at least not from his students.
But it is the end of year camping trip at Epping Forest where the stakes in the play are nudged up a few notches. It wouldn’t be inaccurate to say that for some, the events of that weekend are life-changing…
Much like Cate Blanchett’s character in Tár, Dowling finds that however truthful or insightful he is, his other ‘indiscretions’ over time obfuscate all the ‘good’ he may actually have achieved as a teacher. But while Dowling’s words and actions are deemed objectionable, even a stopped clock is right twice a day…
© Michael Davis 2024
Spider runs at the Riverside Studios’ Bitesize Festival from 19th to 25th February.
Breaking The Fourth Wall 