We sat down with Ashling O’Shea and Amy Revelle, members of the cast of Puppy by Naomi Westerman to discuss their experience with this new production. An outrageous, sex-positive new comedy about dogging, porn, and Nick Clegg.
Comedy is a notoriously challenging medium, how do you approach preparation for a comedic piece in comparison with say, a Shakespeare?
Amy: I just like to read the piece a couple of times and get the gist of the piece alongside the other characters and find where it takes us all. If it’s a comic piece, you can usually tell straight away and just play until you find it.
Aishling: My process of prep doesn’t actually vary that much between genres if I’m honest. I tend to be a bit of a geek when it comes to a new project so after reading a script I go straight into research – reading, watching, listening to anything I can to help me understand more around the content of the piece as well as things specific to my character. Then, for me, it’s about my instincts and finding ways to let my research inform the choices I make. One thing I love about comedy is there’s so much room to play with initial impulses, especially when you have a cast as phenomenal as this, they’re constantly inspiring me and pushing me to find new things which keeps the humour alive I think.
Ashling, what drew you to playing Jaz in Puppy and what can audiences expect from her?
Ashling: I was drawn to Jaz because I love playing people on a journey with identity, particularly when it’s nuanced with their own shortcomings or lack of knowledge about something. We’re all discovering more about ourselves, the world around us and the communities we are (and aren’t) a part of, constantly. Jaz is someone who has thought she’s one person for the majority of her life, tying her entire being around one label but her world is opening up now she’s exploring how much more there is to her. Audiences can expect to see Jaz really grow and change throughout the play, while retaining the awkward charm and kindness present from the first moment we meet her.
How did you prepare yourselves and rehearse the more intimate or physically connected moments of this piece?
Amy: Well inside the room we worked with the wonderful Christina Fulcher on finding the intimacy and the safe space and comfort that is required to play and feel a connection. Outside of the room we went to the pub after rehearsals for chats and debriefs and learnt about each other as people which naturally made us closer which definitely helped us within the rehearsal room and shows.
Ashling: Before we got into the room and started playing with the text, it was important for me to understand as much of Jaz as I could on my own. I needed to understand how she saw Maya, what she fell in love with, how she sees the relationship. Then we were really fortunate to have an intimacy coordinator who helped us explore some of the physically intimate language between them – shout out Christina Fulcher! We did various exercises in rehearsals but myself and Amy also made an effort to get to know each other outside of the rehearsal room. Once you create a safe and professional way to explore these things in the room, it’s so great to develop a friendship outside of your characters to be able to build that chemistry on stage.
The play blends comedy with political themes. How does this dynamic work on stage?
Amy: It’s about finding where the comic moments can be and sit nicely without it distracting you from the key themes. Getting the guidance from the director can also be beneficial. Listening to each other and knowing which are the funny moments and which moments need to land and hit a little different. When done well, it’s beautiful.
Ashling: It works on stage because it’s so true to life! I am someone who firmly believes the personal is political and vice versa. Politics affect every aspect of our lives whether we realise it or not. Using comedy in the face of dangerous political ideology is also a survival tactic. So many people within my communities have always used humour to connect with each other as well a way to make the fight more bearable.
How does Puppy take on the patriarchy and heteronormativity in a fresh, bold way?
Ashling: I think it flips things on its head in some gorgeously subtle and fun ways, like Susan asking Dave if Sandra got him into matcha (which Richard calls ‘fruity’) to which she responds no, he got her into it, that and pegging. I love this way of using small, seemingly trivial moments to expose how ingrained misogynist stereotypes are in our society. The way this is contrasted with the ‘bigger’ themes like porn restrictions that outlaw the sight of female ejaculation without any mention of male ejaculation speak to the patriarchy and heteronormativity in a way that shows how the micro always impacts the macro. A restriction on the depiction of pleasure that disproportionately affects people with vulvas and queer people speaks to the larger issue of how we see those communities and WHO gets to have bodily autonomy.
Amy: I think there are moments in the play that just make you think and question what is the “norm” – whatever that means. People can be so shut off from understanding what’s happening in the world or perhaps scared to explore / question etc so having a play that can help you to understand or to feel safer to question whilst also making you laugh, can be a huge help / relief.
How do Jaz and Maya’s activism speak to the current political landscape?
Ashling: I think the way Maya has the best of intentions and all the academic language and research behind her while also really missing the things in front of her say a lot about our political landscape. It says a lot about the limitations of textbook or social media activism, we can read as much as we like, we can try to cover as many areas as possible in things we try to be aware of in this world, but the practice of proactive activism is another ballgame. How often do we share a post without reading the full article, fact checking or finding our own diverse selection of sources? Jaz feels like someone who comes to this play without the in-depth knowledge Maya has on so many topics, but in the practice of setting up the company and being face to face with the performers she learns a lot and becomes a better advocate for those around her, in only the way someone working on the ground can.
What makes Puppy a must-see?
Ashling: It’s fun and silly! The world is really scary and really tough and it can sometimes be so hard to find joy and hope. It also feels so rare to see Queer joy on stage without trauma. I think it’s also a great place to start conversations, there are so many challenging things that crop up in the play, things that – like in life – don’t come to a compete conclusion or ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer. I hope people come away from the play and go chat with their friends and family about things they may not have discussed before. I think Puppy is like an exhale, you may learn some things along the way, but really, you’re going to have fun watching a bunch of silly people do some silly things.
Amy: It raises some important messages and questions. It can help make people feel seen. It is brave and bold and may not be for everyone but it’s exciting and funny and silly and daring with some fantastic actors in it… why would anyone not want to see that ?! 🙂
For more information about the show and tickets, please visit https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/16/by-naomi-westerman/puppy