Patrick Marber’s first play, Dealer’s Choice, deals with male rivalry, emotion and bonding. So how does a female director rise to the challenge? We asked acclaimed writer/director Zinnie Harris.
Steve Cramer
ou gct thc l’ccling that
nonc ol' thcin pla}cd
niuch xport at xchool. I ha\ c a group ol' mach \xho gct togcthcr c\ct'_\ couplc ol‘ \xcckx tor a pokct‘ xcxxion \xhich \L‘clltx In lk‘ thc highlight ol' thcir li\cx. I don’t plat). and “01110”. nccdlcxx to xa}. arc not cncouragcd to participalc. xo l ol'lcn tinixh up douu lhc puh \xith thc gu}x' pokcr \\ltlt)\\x on lhc night. But \\ilncxxing thc actual gatnc itx tcnxionx and dcxpct'atc. rc~charmcllcd malc aggrcxxioux and dcxircx. llx c\c|ainationx ol~ ‘nhcrc arc )(llll' cahonicx. maul" ix a laxcinating cxcrcixc in thc ohxcr\alion ot xuhlimation. 'l'hc onc tirnc \xhcrc a xinall group ol' thirt_\xoincthing inach architcctx.acadctuicx and journalixtx h) prolcxxion can cxplorc xoinc idca thc} haxc ol' inalc bonding. 'l'hix xcnxc ot' primalit} and xcllhood ix xuhtc\tuall} homoxocial. at thc \cr} lcaxt.
l’atrick .\larhcr’x l‘irxt pla} gocx into juxt thix tcrritor}. c\ploring poucr rclationx and honding hctuccn ntcn. ltx original linglixh production at thc National in I‘NS rccciwd a rapid \\'cxt lind tranxl‘cr. “inning thc l‘.‘\'t'ning Slum/uni cht (‘omcd_\ auard. and thc \Vritcr‘x (Build auard tor hcxt \cht lind pla}. .\ couplc ol' )carx latcr. Marhcr produccd \\ hat man) L‘l'lllcx haich ax th‘ I’ltl} Ul' lllL' tlL‘Ctttlc in (./()\('I‘. an c\p|oration ol' contcmpot‘ar} xc\ualit_\ and cmotion. hoth tnalc and lcrnalc.
But Ih'u/t'r'x ('lmit‘t' ix a ho} thing. .\ xi\-xtrong malc caxt pla_\ing thc \xaitcrx. cook and xtal‘l~ ot a llixltioruthlc rcxtaurant ha\ c thcir rcgular pokcr garnc imcxtcd \xith cxcn morc tcnxion than uxual h} thc addition of a prol'cxxional gamhlcr. 'l'hcrc arc man) dilcuunax. 'l‘hc hoxx of thc rcxtaurant ix an arch manipulator. xcctningl} tricndl}. hut alxo controlling. llix xon. alxo a lllL‘llllk‘l‘ ot thc group. xccx thc protcxxional gaml‘lcr ax a xurrogatc lathcr t'igurc. ’l‘hcrc'x a haplcxx di\ot'ccc \xho ix l‘ound \xcighing up thc Sunda} pokct' night agaian a rarc \iin h) hix daughtcr. :\nolhcl‘ charactcr ix .xinipl) onc ot' lit't"x loxcrx \xaiting tor hix luck to changc. and oppoxitc him ix a _\oung tnan \\ ho tcclx hix luck hax alrcad} changcd but hax it‘.’ .-\ lot ol‘ malc ixxtic‘x arc cxplorcd in all thix.
66 THE LIST .. 1.
‘I don’t buy this thing about women not knowing anything about men’
Back to the table
So it xccmx a xtu'prixc that it‘ll all lk‘ tlil'cctcd h}
a \\oman. /.lltlllL‘ llarrix ix alrcad} an acclaimcd dramalixt. \xith hcr 3()(ll l‘ringc hit I‘ll/'I/It'r I/mn I/It’ Furl/ml ’l'lrmg prohahl} hcr hcxt kno\\n piccc to Scottixh audicnccx. Shc traincd ax a dircctor though. and thix 'l‘ron mainxtagc production ix hcr higgcxt proicct in that rolc xo tar. lx dircctiug xi\ malcx in a plat} that \cr} much l'ocuxcx on maxculinc xcnxihiliticx an intimidating proxpcct'.’ ‘I think it‘x tun. I don't rcall} hu} thix thing about \xorncn not kuoxxing att}tl1ittgalMtrt mcn. ('crtainl). ax a pla_\\\right I don‘t l'ccl rcluctant
ahout crcating tnalc charactcrx'. xhc
llarrix maintainx that _\ou don‘t ha\ c to lo\ c pokcr to cnjo) thix \cr} l'unn} and ohxcr\ant pla}. ‘lt alxo prcxcntx thc \xholc rcxtaurant ax a kind of microcoxm ot‘ xocict}. 'lihcrc'x a hicrarch) thcrc. hut ax xoon ax thc ritual ot thc gainc xtartx. thc pccking ot'dct' ix torgottcn. So a lot ol' thix xtull ix a mctaphor ahout po\\cr. l’art ot it ix ahout luck. and ho\\ luck} _\ou l‘ccl. and part ol‘ it ix about addictionx. .»\|l ot‘ thcxc mcn \\ ant juxt onc tnorc gantc. and thcn thc} tch thc_\ can mm c on. But tor ax long ax thc} nccd thc gainc. can tlicy." \Vcll. can thc) 1’ You’ll hc pla}ing _\our cardx right it _\ott g and tind out.
Dealer’s Choice is on at the Tron theatre, Glasgow, from Thu 29 May until Sat 14 Jun.
Stage Whispers
Re: tread/mg the boards
John Kazek in Pleasure and Pain
’ , ', I I. ,'/ ' ‘ I
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