Black Theatre: Gbolahan Obisesan on his play Sus
It has been a whole year since I last sat down with Gbolahan Obisesan, the talented, young, passionate director who has been on somewhat of a rollercoaster journey. The man whom I described as ‘the personification of the future of British contemporary theatre’ is on the last leg of an 8 venue UK tour of Sus; the Barrie Keeffe play that he last directed at the Young Vic theatre in June 2009. Since then his 5 star production has played in Lincoln, Leicester, Manchester, Ipswich, Birmingham and London and it has gained the British Nigerian a reputation as ‘a name to watch’ (The Independent on Sunday). It was thus my pleasure to sit down again with Gbolahan and talk pressure, the new coalition government and overenthusiastic audience reactions.
Stage director Gbolahan Obisesan
Catch a Vibe: Last time we spoke, Sus was playing an 8 show run at the Young Vic. Now you are on your last leg of an 8 venue UK tour – how are you feeling?
Gbolahan Obisesan: I’m feeling very good. I’m really excited that the play has come back and The Young Vic and Eclipse Theatre Company have chosen to honour the production but committing to it and bringing it back and allowing me the opportunity to explore the play again.
CAV: The cast contains two new actors, what else has changed about the play since it was last at the Young Vic?
Gbolahan Obisesan: It all feels like it is all very different, it all feels very new….When we were rehearsing I showed the set design to the three actors and said apart from that and maybe the sound design, that’s the only thing that is going to stay the same; everything else will be completely new. As soon as I said that I think they felt a huge weight of relief and a sense of liberation to be able to invent, explore, play and discover exactly what the shape of this production was going to be and I think that it what we have done, at best.
CAV: I have seen the play twice now and the second time round it felt like much more of a powerful production – is that something you as a director have also noticed?
Gbolahan Obisesan: I think there are some moments of it where things are completely new but then also maybe the dynamic between these three actors is stronger. The interplay between all the characters, Delroy [Clint Dyer] included, but more so maybe between the Karn [Simon Armstrong] and Wilby [Laurence Spellman] character’s might also be more heightened in a way that’s more noticeable….There is a more sadistic element to Wilby’s character and Delroy’s character goes on a really complete journey. We made slightly different choices and at the beginning of the play, we committed to Delroy being slightly more drunk…then in the next scene he is completely devastated and then by the end he is a broken man; he has been physically and mentally tortured.
CAV: The play Sus is 31 years old but still feels very relevant. Why do you think that is?
Gbolahan Obisesan: I think on many levels the political aspect, in sense of the discussions about the use of the stop and search act and the sus law in the 70’s and early 80’s are being re-imagined after the terrorism attacks and the anti-terrorism act. But then also there are huge debates about the actual practicality of it and how much it serves to convict perpetrators of crime….I think the play is relevant on so many levels as there are still aspects of policing and that relationship between police and suspects and civilians that is still very tempestuous. A lot of people don’t trust the police, a lot of people will never trust the police and a lot of people feel as is if what the character of Delroy is subjected to is still perpetrated by police or in a way, is unacknowledged by the police institution as part of their methods, whether currently or in the past.
CAV: When Sus was first produced it had to be reinforced to the audience members that the actors play Karn and Wilby were actors and not the characters. Have you experienced anything like that on the tour?
Gbolahan Obisesan: Nothing that dramatic but there was a real sense at some of the regional venues or city’s that we played, that the play was very close to the bone. The community had experienced the situation that was played out and also the kind of level of parallels between the police and civilians and some of what Delroy was subjected to was part of their own history or family history…But who knows what will happen at the Young Vic – hopefully they won’t jump out of their seat and attack one of the actors (smiles).
CAV: And does the play reflect you own political views?
Gbolahan Obisesan: I think that’s a tough one. Maybe I would say I have a strong opinion against miscarriage of justice and the misuse of power in the hands of anyone, but in this case the police, whom we trust to serve and protect and do their job appropriately. I think politically, the play has much more of a far reaching debate on the use of stop and search, then but also now with the recent misuse of the anti-terrorism act. I think in a way it’s maybe whether people see it as an indictment of the use is law against certain civilians, but most importantly innocent individuals.
CAV: So how do you feel about our new coalition government?
Gbolahan Obisesan: When it was announced that that this new administration was what the British society was going to have I was very annoyed and immensely disappointed. More with the Liberal Democratic Party for agreeing to such a complex structure of government. But then in hindsight I think it’s was probably a much more calculated decision on the part of Nick Clegg to agree or pursue this aspect of what the government should represent. There was a lot of debate about what sort of comprises should have been made and how to best move governing forward, but in a way I also feel as if maybe it is not such a bad thing that the Liberal Democrats are involved because then there would be some kind of a moral barometer for the Conservative Party to sound board against with regards to proposed policy’s and solutions to the very complex political landscape that Britain is currently going through.
CAV: Finally, The Independent on Sunday calls you ‘a name to watch’. How do you respond to comments like that and does it affect you in any way?
Gbolahan Obisesan: It is really flattering to be considered on such a plateau. But more importantly I just want to make great work and that is always going to be my intention with whatever play or however I choose to present creative work. It’s not that it doesn’t affect me it just means that there is something to live up to which is a challenge.
CAV: And a pressure?
Gbolahan Obisesan: I don’t think it’s a pressure, I think it is a challenge. I’ll probably forget [what was said] after the production ends but at some point I’ll probably be made aware of the statement again….But it’s not just about me at all. If Barrie hadn’t written the play then I would be directing something else and I don’t know how people would consider that. If I didn’t have the actors I have playing it, giving their hearts and souls and body to every moment and every nuance of their delivery and story and affecting the audience as much as they do, who knows what might be said. But I am very much looking forward to what the future holds and I really want to [become] a director that people are excited to see.
Sus currently has limited availability and is playing at the Young Vic Theatre until the 26th June. To book tickets or for more information then please visit www.youngvic.org or call the box office on: 020 7922 2922
