Writer and Performer Claire Dowie talks about Swansong ahead of playing at Finborough Theatre
For over forty years Claire Dowie has questioned the boundaries of performance and challenged definitions. Having originally trained as a dancer she reinvented herself as an acclaimed poet, novelist and outstanding comedian, ultimately creating the form of ‘stand up theatre’, which transcends genre. Claire is about to undertake four of her own plays in repertoire at the Finborough Theatre, and we were eager to hear all about it, so got in touch for a chat.
Hi Claire. This is such an exciting project! What are the four plays you’ve brought together?
Adult Child/Dead Child which premiered at the Finborough in 1987; Why Is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt? which was at the Finborough; H to He (I’m turning into a man) in 1991, which premiered at the much missed Drill Hall in 2004; and See Primark and Die (Buy Little Buy Less Buy Nothing At All) also a Drill Hall production in 2010.
Are there particular themes that run across all the shows or are they individually unique?
They are all very different but underneath they are all about not being able to fit in. For instance Adult Child/Dead Child is about a loveless child who seeks solace in an imaginary friend. Why Is John Lennon Wearing a Skirt? is one person’s rant against school uniforms, work uniforms and the indoctrinated uniformity of females in the 60’s and 70’s, which alas persists. H to He explores ageing and change within perceived femininity. And See Primark and Die is about consumerism and a sudden inability to participate in it. Within all four is the trademark underlying questioning of sexuality and gender…and comedy too of course.
There’s a bit of a history between you, the Finborough Theatre and your director Colin Watkeys – can you tell us about that?
Oh the romance of it all! The destiny, the music, the fate! My first ever stand-up comedy gig was at the Finborough Cabaret which Colin ran. It was cancelled. Eventually though our paths crossed and I played there quite often. We became friends and went to a very boring awards ceremony where I passed the time telling Colin about a character that was bugging me. Colin said I should write a play, I said “I can’t I’m working class”, but thought “I’m going to have to otherwise Colin will steal it and write it himself.” (I was very paranoid in those days). The resultant ‘play’ Adult Child/Dead Child was first performed at the Finborough, funded by the London Poetry Society to the tune of £50. A very deep and meaningful partnership was born and continues to this day… and I’m also still friends with Colin!
Is performing these pieces yourself and live on stage an important part of their impact for you?
I would say it was important to me. As I mentioned earlier I felt I couldn’t write a conventional play, and neither did I want to. I always loved doing stand-up, but comedy meant it was difficult to go deeper than a punch line. So my goal was to marry the two, which of course meant doing it myself (in close collaboration with Colin) to explore, as you say, a new genre. Since then there have been many successful renditions of my work by other companies within that upfront style. And now that the final two plays have been published I hope that this will continue. As to whether it’s still important for me to perform them – June and July will tell.
Your work is performed internationally and has won awards worldwide. What is it about it that speaks across geographical and cultural boundaries?
I think it’s simply that one person’s struggles are generally universal. It’s no secret that I rant on about the insidiousness of so-called ‘normality’ – what a female is, what a male is, what we are all supposed to fit into. And where I might be struggling to ‘wear a dress and be a girl’ I’m sure somebody else in whatever country and whatever circumstance is also struggling in much the same way. It’s like learning to do the splits: it doesn’t come easily to anyone, but some are more flexible than others, and some just don’t see the point.
You’re renowned for challenging expectations of gender roles and now is a particularly raw and volatile time to be tackling the subject. How does it feel that over four decades your work still resonates with vibrant relevance?
I’m pleased that I’m still relevant but pretty depressed that there’s still such a way to go. It seems to be the same old rigmarole with each new group or person who stands up – outrage, panic and persecution. We are all repressed by what is accepted as ‘normal’ and yet we target the few groups or individuals who challenge it, rather than looking around and seeing how pernicious the brainwashing of mainstream society is.
Who do you hope will come to see these plays?
Everybody.
It’s a bit concerning that this is your ‘Swansong’ –are you finally about to retire to a bungalow with a Sun Life pen and some Horlicks, or will this repertoire have another life after this run?
Well there’s a question. I have actually been retired for a few years (and loving every minute of it, though the Sun Life pen is a bit blotchy). But being asked to do the Finborough, with what were four very successful shows at the time, was so tempting and such a neat ending that I couldn’t refuse. Whether there’s life in this old dog and their career we shall have to see, but I’m keeping my Horlicks warm.
Thanks so much to Claire for taking the time to tell us about this brilliant project. Watch out for ET reviews coming up in the very near future. Claire Dowie’s Swansong runs at Finborough Theatre from Tuesday 10 June to Saturday 5 July. Information on individual shows and booking details can be found here.
