DOGFIGHT: Spring 2020
A note from the Director- Anna Chippendale
In March 2020, we managed to sneak in three performances of Dogfight, our Term 2 small show, five days before UCL shut down due to COVID-19. Based on the film of the same name and with a score written by acclaimed duo Pasek & Paul, Dogfight follows the story of US Marine Eddie and waitress Rose during the sixties in San Francisco. At the beginning of the show, Eddie is out for his final night in the US before deployment to Vietnam, participating in a cruel game with his fellow Marines. A ‘dogfight’ is a game in which Marines put money into a pot and all go out in search of what they deem to be the ‘ugliest’ woman to bring to a party. Whoever then brings the ‘ugliest’ woman (as judged by his peers) wins the money. Eddie finds Rose in a diner, and takes her as his date. What is a heartless, vile and hideous game played by a bunch of misogynists is then flipped on its head and given a feminist voice via Rose upon finding out the rules of the game. In this way, the show shifts. What starts as a plot centred on misogyny and debauchery becomes much more complex, with feminism and the impact of war interwoven as vital themes throughout the duration of the show. Dogfight is a complex, gritty, dynamic and - at some points - warm show, which was a pleasure to direct.
Directing Dogfight required in-depth research and great sensitivity when approaching the material. At eleven, our cast was larger than most small shows (which typically have around 4-5 members), which made the rehearsal process more challenging but all the more fun. Without a doubt, my favourite thing about directing the show was the immense amount of creative collaboration between myself and the actors. In my opinion, great direction requires great collaboration: the moments of breakthrough that sparked greater curiosity and creativity were the ones which manifested as a result of conversations with the actors. I’ve always been a performer and feel fairly well-versed in how theatre works operationally, but it wasn’t until I started directing myself that I realised how collaborative and energising the process of making theatre can truly be.
