The Oxford Hub, the organization that acts as the focal point for the university’s charitable activities and volunteering, is seeking to acquire property on Turl Street to be used as its central venue.
The building will be used to “house a cafe-bar-restaurant, hold events, incubate projects, provide training for volunteers, be a venue for like-minded charitably-inclined people to hang out, and a place where students can come to find out more about the issues that really matter to the local, national and international communities.”
Although Hannah MacDiarmid, OxHub President, sent out a message earlier in the week saying that the charity group is planning on buying the new venue, it has now been confirmed that they are looking to obtain the lease instead.
If OxHub is successful in its bid, the first floor of the venue will be dedicated to catering facilities, providing “high quality, ethically produced, affordable food.”
There are plans to include breakfast service, lunch, café service and evening dining and drinking. The rest of the venue space is to be used as “overspill for the cafe, providing informal workspace during the day” which would transition into a lounge bar in the evening.
O’Boyle is hoping that the revenue from these catering facilities “would generate the necessary funds” to pay for the lease.
“We really do think this will raise awareness of the Hub’s work and hope it will significantly improve town-gown relations by increasing the number of student volunteers involved with our projects and therefore making a positive contribution to the local community.
“We’re very excited about the venture so are doing all we can to put a winning bid together.”
Students have also expressed their enthusiasm for the idea. Claire Wright, a second-year student at Univ believes that this is “the most exciting Oxford project I’ve heard of yet.”
A microwebsite has been set up in order to promote the project, as well as a facebook group.
Ox Hub moves in
Small entertainer still at large
The victim of violent assault and theft was left lying on the ground at the St Hugh’s Ball in the early hours of last Sunday morning. The attacker, who was wearing a top hat, is believed to have been dressed as a juggler.
The sequence of events leading up to the assault begun in jest, but took an ominous turn when the student, who wished to remain anonymous, was hit so forcefully that she was knocked to the ground. Following this, her phone was allegedly snatched by the same stranger who had just hit her.
The student explained what happened: “We were standing near to the stranger and my friends thought it would be funny to take his top hat. It was done instantaneously, in a jovial manner.
“As soon as my friends had ran away with the hat, the man aggressively turned on me. I told him I did not know who the other girls were who had taken his hat. I just said this because I was scared of his aggressive manner.”
It was after this that the alleged assault took place. The student said, “I was holding my phone in my hand and he tried to wrestle it from me. Suddenly I felt some kind of hit, which knocked me to the ground. I was completely in shock as he ran off with my phone. By the time I had picked myself up, he had gone.”
The assault took place at around 2.30am in the main marquee, while the Queen tribute band was playing. After the assault, the student was taken by the security guard to receive first aid. She has subsequently reported the incident to the police who are treating it as “snatch theft”.
It is believed that the stranger was much too old to be a student. The victim of the assault recalled that her assailant had a shaved head with stubble, and was of particularly small stature.
The other distinguishing feature about the stranger was his large top hat. The ball committee are currently in possession of this hat, which they are treating as a vital piece of evidence in their search for the stranger.
The hat was handed to Eleanor Hale, President of the Ball Committee, at the end of the evening. Hale said, “I think it is really unlikely for the mugger to have been another student. He may have been a gatecrasher, but the fact that he had a hat – the one that the juggler was wearing – means he may well have been one of the jugglers.”
The student had been working at the St Hugh’s Ball as an assistant supervisor at the main stage until 11pm. Jeff Pole was in charge of the staff on the night, and has been involved in identifying the culprit. He said, “Quite a few people on the ball committee think it could be a juggler. We want to track down who the culprit was, and we are definitely going to follow this up.”
Zoe Burges, who was in charge of entertainment on the ball committee, urged caution in jumping to conclusions. She said, “The hat is very similar to that of our entertainment people. The problem is that anyone could have been wearing the hat – an audience member perhaps.”
She confirmed that the committee had been in contact with various entertainment companies in an attempt to identify the mystery attacker.
A spokesperson from Thames Valley Police said, “The incident was reported to us on Monday the 10th April. We were notified of an incident which occurred on Sunday 9th April at 2.30am at St Hugh’s College on St Margarets Road.
“The offender became aggressive and is believed to have hit the aggrieved, knocking her to the ground, and taking her mobile phone. We are treating the incident as robbery, specifically as snatch theft.
“We certainly will be launching an investigation into finding the culprit, and we will pursue all avenues of enquiry.”
Speaking of the ball in general, Eleanor Hale said, “Everything went really well, there was a really positive atmosphere. There was a bit of jostling at the tea party, and a few people were ejected due to drunkenness, but this violent mugging was a completely isolated incident.”
"Oxford is still not Detroit"
A student from Christ Church suffered injuries and temporary memory loss after being mugged on his way back to college after a night out at The Bridge last week.
Benjamin Anderson, an finalist Engineer, was attacked as he was walking past Hythe Bridge in the early hours of Friday 7th May.
“I was walking alone back to college after leaving The Bridge. The only thing I recall is the flash of a face, and I don’t remember anything until I was back at the porters’ lodge at my college,” said Anderson.
“I then spent the night at the A&E Department at the John Radcliffe Hospital until about 9am, where I had CT scans and an x-ray.”
Thames Valley Police confirmed that the incident took place at around 2am. A spokesperson said, “A man was assaulted near Hythe Bridge as he was walking towards George Street from Park End Street.
“The victim had his phone and wallet stolen, and suffered a temporary memory loss. He sustained cuts to his face, swelling to his eye area and has a chipped tooth.”
Thames Valley Police are still looking for witnesses to help identify the assailant. Anderson “recalls that the attacker was a white male, about 6 feet tall and had short hair.” Anderson said that he cannot remember exactly what the man looked like, and that the police are currently looking at CCTV footage in order to try and identify him.
“It’s all a bit hazy, the only thing I remember is him moving.”
Anderson said that he was “not traumatized, but definitely pissed off. This is not something I would have expected to happen to me, having been in Oxford for three years. It’s not like you shouldn’t go out at all, but it is important to keep your wits about you.”
Following the incident, Ian Watson, the Christ Church Junior Censor, circulated an e-mail to students, suggesting precautions in order to avoid being attacked when out at night.
The e-mail read: “Some of you will already know that another Junior Member of Christ Church was attacked last night, on leaving The Bridge in the early hours.
Although, fortunately, his injuries are less serious than they at first seemed, the attack seems to be have been vicious.”
After highlighting the need to be careful when out late at night, and saying that it is better to leave in groups rather than alone, the e-mail warned that “size matters, but in a perverse way.”
Watson said, “Across the country, large males are the most likely group to be attacked, because they seem worthy targets to inebriated male assailants (by far the most common category).
“It’s no use thinking that if you are large and sporty you will be able to defend yourself. You won’t, because the attack will probably be over before you have time to react. Oxford is still not Detroit, but there is a need for great care nonetheless.”
One student told Cherwell, “I never think twice about walking home alone at night. I always think of Oxford as such a safe place, regardless of the time of day”.
Dani Quinn, OUSU Vice President for Welfare, circulated a message to JCRs urging caution to students. “Students are one of the most likely groups to fall victim to crime. It’s easy to avoid trouble if you know what you’re doing. Don’t be a statistic: take basic steps to avoid a bad ending to a great night.”
Rad-ical changes planned for Infirmary
The University’s £200m plans to develop the Radcliffe Infirmary site look set to be approved after a favourable planning officers’ report to the city councillors.
The Press Office confirmed that they would be applying for planning permission this month. Work could then begin on the 10 acre site at the end of this year, and would be completed by 2013.
The plans are to create a Humanities building with an underground library and a 5 storey Maths department at the former hospital. The listed Infirmary building on Woodstock Road will be used for offices; the listed chapel for meetings, exhibitions and performances, while the former outpatients building will form a new home for the Ruskin School of Art. Two pedestrian and cycle routes would be created linking Woodstock Road and Walton Street.
The University has agreed to construct a new building to replace the Jericho Health Centre.
A spokesman said that the planned development was “very much in the Oxford tradition”, with areas of lawn planned for the north of the site, near the Observatory Gardens of Green-Templeton College.
The site represents the last remaining large plot of land available for development in the historic heart of the city.
It was excavated over the summer by a team of archaeologists from the Museum of London, and evidence of human occupation from the Neolithic/Bronze Age periods was discovered.
Professor Anthony Monaco, chairman of the Oxford’s Radcliffe Observatory Quarter board, said, “This offers state-of-the-art teaching space, while offering new avenues through the site, exciting courtyards, gardens and squares, all with views of the Radcliffe Observatory.”
Opinion among students has been generally favourable. Oliver Cox, a student at University College, said that “I think it’s great that such a historic building is being reincorporated into the University community.”
Online Review – Pool (no water)
In the beginning, says Aristotle, there was just a chorus. They sang and they danced and wove stories until one day an Athenian genius called Thespis – the eponymous father of theatre – reached into the chorus and pulled out a single character. That day, drama began.
Whether by accident or by design, Mark Ravenhill has reinvented this wheel. Experimental theatre has brought stagecraft round full circle, and watching Pool (no water) is a little bit like watching drama being discovered for the first time. Out of the chorus of nameless, listless failed artists, ‘She’ emerges – successful, charismatic, the world’s new epicentre. The chorus love her, they resent her, they cannot take their eyes off her, they come when she calls and yet they hate her with frightening passion. ‘I could tear out your hair,’ says one, ‘rip off your clothes and spit right there in your cunt.’
‘She’ invites her old associates to come and see the pool she has had built, the symbol of her success in life. They cannot but follow her. They celebrate their reunion, drink themselves into a slumber and then She suggests they go skinnydipping in her new pool at midnight. She leads the way. And, just as this threatens to turn into a Friendly Fires song, you remember the title. Pool. No water. At the climax of her happiness, the central character falls and lands in a mangled heap on the concrete.
This moment should be bathetic in every sense of the word, but it works. She lies there screaming, as one of the chorus says, ‘more of an animal, less of an angel or a god,’ and a terrible, tragic, reflective silence falls. The rest of the play is a painfully intense examination of the chorus’ feelings of resentment and inadequacy, of the uncomfortable gaps between what we think a man ought to be and what he is.
Sarah MacCready has put together a production with an absolute command of mood. The tone switches with jaw-dropping suddenness from elation to morning-after realism, and drags the viewer along with it. The cast overact furiously, throwing you off balance so that you are never quite sure where you stand in relation to the play. As the actors unfold their weaknesses, their doubts, their anxieties, they draw the audience in to those same worries. They implore you for forgiveness. They disgust you, and yet you know they are like you.
The acting is raw and dynamic, as the chorus constantly change their patterns of interaction and the configuration of the stage to match the mood of the piece. They are not individuals, but they do not have the collective identity of the Greek chorus either; instead, a single human personality seems to have been diffracted across five people. It is a bit like deconstructed cuisine, where the ingredients of a familiar dish are served separately, each done to perfection. The five actors manage this very well on the whole, although from time to time one or two do not look entirely comfortable. There is an air of engaging spontaneity about everything that they do.
I do not mean to say that you will like this play. Pool (no water), like so much experimental theatre, still feels a banal need to flout its ‘edginess,’ screaming ‘CUNT!’ every other minute and casting off clothing and references to heroin addiction left, right and centre. But I will say that you should give it a chance. Let it slip under your skin, let it question your sanity, let it pick you up and bear you wherever it will, and you will be taken out of yourself and totally immersed in the pool. This is a rattling, gripping, teasing production, a can of Relentless to the slumbrous ruby port of your average garden play. Give it a shot.
Verdict: I looked at you I knew you wanted to…
Pool (no water) is on in the Amphitheatre at Saint Catherine’s on Saturday 15th May at 8.30pm and Sunday 16th May at 6pm. Entrance is free.
Disabled drop-out on the rise
A Cherwell investigation has found that the drop-out rate for disabled students from Oxford has become disproportionately high.
Disabled provision at certain colleges is also still remarkably poor.
In the 2008-2009 academic year, 18 of 114 total undergraduate student withdrawals were made by disabled students, as well as 9 of 170 graduate withdrawals.
This puts the level of disabled undergraduate withdrawals at 16% of the total, even though disabled students make up only around 4% of the student body.
This high rate of withdrawal is a marked increase on the previous year. In 2007-2008, disabled students comprised only around 7% of both undergraduate and graduate withdrawals.
Zoe Hallam, an undergraduate at St. John’s College who suffers from Muscular Dystrophy, said, “I’m very surprised at the withdrawal rate, as I’ve always found the support here excellent. Oxford is really good for disabled provision.
“However the majority of disabled students suffer from learning-related disabilities. The high academic pressure here probably makes it harder for those who find work difficult anyway. It’s hard to imagine how they would cope.”
The most visible impact of a lack of provision is for students with physical or sensory disabilities, for whom there are more activities out of reach and complications to overcome due to accessibility. Several colleges still do not have the facilities required by these students, and the drop-out rate indicates that Oxford may not be making enough provision for them.
Nikki Emerson, a disabled student at Magdalen College, told Cherwell of mixed experience at Oxford.
One tutor went out of his way to move a lecture out of the Physiology lecture theatre so that he could hold a tutorial with Nikki there, because he was not sure that any other room would have suitable access.
However, Nikki said that getting around Oxford is difficult for students in wheelchairs. “Cobbles are rubbish, there are no drop kerbs, and often roadworks run across the entire pavement. Getting around the city can be an absolute nightmare.”
Nikki also pointed out that Vincent’s and the Oxford Union do not have lifts, making access to any floor other than the ground floor impossible for her and other students with mobility difficulties.
However, it is not possible to install lifts into these listed buildings.
In the 2006-2007 academic year, 1,079 Oxford students declared a disability, with the number rising to 1,223 for 2007-2008 and again to 1,273 for 2008-2009.
Currently, there are 56 students who are wheelchair users or have other mobility difficulties, 41 students who are deaf or have hearing impairments, and 53 who are blind or partially sighted.
However, a high proportion of disabilities affecting students are unseen: last year at Oxford there were 616 students with dyslexia, 177 with an illness such as epilepsy or diabetes, 95 with mental health problems, and 39 on the autistic spectrum or diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome.
Oxford gives overall ratings across the colleges for access for disabled students.
According to the most recent ratings on a scale of five stars, the most accessible colleges are Kellogg with five stars, St. Anne’s and St. Catherine’s with four and a half stars, and Wadham with four stars.
On the other side of the coin, the least accessible colleges are Harris Manchester, Green Templeton, and All Souls with one and a half stars, and Brasenose with only one.
Currently there is no way for a wheelchair user to access Brasenose’s dining hall, College bar, or library as there are only stairs and no ramps. There are ramps leading into the JCR and from the lodge into the Old Quad, but little else.
However, Brasenose is embarking on a renovation scheme entitled ‘Project Q’, which aims to create more accessible facilities and open up access to its food, drink and books for disabled students.
The JCR President at Mansfield College, Andrew Campbell, said “Currently at Mansfield we have no wheelchair users, however there is a potential fresher arriving next year who is. This means that we do not have any permanent ramps into and out of college, however we do have temporary ones which can be used when necessary.
“We also have chairlifts to reach the dining hall, and a disability room with ground floor access and an easy access shower. Personnel-wise we have a disability officer who is present at Governing Body and Welfare committee to speak in the interests of those who have difficulty accessing college.”
Very few colleges have disability representatives in their JCRs, and even fewer have a disability officer.
At St. Anne’s, there is a full-time Student Disability Officer, Zoe Sparrowhawk, who works with the Senior Tutor, College Secretary, Tutors, doctors and the University Disability Office and is available to speak to at any stage of studies about any queries or concerns. She also helps to organise any special arrangements disabled students may require for exams.
But Mansfield and St. Anne’s are exceptional colleges with regards to the employment of officers and the accessibility of their facilities.
Emily Crawford, a current disabled student, says in the OUSU Alternative prospectus that Oxford “is still a place in transition in terms of providing access to people with disabilities.”
Zoe Hallam said the only major problem she has encountered as a student with a disability was the information she received when applying to Oxford. She says she had to spend several days scouting colleges to see whether they would suit her requirements.
All colleges have at least one disabled parking space, with the exception of Brasenose, Lincoln, St. Cross, St. Hugh’s, and Wadham.
Merton has 17 disabled-access rooms for students, Balliol has 7, and Brasenose and St. Anne’s both have 6. Those with the least are Exeter, Kellogg, Lincoln, Nuffield, and Green Templeton.
One positive point is that disabled students in 2008, who comprised 4% of the applicant pool, had a success rate in gaining a place comparable to that of the general student population. They were admitted at a rate of 23.5% as compared to a general rate of 24.7%. In the two years prior, the numbers were similar, with disabled students comprising 4.4% of the 2007 applicant pool admitted at a rate of 25.4% as compared to the overall 23%, and in 2006 comprising 3.9% of the applicant pool and in fact gaining admission at a higher rate of 28% than the average of 25.3%.
Danielle Fraser-Solomon, chair of the OUSU Campaign for Students with Disabilities, says “My main advice to prospective students has always been that having a disability should not prevent anyone from applying, and I then advise students who have been accepted to ask for advice and support from the Disability Advisory Service.
“The Disability Advisory Service provides a lot of support, but many students are unaware of what they are entitled to, which is something that I’m trying to change.”
They are currently working on a poster campaign to inform students about provisions such as free bus passes and the Disabled Students’ Allowance. Awareness does seem to be on the increase – according to University statistics, the number of students who receive a Disabled Students’ Allowance has risen over the past three years, from 329 during 2006-2007, 373 in 2007-2008, and 440 in 2008-2009.
When asked what might be most helpful in terms of improving both awareness and accessibility, Fraser-Solomon thought that “the addition of the position of ‘SWD officer’ to more JCR and MCR executive committees, to help raise disability related issues on a college level” would be most useful.
Review: Measure for Measure
Measure for Measure
Keble O’Reilly,
19th-22nd May, 7.30pm
Verdict: as you’ll like it
Matthew Monaghan’s production of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure begins with music – Verdi to go with his Italian setting, and Paolo Conte for the atmosphere of a brothel. The cast listens, and then two actresses appear to be in perfect harmony with the music as one rapes the other. It is an impressive, terrifying scene, and it is far from the only gripping thing about this production. Cherwell only saw a limited number of scenes, because two important actresses were ill. To compensate, we spoke with the director. That, but most of all what was on show, promised a stunning production.
This is immediately apparent in the acting. All the characters are played brilliantly and forcefully. Some did not yet know their lines, and still were utterly convincing. No one stood out disproportionally, but you are certain to be struck by the portrayal of the stoic, yet cruel Angelo – cast, like all male characters, as a woman. He (she?) is haunting, muscular and imperious. Monaghan’s choice of a cast of women is interesting, in a play he says is about ‘rape, oppression, and sexual hypocrisy’. Is having such a cast feminist, or is it the opposite – a lad’s dream? I think this production invites us to reflect upon that question. But if we are meant to wonder whether a woman can be convincingly brutal, even misogynistic, then the portrayal of Angelo does give an answer: Yes of course.
There are lighter moments too. Mistress Overdone, a prostitute running a brothel, is played by the only man in the cast, adding high heels to the confusion.
And there’s more. Measure for Measure is set in fascist 1940’s Venice, further pressing the struggle between authority and resistance. Monaghan has changed the script to bring out the violence and ambiguity of the play. He makes Shakespeare’s text sufficiently ‘new’, and the production certainly carries a lot of weight. There is no doubt that you will be genuinely touched by Measure for Measure – and that is rare. But will it perhaps be too much? Too many good ideas on the whole, and too much force in each scene? I’m not sure, but I’m certainly going to find out. So should you.
Patch me if you can
Lily Allen, Dizzee Rascal, Patch Who? Papers have been a-buzz with chatter about these unknown youngsters, and for good reason. Patch William’s ‘The Last Bus’ has been nominated for best song musically and lyrically by the Ivor Novello Awards, which are typically the domain of U2, Amy Winehouse, Eric Clapton, and most recently, Elbow. So why Patch William?
The band are gathered around the kitchen table of their producer’s semi-detached in Parson’s Green, London. Frontman Will Adlard stands out as the folksy, creative epicentre, his skinny frame made gaunter still by his thinner-than-paper jeans and enough alternative jewellery to set up a stall on Brick Lane.
Both his older brother Ed, on drums, and guitarist George Eddy take a more ‘blank canvas’ approach with vaguely indie T-shirts and jeans; they are there to ensure the band doesn’t stray too far from their rock ‘n’ roll roots. ‘The skeleton of Will’s songs is usually pretty folky,’ George remarks. ‘I have a pretty rock-centric background to my drumming, though,’ adds Ed.
The group’s girl-in-residence, Ali Digby, stands up for herself in the wake of the boys’ teasing, replete with obligatory Wayfarers and blonde locks. She was first brought in as a supporting cello player on the band’s game-changing, Ivor-nominated song, ‘The Last Bus’. She learnt the bass from scratch in a matter of weeks, just in time to clinch their publishing deal with Chrysalis.
The band are in no doubt about their good fortune in being discovered by their producer Steve Levine. ‘That element of luck is key in this industry,’ says Ali. Their break on BBC Introducing last year was only the tip of the iceberg; the show’s Tom Robinson, Will’s ‘mentor’ at school, bumped into Levine on the street.
Evidently they are thankful for their good fortune, and they know how different things could have been. ‘We’re lucky with Steve guiding us,’ emphasises George. ‘There’s such an oversaturation of companies and people that’ll say stuff and never go through with it.’ ‘It’s a minefield of bad managers, record labels and promoters,’ agrees Ed.
How did the Novellos come into the picture? ‘Steve thought we might as well put the track forward, I didn’t even know he’d done it…we got these letters…it was bizarre,’ mumbles a grinning Will.
But young bands get lucky for a reason. And their recently released album proves they won’t just be a one-hit wonder: Will’s vocals have an arresting clarity, and the clean, summery electro-acoustics can shift from sweeping melancholia to grittier up-tempo solos. The well-worn streets of adolescent yearning are recast in glowing riffs. If the eponymous album should be played at a time of day, it should be sunset.
The parabolic progression of the album ends gearing us up for the night. ‘‘The Last Bus’ is the defining flip because the first few songs are pretty mellow and fun, then it gets darker,’ George explains. The flagship song is indeed superbly crafted, and provides the contemplative fulcrum, a nebulous fabric of harmonies woven together by mournful cello strings.
Lyrically, London has made its mark. Will feels indebted to his city: ‘I haven’t really left London for an extended period of time…ever.”‘
Ali finds the band’s variation in styles stems from their different musical upbringings. ‘There’s a lot of musical friction,’ she says, ‘and we’ve only recently realised that’s a good thing’ Her eyes glint as she talks of a jam-packed summer of tours and gigs. ‘New York,’ she sighs. Start spreading the news, because Patch William are here to stay.
Review: In the Land of the Free
Release: 4th May (limited)
Director: Vadim Jean
Starring: Samuel L Jackson, Robert King, Herman Wallace
Verdict: Unjustly overlooked
The story of the Angola 3 is this: three black men, all involved with the political activism of the black panthers in the late 60’s, found their way to solitary confinement in Angola state penitentiary in Louisiana. There, they would jointly spend over a century confined to a 6x9x12 ft cell, not for their original crimes, but for murders committed inside Angola and blamed on them.
Guided by interviews with the immensely likeable Robert King – the only member of the Angola 3 out of prison – and Samuel Jackson’s voiceover, the documentary uses this case to remind one of the injustices, past and present, hidden in America’s judicial system.
Director Vadim Jean splits screen time between examining the psychological effects of solitary confinement, the racial tension of the 1970’s and the apparent miscarriage of justice that led to the men’s imprisonment. This is not a hard headed exploration of their cases, and if there is one criticism to be made, it is of a slight lack of focus. The film seems a little unsure of what it wants to be, and paints quite a broad picture rather than going for specifics.
But it is a compelling picture nevertheless. The portrayal of the deprivations of freedom are terrifying and nicely contrasted with the mental strength of those subjected to them. Whether or not these men are ‘guilty’ is never entirely resolved, but if the film seems a little one sided its only because the evidence is so damning. You will be outraged.
It’s a tightly constructed documentary, splitting footage taken of Angola prison with snippets of the incarcerated men’s voices to great effect. Again, the tone can feel a little predictable (I found some of the musical backing unnecessary) but in general it’s hard to tell if that’s the film’s own flaw or a consequence of the material its dealing with. Towards the end, the film strays slightly into sentimentality, but the rest is so riveting I’m inclined to let it slide because they’ve earned it.
It would be too easy to dismiss the film as inconsequential, detailing a shady past which America has progressed from, but the uncomfortable truth is that this documentary has never been more relevant. I thoroughly recommend it.
Review: Sus
Release: 7th May
Director: Robert Heath
Starring: Ralph Brown, Clint Dyer, Rafe Spall
Verdict: Arresting and provoking
As I write this, the county is probably one day away from a Tory government. On the eve-or indeed in the wake of an election about fundamental change to our society, I cannot think of a more relevant film than Sus.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be this way. Written as a piece of ‘instant political theatre’ in 1979 and set on the night of Thatcher’s election, Sus is an exploration of institutional prejudices, the nature of law enforcement, and just how seriously we should treat every erosion of liberty that governments, old and new, try to make us complicit in.
A little background: the titular Sus laws made it a crime for ‘a suspected person or reputed thief to frequent or loiter in a public place with intent to commit an arrestable offence’. Essentially, they gave police the power to arrest anyone based purely on suspicion. These laws were directly responsible for the intense race rioting of the early eighties, which led to their abolishment.
The film centres on a single police interrogation, played out between Delroy (Clint Dyer), a young black man, and his two police interviewers, played by Ralph Brown and Rafe Spall. Delighted by the prospect of a Tory landslide, the two policemen mix cheerful banter about the Thatch and callous interrogation with terrifying ease. From the minute the film begins the audience’s discomfort is ratcheted up as the dynamic between Delroy and his interviewers grows steadily more sinister.
Considering the whole film is set in a single room, Sus lives or dies on its performances. I felt on occasion Spall’s performance was slightly theatrical, but then again he was also the scariest thing about the whole film, so consider it a minor gripe. Dyer and Brown are also excellent, never letting the tension relent for a second. In a film filled with minute attention to character’s expressions and emotions, that’s no mean feat.The production itself is simple and tight. We are introduced to the film via a montage of election footage and rioting, and Thatcher’s sound bites mock us in a fantastic final tracking shot, but aside from that there are few cinematic flourishes. Like many theatre to film adaptations, it does suffer slightly from the limitations of the source material. The direction is nicely varied within the space of the interrogation room, with tracking shots and blurred close-ups of characters expressions adding some welcome variety, but ultimately you are watching a filmed play. Whether this bothers you is a matter of personal taste.
Either way, Sus is a film to make you think twice about political doublespeak, and the reasonable limitations of our own freedom as you stand in the ballot box.