Actors juggle faces for a living, but Lisa Dwan is a multi-faceted artist off screen, too. Writer, actress, director, academic and now star of the detective noir, Blackshore, Dwan is an undefinable testament to the love of the craft. THE REAL sat down with Lisa ahead of the first season premiere of Blackshore, to talk Beckett and every artistic endeavour in between.
By Maisy Nichols
Huge congratulations on Blackshore! Why do you think audiences keep returning to these “Nordic noir” shows about detectives with personal ties to hometown crimes? Are you personally a fan of the genre?
Thank you! I think it’s the relatability of characters such as these that people connect with. Where the primary character is an outsider or an exile returning to their ‘home’ gives great perspective. I feel really proud of this show, and I feel that this show is incredibly and thoughtfully character-led with a terrific Irish cast where people will become immediately invested.
Crime shows, specifically revolving around lone detectives, so often star men. How does your character’s gender interact with her role as a detective, especially with the context that she is punished for intervening in a sexual assault at the start of the series?
I think one of the hurdles I enjoyed exploring with Daithe, our director, is the pressure for any female to always be “likeable”. I enjoyed pushing against this, not simply to make a point but because it felt more truthful to the character of Fia and her past and who she is and was contending with. I didn’t want patronising societal expectations to get in the way of her and the story’s truth.
Your recent television roles boast projects like Bloodlands and Top Boy, gritty dramas that dissect social issues through the lens of marginalised communities. How important is it to you, as an actor, writer, and academic, that we continue to integrate unflinching political discussion into our media?
I tend to focus primarily on the personal truth of every story and every project and every character. I think only when we get that right does the personal become political, but I’ve no interest in serving a polemic or a political agenda of any persuasion. I feel it is my job to find and tell the truth, or truths, as it were, as there are often many conflicting truths and that’s when things become more complex and for me more exciting.
As a writer, do you think that there’s anything we’re still missing? A particular social issue or taboo that you’d be particularly eager to portray on screen?
I still think that in general we are quite far away from seeing women depicted properly on our screens and within the whole industry. We still have to shake off so many societal expectations and work hard to let women occupy primary space both in front of the camera and behind. It has certainly improved a great deal from when I started, but it’s important to recognise that we still have a way to go, whilst also been cautious of the dreaded backlash.
Let’s talk a little about ventures outside of TV. You’ve become such a huge part of Samuel Beckett’s theatre, from performing in countless productions to lecturing and writing articles on his work. When something is such a huge part of your work, does it become hard to separate yourself from it? Do you actively have to stop yourself from approaching roles from a Beckett-esque angle?
I honestly feel so fortunate to have had the experiences I’ve had working in Beckett’s world. It has enhanced my life in so many ways and I would go as far to say that Beckett introduced me to myself. Beckett does away with narratives altogether and focuses instead on instances of emotional and human truth. It’s incredibly liberating to be given the opportunity to drop and let go of stories of ‘ourselves’ and see what prison narratives can be and how they operate and who they serve. I hope I never lose what Beckett has taught me and I’d love to expose more people (especially women) to this freedom.
How important is it to you that both actors and audiences continue to return to these classic theatre pieces, in an industry where the revolving door of new streaming content is becoming even more enticing?
I think in the last few years, probably driven by social media, artistic directors of theatres have felt compelled to chase projects that are ‘relevant’ and reflect our times and in some cases, this push for relevance can be at odds with recognising a good play. I worry that we are going to miss the next Beckett or the next masters of our generation with this focus. I also miss rigour in theatre, which can and maybe should bring with it an intensity that’s not expected in a modern workplace. I personally only really feel safe in a room developing work with people whose primary purpose it is to serve the work and bring extreme professionalism and dedication to this. When we all share a common goal like this, extraordinary things can happen. I feel extremely lucky to have worked with people like this.
How have your multiple residences in universities such as Princeton and Colombia impacted and enhanced your career as an actor? What is the most rewarding aspect of these residences?
My work in the universities gave me the time and resources to develop work properly, to examine texts forensically and build solid foundations particularly in my most ambitious projects like No’s Knife at the Old Vic and Pale Sister. I would not have been able to afford the time to do this otherwise without their help. I love teaching and even though in my early life I did everything to avoid an academic life it gives me great joy to realise that somehow, I ended up here. I was once looking at a Master’s programme that sounded interesting and I was seriously thinking of applying despite my insecurity and self-doubt and it was only when I was reading about the course that I discovered that I was one of the teachers on it!
With Blackshore being released on October 19, what else are you looking forward to in terms of future projects?
I’m incredibly excited to begin shooting a very exciting series in London in a few weeks’ time. Unfortunately, I can’t talk about it yet, but I’ll be starring alongside some of my great heroes of the screen and its always great to be filming in the same city where you live.
Blackshore is available to watch on UKTV now.
Follow Lisa on Instagram @dwanlisa
