The world premiere of Kevin Armento’s thrilling political drama Devil With The Blue Dress stars Emma Handy, Dawn Hope, Daniella Isaacs, Flora Montgomery and Kristy Philipps.
Directed by The Bunker’s Artistic Director Joshua McTaggart, this exciting new production interrogates America’s biggest political sex scandal of all time: The Monica Lewinsky Scandal. The production unfolds across two timelines – in 1995 when the affair took place and in 1998 when it burst into public view and almost took down the Clinton presidency. In Armento’s dramatisation of this shocking scandal, we are taken along the corridors of power and through the closed doors behind which the abuse of that power took place.
We caught up with the cast to find out more.
What can you tell us about Devil with the Blue Dress?
Kristy: It’s about a blue dress.
(laughter)
Daniella: I’ll try–It’s about five strong women who were key in one of the defining moments of American politics in the 90s…re-examined through the lens of #metoo
Emma: The abuse of power, mainly men in power, and their effect on women.
Dawn: [Women]’s positions in a very compromised situation thrust upon them–how they respond and how they see everyone else.
Flora: At the root of it is five characters tackling a situation in their own individual way, which makes it fascinating. How five different stories come out of one situation. Through the play, we’re given hindsight and that’s the tragic element of the play: given hindsight most characters would have behaved differently. But that is the luxury and the tragedy of hindsight—that when you view something that happened 20 years ago, you can see the mistakes you made and the consequences that it had on other people around you.
Kristy: Although every single character has very different courses throughout the play and strong beliefs, you can relate to every single one.
Emma: …including Linda.
Tell us about your characters?
Flora Montgomery on Hillary Clinton: We meet Hillary at three chapters of her life. One is the present Hillary who given the breathing space today, can review her life, and there is one chapter of her life that she has never looked into. She goes back into her memory to look at how she supported her husband during his administration and when told about an alleged affair. We see her decisions at that time to carry on beside him…to further her political career, his political career, and their union.
Daniella Isaacs on Monica Lewinsky: I love Monica. And I can understand Monica very well. The Monica we meet in this play is one that still believes she was loved by Bill Clinton. Monica fell in love and Monica is extremely naïve and emotional and follows her heart without thinking of the kind of pragmatic consequences. She got herself into a very messy situation, and I think within this play she doesn’t realize who is just equally responsible is the man who gets away with it.
Dawn Hope on Betty Currie: Betty Currie was a political person who worked for both the Republicans and the Democrats. What she loved most was serving her country. Loyalty and serving her country…That’s what drives her…rightly or wrongly.
Emma Handy on Linda Tripp: Linda Tripp aka the big fat snitch…In 1998 January was the most hated woman in the United States of America. Actually, if you look at her life, you can understand why she did what she did…She does not regret what she did because she thought that they were in danger. Vince Foster, she thinks, was killed, was murdered…So she thinks she’s done the right thing.
Kristy Phillips on Chelsea Clinton: Chelsea is very young in this situation. She’s a teenager. You’re very self-conscious at that age and not only does she have those pressures, but she’s also the center of attention because her parents are famous. Not only that, but her dad then fucks up and she has to deal with the pressures of being a teenager and also something that isn’t her fault.
How have you got to know each other?
Flora: It’s been fabulous. Five girls working in a room together—I think it’s safe and you can feel vulnerable…no feeling of not being able to make mistakes
Emma: It’s such a lovely company.
Dawn: We have embraced each other really quickly.
How do you think London audiences will react to this story of American history?
Flora: They will hopefully go away going, ‘I wonder if Hillary would have done the same thing. I wonder if Monica would have done the same thing. If this situation happened today, I wonder if it would have played out differently.’ And that’s the interesting thing. After #metoo, would Bill be able to do the same thing? Would Monica have been stronger, more aware? Would Hillary have felt that in order to be a politician herself–would she have to stand by her husband? Or would it be seen as stronger to do her own thing?
Have you learned anything new about the scandal since starting work on Devil With The Blue Dress?
Dawn: Betty and Linda were friends! I didn’t know that before.
Kristy: Bill Clinton’s a vegan.
Emma: Is he actually?
Daniella: …cleansing his soul.
(laughter)
Daniella: The thing that has hit me the most is the cheapness of the media. And the entrenched gender bias.
Devil With The Blue Dress is at The Bunker Theatre, Thursday 29th March – Saturday 28th April 2018.
