In David Williamson's play, "The Club", he cleverly highlights certain personalities of each of his characters. Using three scenes in this play, I will discuss how he uses dialogue to emphasise each character's unique role and aspects which make them who they are.
In this first act I will discuss the small scene in which the club's first grade player, Danny Rowe, threatens a player strike to the committee and coach who have just been recently discussing player and club matters.
My second scene will be where Ted and Laurie attempt to negotiate a truce with each other so they can sort out the problems they are receiving with the press. Also talk about problems with Geoff Hayward and history and their passion for the game.
Last scene of all is the scene in act two, where Geoff takes Jock into his confidence, which is where Geoff discusses his personal problems to Jock.
Williamson uses many techniques to reflect each of his characters struggles, agenda, motivation, ego, attitudes and power they possess within the club.
His techniques used to emphasise his character's dialogue are exciting and clever. Mixes many techniques to make each character unique and important throughout the play to uphold and structure the whole play. He uses techniques like exaggeration, understatement, irony, politeness, vulgarity, flattery, insult, corporate speak, colloquialism, colourful imagery and pure invective.
In the first scene selected the characters Danny, Ted, Jock, Gerry and Laurie are involved in a club argument considering player strikes, past traditions and questions on each person's loyalty and love for the sport/club. It begins the scene with Danny barging into the club's "hall of fame" in the middle of Jock, Ted, Laurie and Gerry's discussion on player and club matters. When Danny barges in with the strike threat, Jock is the first to say something in disgust, “strike? I'll give the bastards strike!” showing Jocks strong disapproval of the strike threat. Jock constantly brings up his disapproval of the strike for a while, using repetition of the word “strike?”. After this strong retaliation from Jock, Danny is put to the side with only small things to say and is constantly interrupted by other characters.
The argument about the strike continues through this scene, all characters having a go about the strike, whilst Jock and Ted aim to offend Danny. Jock begins a speech about how the past "greats" would be “rolling in their graves' if they heard anything about a strike, and how back in the days players would of have played in "the depression" for free, in this scene Jock is the main retaliant of the strike and is set to be aggressive and offensive, showing his loyalty is only to the club and the game and importantly, himself. Ted throughout this scene just supports all of Jock's insults and is just a lackey. Laurie disapproves of the whole idea of the team strike even thought it is to save his career as the teams coach, this scene shows Laurie's only loyalty is to the team and its players to win/earn "the flag".
The second scene is a negotiation between the characters Ted and Laurie, they both attempt to make a truce with each other so it is possible to have a good response to the press. To prevent any rumours to be spread about the club. The negotiation does not start of well, with Ted laying in the offensive early into the scene where he abuses Laurie's coaching techniques; the way he uses his players on the field and not using Geoff instead of Danny. In this scene it shows Ted's more stubborn, ignorant and aggressive side, whilst it shows Laurie's more defensive, aggressive side. Laurie seems to be the more professional characters (along with Gerry) and shows this by keeping their cool and being more laid back when backed into a corner.
Experience Through Language
The last scene mentioned is an interesting and unique scene aimed to surprise and in a way entertains the audience. It involves the characters Jock and Geoff. In this scene Jock attempts to be friendly with Geoff and try to bond with him as he did in the past with his old teams. Before Geoff "opens" up to him, he offers Jock a smoke and so then Geoff takes advantage of him. Jock begins his bonding by tyring to gain his trust by taking his side in Laurie and Geoff's personal feud, saying that he is a bad coach and he has not yet won a flag for the team whilst he toots his own horn saying he has won four. Geoff, knowing what Jock is attempting to do, says it's "about women" and that he has problems with "performing with women". Jock reacts in a humorous way, reacting with such surprise and discomfort.
Geoff begins by hesitating what he is going to say, show his discomfort too, about opening up to Jock. Geoff then tells Jock a shocking story about his life, about why he has not been playing to his fullest potential. He tells him the story of his legless sister and him making love, Jock responds with the greatest disapproval and shock. Thinking this was all, Geoff surprises Jock with another problem, which involved his mother and his sister at the same time, also his dad observing what was happening then committing suicide the next few days because of what he has said. Jock having enough and high off the smokes has enough and says it straight to Geoff, “I have to lay it on the line I'm afraid, Geoff. It wasn't right to get involved with your sister or your mother”. In this scene it shows Jock's other side, his dull caring side, where he can show loyalty to his players too. Geoff on the other hand shows his more open side, showing his problems instead of keeping it to himself as he usually does (what we know at this point).
