Spider: Play about drama school misconduct lifts curtain on trauma behind the scenes

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2024

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A new play, written by a former drama student, tells the story of a flawed acting school teacher whose out-of-date and unethical practices land him in deep trouble with his students.

Spider is set in a fictional drama school and the writer and director, Jude Benning, says the lead character – Frank Dowling – is a composite of people who still work in the industry.

It’s run at the Riverside Studios, in London, and comes after a Sky News investigation in November last year uncovered misconduct and harassment in some of Britain’s leading conservatoires.

Speaking to Sky News, Ms Benning says a play exposing disturbing behaviour – through a narrative of black comedy and adventure – is needed now more than ever.

“There’s a sort of cult-type aspect to some drama teaching,” she says.

“There are characters in power that traditionally have always run away with their power and found it difficult to be aware of themselves and be aware of creating a safe environment for students.”

Experiences Ms Benning has researched and heard about have influenced her directing style.

“As one example, last night the cast had a party and I can’t be at that party among them, I can’t have alcohol with them,” she says.

“I have to be really strict about my boundaries, because we have to keep a nice professional balance.

“I think it’s very difficult not to, as a leader, as a director, or a teacher, not to want to get in with everybody and socialise and be a friend, but that’s when things start getting a little bit blurred.”

It’s quite common for teachers and leaders to socialise with students at drama school after a big performance or event.

The issues this can sometimes lead to are drawn out in the play.

“We have a scene in the play where the main character Frank has been to the pub with one of the students and things start to blur and he starts to forget that he’s actually an authority figure and a person in power,” Ms Benning said.

“That leads to muddy waters when you’re a director or a teacher. It’s not good.”

Frank is an unnerving character. Some in the cast are familiar with aspects of his behaviour in the play from their own experiences as students.

Actress Saffy Andrews is a former student of the now-closed Academy of Live and Recorded Arts, known as ALRA.

Ms Andrews says her time at the campus in Wigan was filled with experiences of racism that eventually led her to leave a couple of months before graduation.

“I had to leave, it was just a mess,” she says.

The school was marred by racism and sexual misconduct allegations. It eventually closed in 2022 due to financial difficulties.

One internal report in May 2021 found the school created a “humiliating, hostile and exclusive” environment for students of colour.

Ms Andrews says being part of a play like this has been satisfying, although saddening at times, reminding her of her own experiences.

Speaking to Sky News, she says she is proud to be part of a play exploring these issues: “I feel like it’s the only way that drama schools are going to notice and it’s also an eye-opener to potential students that want to go to drama school and this industry.

“You have to have a strong back, otherwise – teachers, people, your classmates – they’ll eat you alive.

“During this show, it is very sad because this teacher character, Frank, he doesn’t care about his students.

“He just wants to abuse them, get what he wants, because he hasn’t made it and he lies to them and they believe what he says because they want to make it in the industry.”

The former chair of trustees of ALRA, Henry Cowd, tells Sky News they were made aware of general complaints from students involving microaggressions of a racist nature and it eventually became clear the school had a “deep-seated problem”.

In addition, Mr Cowd says: “There were clear policies but many staff had an insufficient understanding of how their language, often used unintentionally, could be misinterpreted and found to be potentially insulting.”

Fellow cast member Scarlett Green loved her drama training experience but hopes the show will offer some comfort for those who did not or are currently struggling.

“I would hope that for people who had a negative experience in drama school… I would hope that it was a cathartic experience for them just to have… to know that it’s out there and people are aware of it,” she says.

“The thing with harassment and subtle abuse that we draw on is that the victims of it can so often feel unheard, and like no one really knows that this exists.

“So hopefully for them to come and see it, it’ll feel good that people know about this.”

This play may lead to some in the industry having to confront some uncomfortable truths and help survivors feel seen.

David Smy, Deputy Director of Enabling Regulation for the Office for Students (OfS), said: “Harassment and sexual misconduct can have a profound impact on a student’s life, including their education.

“We know that universities and colleges take these issues very seriously, but we think there is a compelling case for further action to prevent these incidents from happening, and to ensure higher education providers respond effectively when they do occur.

“This is why the OfS launched a consultation on introducing new regulatory requirements in this area in 2023.

“Any student who has experienced harassment or sexual misconduct should speak to their university or college. They should expect to be supported by their university or college or signposted to more specialist support.”

Spider runs until 25 February at the Riverside Studios in London.

UK

Royal Navy intercepts Russian warship and tanker

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

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Royal Navy intercepts Russian warship and tanker

A Royal Navy patrol ship has intercepted two Russian vessels off the UK coast, the Ministry of Defence has said.

It comes after Defence Secretary John Healey announced last Wednesday that lasers from Russian spy ship the Yantar were directed at RAF pilots tracking it, in an attempt to disrupt the monitoring.

The MoD said on Sunday that in a “round-the-clock shadowing operation”, the Royal Navy ship HMS Severn has intercepted Russian warship RFN Stoikiy and tanker Yelnya off the UK coast in the past fortnight.

The Russian vessels sailed through the Dover Strait and westward through the English Channel, the MoD said.

HMS Severn later handed over monitoring duties to a NATO ally off the coast of Brittany, France, it said, but continued to watch from a distance and remained ready to respond to any unexpected activity.

The ministry added that the UK’s armed forces are on patrol “from the English Channel to the High North” amid increased Russian activity threatening UK waters.

Last week, Russia accused the British government of “provocative statements” after the defence secretary warned the Yantar was nearing the UK.

At a news conference in Downing Street on Wednesday, Mr Healey said the spy ship was on the edge of British waters north of Scotland, having entered wider UK waters over the last few weeks.

He said it was the second time this year the Yantar had been deployed off the UK coast and he claimed it was “designed for gathering intelligence and mapping our undersea cables”.

Mr Healey said the ship had “directed lasers” at pilots of a P-8 surveillance aircraft monitoring its activities – a Russian action he deemed “deeply dangerous”.

In a clear message to Russian President Vladimir Putin, the defence secretary said: “We see you. We know what you are doing. And we are ready.”

The ministry said while tracking the Yantar, Royal Navy frigate HMS Somerset and other civilian ships in the area “experienced GPS jamming in a further demonstration of unprofessional behaviour, intended to be disruptive and a nuisance”.

Russia’s UK embassy dismissed the accusations and insisted the Yantar is a research ship in international waters.

The defence secretary also repeated government plans to increase defence spending and work with NATO allies to bolster European security.

And he stressed how plans to buy weapons and build arms factories will create jobs and economic growth.

A report by a group of MPs, also released on Wednesday, underlined the scale of the challenge the UK faces.

It accused the government of lacking a national plan to defend itself from attack.

The Defence Select Committee also warned that Mr Healey, the prime minister and the rest of the cabinet are moving at a “glacial” pace to fix the issue and are failing to launch a “national conversation on defence and security” – something Sir Keir Starmer had promised last year.

The UK has seen a 30% increase in Russian vessels threatening UK waters in the past two years, according to the MoD.

But the ministry maintained the UK has a wide range of military options at its disposal to keep UK waters safe.

Three RAF P-8 Poseidon aircraft have deployed to Keflavik Air Base in Iceland in the largest overseas deployment of the RAF P-8 fleet so far, the MoD said.

They are conducting surveillance operations as part of NATO’s collective defence, patrolling for Russian ships and submarines in the North Atlantic and Arctic.

The operations come just weeks after HMS Duncan tracked the movements of Russian destroyer Vice Admiral Kulakov, and frigate HMS Iron Duke was dispatched to monitor Russian Kilo-class submarine Novorossiysk.

UK

Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for Aston Villa game ‘based on false hooligan claims’

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

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Ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans for Aston Villa game 'based on false hooligan claims'

West Midlands Police has defended the ban on Maccabi Tel Aviv fans attending an Aston Villa match after it was claimed that false intelligence was used.

Supporters of the Israeli club were barred from the Europa League fixture at Villa Park on 6 November.

West Midlands Police chief superintendent Tom Joyce told Sky News before the game that a “section” of Maccabi’s fanbase engaged in “quite significant levels of hooliganism”.

According to The Sunday Times, West Midlands Police claimed in a confidential dossier that when Maccabi played Ajax in Amsterdam last year, Israeli fans threw “innocent members of the public into the river”, and added that between 500 and 600 supporters had “intentionally targeted Muslim communities”.

The report also said 5,000 Dutch police officers had been deployed in response.

However, the Netherlands’ national police force has questioned the claims, reportedly describing information cited by its British officers as “not true” and in some instances obviously inaccurate.

Sebastiaan Meijer, a spokesman for the Amsterdam division, told The Sunday Times that he was “surprised” by allegations in the West Midlands Police report, which had linked 200 travelling supporters to the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).

Mr Meijer denied that his force had such intelligence, adding that the claim was meaningless given the country had a policy of conscription.

Also, Mr Meijer said that Amsterdam’s force “does not recognise” the claim in the British report, attributed to Dutch law enforcement, that Israelis were “highly organised, skilled fighters with a serious desire and will to fight with police and opposing groups”.

The Dutch police added that the only known case of a fan being in the river appeared to involve a Maccabi supporter. While being filmed, he was told he could leave the water on the condition that he said “Free Palestine”.

In an interview with Sky News before the game, West Midlands Police referenced disorder when Maccabi played Ajax in Amsterdam last November.

Mr Joyce said ahead of the Villa Park match: “We’ve had examples where a section of Maccabi fans were targeting people not involved in football matches, and certainly we had an incident in Amsterdam last year which has informed some of our decision-making.

“So it is exclusively a decision we made on the basis of the behaviour of a sub-section of Maccabi fans, but all the reaction that could occur obviously formed part of that as well.”

Maccabi’s visit to Birmingham came amid heightened tensions due to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.

A safety advisory group (SAG) recommended that Maccabi fans should be banned from attending the fixture on the advice of the police. The ban drew criticism, and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was the “wrong decision”.

West Midland Police’s statement in full

Following The Sunday Times report, West Midlands Police stood by its “information and intelligence”, adding that the “Maccabi Fanatics… posed a credible threat to safety”.

In a statement to Sky News, the force said: “West Midlands Police’s evaluation was based primarily on information and intelligence and had public safety at its heart.

“We assessed the fixture between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam as having involved significant public disorder.

“We met with Dutch police on 1 October, where information relating to that 2024 fixture was shared with us.

“Informed by information and intelligence, we concluded that Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters – specifically the subgroup known as the Maccabi Fanatics – posed a credible threat to public safety.

“The submission made to the SAG safety advisory group was based on information and intelligence which helped shape understanding of the risks.

“West Midlands Police commissioned a peer review, which was conducted by UKFPU [United Kingdom Policing Unit], the NPCC [National Police Chiefs’ Council] and subject matter experts.

“This review, carried out on 20 October, fully endorsed the force’s approach and decision-making.

“We are satisfied that the policing strategy and operational plan was effective, proportionate, and maintained the city’s reputation as a safe and welcoming place for everyone.”

Sky News has approached Dutch police for comment.

UK

Titanic couple’s pocket watch sells for record £1.78m

Published

6 hours ago

November 23, 2025

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Titanic couple's pocket watch sells for record £1.78m

A gold pocket watch that belonged to an elderly couple who drowned as the Titanic sunk has sold for a record-breaking £1.78m at auction.

The 18-carat Jules Jurgensen engraved watch was owned by first class passenger Isidor Straus, who died when the ship sank in April 1912.

He and his wife Ida were portrayed in the film Titanic as a couple who held each other as the ship went down.

When he was offered a seat on a lifeboat due to his age, he replied that he would not go before other men.

His wife refused to leave him, and the couple were last seen alive sitting on deckchairs, facing fate by each other’s side.

They were among very few first class passengers to perish in the disaster.

The watch was recovered from Mr Straus’s body along with other personal items and returned to his family.

It had been a present for his 43rd birthday in 1888 – the same year he became a partner in the New York department store, Macy’s.

The watch, which had remained in the couple’s family, was sold at Henry Aldridge & Son Auctioneers in Devizes, Wiltshire.

The £1.78m for the item is the highest amount ever paid for Titanic memorabilia, according to the company.

A letter written by Mrs Straus on Titanic stationery and posted while onboard the ship fetched £100,000.

The previous record was set last year when another gold pocket watch presented to the captain of a boat that rescued over 700 passengers from the liner sold for £1.56m.