This is part 2 of a series of reflections triggered by the musical, A Face in the Crowd, playing at the Young Vic Theatre. Less review and more a collection of thoughts that the show provoked in your faithful bee, this essay contemplates the culpability of our own selves in the rise to fame of people who, ideally, should have been ignored.
In the recent production of A Face in the Crowd at the Young Vic, audiences were transported to a version of 1950s America where the seeds of modern celebrity culture were being sown. Adapted by Sarah Ruhl, with a stirring score by Elvis Costello, the play follows Lonesome Rhodes, a magnetic and unpredictable drifter who becomes an overnight sensation. Discovered by radio producer Marcia Jeffries (brought to life by the brilliant Anoushka Lucas), Lonesome’s rise from small-town radio to the heights of national television is swift, thrilling, and, ultimately, alarming. As his influence grows, the play sheds light on the machinery that elevates such figures, exposing how the desire for spectacle and the thrill of entertainment can so easily give way to manipulation.
When Society Becomes the Co-Conspirator
The bee’s little wings were buzzing with energy during the climactic final monologue, delivered with raw intensity by Anoushka Lucas. Marcia’s moment of reckoning, when she recognizes her own role in Lonesome’s rise, was perhaps one of the play’s most sobering moments. It wasn’t just a personal confession; it was an indictment that extended to everyone in the room. The bee couldn’t help but feel that the play was pointing a finger not just at the characters on stage, but at society itself—at the media, the viewers, and all who enjoy a spectacle without questioning its consequences.
The play cleverly invites audiences to consider how society, in its hunger for entertainment, often becomes complicit in the rise of charismatic yet dangerous figures. Lonesome Rhodes thrives not just because of his talents, but because there is an entire ecosystem that amplifies his voice. The media finds his antics irresistible, and the public can’t get enough of his rough-edged charm. As he rises, it’s not just about one man’s ambition; it’s about a society that revels in the spectacle and is willing to ignore, or worse, excuse the darker aspects of his persona.
The bee couldn’t help but draw parallels to the real world, where media outlets and audiences have often been quick to elevate the loudest, most controversial figures, whether out of curiosity, entertainment, or something more insidious. The play’s staging reflects this: the actors weave through the audience, making eye contact, shaking hands, and quite literally pulling the viewers into the action. And when the ushers distributed American flags during the interval, it wasn’t just a prop—it was a reminder of how easily people can be drawn into a movement, made to feel part of something larger, even if they don’t fully understand it.
Amplifying the Loudest Voices: The Media’s Role
It’s impossible to watch A Face in the Crowd without confronting the role that the media plays in enabling figures like Lonesome Rhodes. Initially, Marcia sees herself as a discoverer of authentic voices, someone bringing “real” people to the airwaves. But as Lonesome’s star rises, it becomes clear that authenticity has been replaced by spectacle, and Marcia has unwittingly set a monster loose. The bee found this part of the play particularly cutting, as it highlighted how easily noble intentions can be twisted. The media’s original goal of giving a platform to the voiceless becomes distorted into an amplification of the loudest, most outrageous voices, without regard for the consequences.
Real-world parallels abound. Figures like Trump have managed to dominate media cycles not because of their policies, but because of their ability to generate spectacle. The more they push boundaries, the more coverage they receive, creating a feedback loop where controversy fuels popularity. The bee would venture to say that this dynamic was at the heart of A Face in the Crowd. Lonesome’s rise is not a solo act; it’s a collective performance, with the media eagerly playing along, and the audience applauding from the wings.
The Bee’s Moment of Reckoning: Society’s Complicity
But what makes the play truly effective is not just its critique of the media, but how it implicates everyone who consumes it. Anoushka Lucas’s Marcia reflects on her role in creating Lonesome’s platform, but it’s hard not to see this as a broader call to the audience. As Marcia confronts the monster she’s helped create, she forces everyone to ask themselves: how often have we been complicit in elevating figures who don’t deserve the power they wield? How often do we, as a society, feed into the machinery of spectacle, enjoying the entertainment without considering the long-term effects?
The bee’s wings drooped just a little when reflecting on this, realizing how easy it is to pass the blame onto others—onto the media, onto the political machine—without recognizing that every click, every share, every laugh at an outrageous tweet is part of what gives these figures their strength. It’s a harsh truth, but one that A Face in the Crowd confronts head-on. We are not passive spectators; we are active participants in the rise of charismatic populists. We create the demand, and they simply meet it.
The Comfort of Fiction, The Complexity of Reality
The play’s nostalgic 1950s setting, with its bright, pastel colors and cheery musical numbers, creates a kind of comforting aesthetic—a simpler time, or so it seems. But beneath the veneer of innocence, there is a biting critique, a reminder that this dynamic has been present for much longer than we might care to admit. Watching the actors engage so directly with the audience, the bee was struck by how clever the production was in making viewers feel complicit. It wasn’t enough to sit back and watch; the play pulled everyone into the spectacle, forcing them to grapple with their own role in it.
This dynamic, unfortunately, doesn’t always translate so neatly into the real world. While A Face in the Crowd offers a moment of reckoning for Marcia, reality rarely affords such clarity. Figures like Trump have managed to evade the consequences that should logically follow their actions, turning every scandal into another opportunity to reinforce their narrative. The bee found it ironic—and a bit tragic—that in real life, the backlash that should bring down a demagogue often serves to make them stronger, feeding into their self-crafted image of being persecuted and misunderstood.
We Must Look in the Mirror
Ultimately, A Face in the Crowd is not just about Lonesome Rhodes; it’s about a society that makes his rise possible. It’s about a media ecosystem that prioritizes entertainment over ethics, and an audience that is all too willing to indulge in the spectacle without considering its implications. Anoushka Lucas’s final monologue was a haunting reminder that we must confront our role in these narratives. The bee left the theatre with wings buzzing and mind whirring, pondering how easy it is to point fingers at others without acknowledging our own part in the process.
If there is a takeaway, it is this: the next time a figure like Lonesome Rhodes comes along, we cannot afford to be passive. The spectacle is seductive, yes, but it is also dangerous. The responsibility does not lie solely with the media or the political system. It lies with all of us. We must learn to be more discerning, more critical, and less willing to let our desire for entertainment dictate who gets the loudest voice in the room.
To be continued.
This was Part 2 of a three part series. Here are Parts 1 and 3. A Face in the Crowd runs at the Young Vic through 9 November 2024.
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