Dismaland staff interview for NBF - Alex Raymond

How were you first approached to be involved with the show?

-I was not actually approached, I live near and saw that something was being built in the tropicana and only later I saw a poster with one of my friends face on it and I got in touch with her to try and get me in, and thankfully it worked

Well on my first day i was given a trial to see how my acting is and then after that i was given an easy job of just being a dismal doorman of one of the tents, making sure it didn’t get too busy. That day i was being checked up on a lot to see how I was getting on and to see if i was up to standard

I didn’t have to sign a disclosure but working for Dismaland you don’t have to be told not to share everything because it spoils it you know


Did you get to wear the same ears throughout the show or was it random each day?

No there was a big box of ears so it was only if you were there early that you got the best ones

Did any visitors upset you?

Not really because my thinking was that I wouldn’t normally be this dismal and glum to people so i guess its only fair they can give me some banter back


Did you upset any visitors?

I hope not, actually I’m sure i didn’t because i kept it very light, i wouldn’t want to really offend someone i just tried making piffy observations and funny sly comments, nothing too heavy

What was your strangest/funniest experience or memory of the show?

Thats hard because so many funny things happen its hard to nail it down to one point, and when you can’t smile it becomes 10x funnier


Do you think your Dismaland training will affect your ability to work in a normal environment?

Definitely, I mean i was never shy in the first place but being a dick to everyone just makes you think there are now much fewer situations you can’t deal with.


What was your most asked question?

“What’s Banksy look like??”

Did you all get paid?


oh yes we were all paid, thats another thing that made me think its just so great because no one got done over, its how every business should be


If you could take home anything from the show, no matter how large or small, what would it be and why?


Well I’d take the fucking massive castle with me and the mermaid, that was my favourite bit


Have you felt bad at all with abything you have said/done?

I did feel bad on one occasion when I was doing the fake customs as you go in, and one line i said is “let me see your eyes” to people with sunglasses as if they would pull them up and they would have lizards eyes or something, silly really but I said it to this guy when there was a huge rush of people and only as i said it i realised he had a red stick with him and he was actually blind, so I tried to say something else really quickly as if i hadn’t said it and let him move on


Are you a training actor?

No, I did drama at school as a GCSE and I’ve been in theatre productions but I wouldn’t call myself an actor because i can only do comedy, i’d be fucking shit in a serious heart throb because I’m always going for the laughs

Did you find the task/role draining at all, or was it more just tap into your natural miserable self and let go?

The only times i felt drained were when i was outside and it was cold and raining, but that did help my dismal character

Did you get paid in art?


No i didn’t, i was hoping for one but i got a present which i think is better anyway so its cool


Did you see your photo in any press or TV?

-No i didn’t, but i guess i wasn’t really watching much TV as i was always there. I hope i had my 15 minutes but if i did i missed it


Have you been an 'extra' in any other film or TV?

-No never been involved in that stuff before

What was your favorite artwork or installation?

-I loved the glitched mermaid in front of the castle

Did any of the artworks or installations effect the way you thought about life before Dismaland?

-i really took a lot of new thinking with me but these were my most lasting verbal ones: “winning is strictly prohibited”, “fuck the fucking fuckers” and “ants have sex in your beer"


Were you shocked at how many adults would mob you for a balloon with I am an imbecile written on it?

-I wasn’t shocked they mobbed me but i was shocked how childish they were about it, at first we could only give them to kids 14 and under or something and i’d have to turn people away and some people would stomp about like a child who dropped their sweets


Did being miserable all day have any lasting effect on your mood after work?

-My lecturer at college said it carried with me, maybe I’m just a method actor but not a conscious one


What was the hardest scenario to not laugh or get a giggle on?

-there was one point that comes to mind when a woman in a wheelchair just really unexpectedly stood up like it was a miracle or something and it really tested me, i can deal with the funny remarks but no one can prepare you for the unexpected


What was the hardest scenario to not get genuinely pissed off at?

-When i was doing the ‘hook a duck from the muck’ some guy just fucking took a duck thinking i wasn’t looking and tried sneaking off, that fucking pissed me off i had to grab him and be like “oi you ducking ducker, give the ducking duck back or duck off"


Did you get to keep your Dismal pink jackets and ears?

-No i didn’t sadly


What 'celebrities' are you aware of that visited?

-there were so many it was hard to keep track, wasn’t sure which was rumour and what actually happened


What 'celebrities' did you actually witness in attendance?

-I met; Jude Law, Neil Patrick Harris, Damon Albarn, one of the women out of shaun of the dead (don’t know her name but she was a laugh) and a few others


What 'celebrity' did you hear, or in your experience, was the biggest arsehole? - please elaborate.

-all the ones i met i actually thought were getting involved in the fun of it and i thought they were all pretty cool (Jude Law and Damon Albarn were my favourites)


do you get paid with money or art or both?

-money, but i was one of the lucky few to get a banksy print at the end as a thankyou

if they took Dismaland on the road, would you go?

-Yes, do you even have to ask?

Do you think you can ever be happy/friendly again?

-At a stretch i think so

were you allowed to show up to work stoned?

-No, although it was very relaxed its still a job

Has the job of going around all day being dismal and rude affected your normal life any?

-Yeah i feel I’m a lot harder now (haha)

Are you still sane?

-Na

Did you nick anything and have you / will you be selling it on eBay?

-No i didn’t take anything, i wouldn’t risk losing my job it was too fun


Did they get to choice where they were placed in the park?

-yeah once you’d been there a while you learn your strengths so they say go where you’re best


Did he know who Banksy was before Dismaland?

-Well who hasn’t heard of Banksy?

How long did you practice for his role?

-All my life

Did other attendants get fired in the 5 weeks he was there? And if so why?

-Well same reasons as any job, stealing, never showing up all the usual

What will you take away from this experience?

-Ive taken so much from this experience, you notice things people do such as if theres no cue no one will come in and just lots of little things like that but also I’ve taken some valuable friends, i learnt things like no one is untouchable, i could go on all night.

Are you an artist yourself?

-I’m a musician

Did your family and friends get to see you at work?

-Yeah my friends would insist on trying to make me laugh, my mum and dad were just really sweet when i was being mean so that was a struggle not to just go “oh come here you” and give them a hug

Can you still hear the music in your head?

-It certainly stays with you

What are your plans for the future?

-Be famous

How much of your behavior was directed and how much was improvised?

-I was encouraged to make it my own, so if it was my first time on a place i’d have a few pointers of what to say but you get more aware of what people will find funny so you bend it a bit and adapt with it

Were there any supervision of your behavior?

-Yeah some people had complaints and stuff like that (not me though i was good)