The sublime madness of Spud 2

Spud author John van de Ruit with actor Troye Sivan

As a team (with co-producer Brad Logan and the fantastic ensemble cast) they are now a close-knit family and the camaraderie between them a reflection of the joyful and vibrant vivacity of the sequel. With the shooting of Spud 3 in progress, and number 4 in the pipeline, Spud 2: The Madness continues is now much more than a film and has profoundly impacted on the lives of its creative team and actors.

Spudphiles will also be surprised to find a more-studly Spud, who has now become part of the Crazy 8 gang.

"I think audiences are going to like it," said Troye Sivan, who once again brings Spud to life with a newfound vigour and bravery. "Everyone roots for Spud, naturally, because he is such a sweet guy - he is so innocent and everything. When they start seeing him becoming more of a man doing all these crazy things, I think it's kind of very satisfying. There are a lot of cool moments and people will feel they are growing up with him, which I think is a big plus."

A memorable performance from John Cleese

One of the highlights of Spud 2 is how Spud connects with the child within The Guv, once again drawing a memorable performance from John Cleese.

"I think that relationship there is very, very special and I think Spud and The Guv cherish the relationship more than anything else. It's kinda like they are the normality for each other within this absolutely chaotic world they live in. They turn to each other when they need a bit of normality, even though they are both crazy in their own unique ways."

For Troye, what makes Spud such a likeable rebel is that "he's really not a rebel. Everyone can really relate to him because he is thrown into these rebellious situations and he has this spark inside him that makes him want to do all this crazy stuff, but, at the same time, everyone just sees this normal kid. There is that drive inside of him; he kind of does what everyone always wanted to do, but they never maybe had the chance to do."

"He comes from a modest place, he's not coming from a place of ego," said John van de Ruit. "Because we see Spud as the every boy, there's a bit of everybody in Spud. His rebellion and him sort of taking on the establishment with his mates, you really support it, you feel they're making a statement and there's something strong about that. Spud is really running with the Crazy 8, this is about rebellion and I think it is great and also shows a different side to Spud than the first one where he was very earnest and desperately tried to fit in. This one he's reccie in the game, and it's great to see how he runs with the dogs."

Pictured (left to right) screenwriter and director Donovan Marsh,Troye Sivan, producer Ross Garland, and author John van de Ruit.

He's a reluctant rebel

For writer-director Donovan Marsh, what makes Spud so likable is that "he's a reluctant rebel. I think we love him because he is an underdog and that he never does anything without considering it carefully, and he feels the consequences of his actions. And if he does something bad or bullies somebody he feels bad about it. I think we appreciate that, and we'd like him to be our friend, and we'd like to believe that we're too considerate like he is."

"You get these really big guys saying: 'Ja, I was a bit of a Spud in my day'," said producer Ross Garland. "Because everybody feels like a bit of an underdog, trying to fit and make it, and it feels like a struggle. He's a humble guy, from a humble background in this kind of precious private school world, so it's easy to empathise with him wherever you come from."

"I think there's a lot of Spud in me," laughed Van de Ruit. "There's a lot of his character's internal stuff in me: the doubting, the insecurity, being smaller, being underdeveloped I suppose. I have this vivid memory of arriving at Michael House, not a hair on my body, a boy. Then there were guys in my class that were shaving their beards, and that was the difference. I walked in there and felt like a boy amongst men."

Garland, who went to Durban High School, identifies with the Crazy 8 and their playful wickedness. "I think I probably identify with Spud because I was the youngest in my class and I always felt a little bit behind, I was also fighting to stay in the clique, and I identify with that."

"I've always been a kind of Goody Two-shoes and maybe got two best friends back home and they're not that crazy," admits Sivan. "Maybe now that we're 18 were start to get a little bit more wild, but not as insane as the Crazy 8."

We can all identify with one of those characters

"I think that's the beauty of the film, said Mars, who attended the private school Bishops in Cape Town. "We can all identify with one of those characters. I was probably a Vern (Spud's deranged cubicle mate). "There's a bit of Vern in each of us, there's a Rambo (the self-appointed leader of the Crazy 8) in each us, there's a bit of Spud in each of us, and so you identify with every character, because they are parts of your psyche. And this is what the Spud movies do so well is that they represent parts of your psyche through archetypes and stereotypes, and so you actually get to see yourself across the board, even in the bad people. We all have a devil on our shoulder and an angel on our shoulder, and we see that in the characters and in the drama that plays out, it's the drama of our own lives."

"There is a Spud inside of me," said Marsh. "I'm definitely an introvert. I'm an outtie, definitely someone who didn't fit in with the crowd. I've always had a different set of perceptions to a large percentage of the population. I've always felt that I didn't quite fit in and didn't belong, and this is kind of Spud's dilemma throughout the film: Where do I fit in and who do I fit in with? I think if you are particularly creative and you live an internal life quite strongly as Spud does as well, he writes in his diary. His diary is an expression of his internal life, and I suppose my filmmaking is my expression of an internal life."

The message in Spud 2 is, ultimately, that boys will be boys and we should not take life too seriously. That there's no harm done in having a little fun and just being yourself.

"I think it's a valid message," said Van de Ruit. "I look back at my childhood, and my time at Michael House, and I wish it was more like Spud, that I'd taken more risks and been naughtier, and pushed the envelope a little bit more than I did. It's weird, I've almost had another go at reliving my childhood through Spud, doing things that perhaps I didn't do, taking on the establishment, getting rebellious. I'm glad you picked up on that, because I think that is the message, it is to say, it's okay to test the boundaries and to push the boundaries, that's what being human is about."

"It's for the education system not to be too rigid, to allow that expression and that creative potential, which is probably so critical at high school and can be killed there, or nourished there," said Garland. "That's the importance of The Guv's speech, about giving the boys some breathing space that will allow them to not act out so much but channel it in the right way."

A better understanding of what kids are going through

Although Spud has its specific market and audience, it does open the window to parents who have kids at boarding schools, or who are out of control and rebellious, and through Spud 2 they will have a better understanding of what their kids are going through and deal with it in a sensible way, and not have that alienation between parent and child.

"At screenings we noticed that parents and older people enjoyed the film, whether it is them going back and imagining their own life, or them seeing their kids," said Van de Ruit. "I think you are right, this can make you a better parent for what you must do."

For Sivan, it was an awkward moment when he looked over his parents during the screening at the premiere in Durban, who were "absolutely cracking" up and laughing so loud with the adults all around him. "Watching them all laugh, you like that they see their kids in the movie, but I also think they see a lot of themselves in the movie. The naughty things kind of remind them of what they did when they were teenagers. I think they appreciate that a lot."

Spud 2 has definitely changed the lives of those involved

"Since the book came out in 2005 my life has been different," admitted Van de Ruit. "I am different. It's a total radical change. I live a life now that I have always dreamed of living, where I can live off my creative endeavours and do what I want to do. I think that freedom that Spud has given me is freedom to be creative. To earn a living out of being creative is a valuable gift. The movies have given Spud a life beyond the books. I can't complain about that."

"Spud has changed my life in so many ways," said Sivan."By the end of Spud series I would have had the experience of being the lead in a feature film four times, and that's such a valuable experience when you want to be an actor in life."

"John has created a lot of opportunities for a lot of people and the movies expand that," said Garland. "For me, as a producer, it's really given me a chance to do something much bigger on a bigger platform and I learnt a whole lot of new things."

For Marsh, Spud has had a huge effect on his life. "It's really launched my film career," he said. "As an artist you always struggle with confidence, a thing that all artists must struggle with. Spud really gave me confidence as a person; it gave me confidence in what I do. It made me feel that I deserve to have a place within this industry. I was kind of unsure of that until I shot Spud. I did achieve the objectives I've set for myself with Spud; I did get people to go and see the movie and talk about it, and that allowed me to grow as a human being in my own confidence, artistically mainly."

For more on Spud 2: The Madness Continues, go to www.writingstudio.co.za/page1037.html.

Photography by Tasmin Copley