Adult Material — AKA The Porn Ultimatum.
A workplace drama set in the British adult-film industry poses difficult questions about consent
ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT Hayley Squires (I, Daniel Blake’s award-winning breakout star) can list a number of reasons for taking on the role of fictional adult-movie icon Jolene Dollar in writer Lucy Kirkwood’s frank character study of women working in the beleaguered British sex-film industry.
At the top of her list are the nuanced questions that Kirkwood poses and explores about abuse, consent and workplace practices in a post-#timesup and #metoo but still free online porn-saturated world.
“For instance, does consent exist if you’re a sex worker?” says Squires. “That’s one of the things that I love about Lucy’s scripts. She’s brave enough to ask about those people who every day are coming into contact with sex because it’s part of their career. Does consent come into their world as well? Of course it fucking does.”
Jolene is, at 33, nearing the end of a career that began in 2001. One day she’s joined on set by Amy (Siena Kelly), making her adult-movie debut.
“When Jolene joined the porn industry, women could have careers of ten to 15 years,” says Kelly, on speaking to Pilot TV on a video link from shooting new Netflix thriller Hit And Run in Tel Aviv. “Now, according to studies, girls last about six months. There is so much content getting made, and what they have to do is so extreme because everyone needs to keep up.”
As the series progresses, it’s the complex and morally challenging relationships between Jolene and Amy and Jolene’s eldest daughter Phoebe — three funny, heart-breaking and truthful performances by Squires, Kelly and relative newcomer Alex Jarrett — that form the centre. Alongside them is Joe Dempsie as Jolene’s husband/manager Rich, while there are also interactions with sociopathic US porn king Tom Pain (Julian Ovenden).
The show’s adult-film advisor Rebecca More, who worked in the industry, proved invaluable. “Rebecca was an influence on some of the tone of Jolene and how she approaches things and people,” says Squires. “We did a full rehearsal with her where she talked about what was the body language of a porn star and the mindset of a porn star. She gave us an amazing insight into that.” “Rebecca was so technical,” says Kelly. “It made me really respect the good porn stars. I was like, ‘This is really difficult.’ After Rebecca read all four scripts she said, ‘I’ve worked with Amys.’”
In the show itself, onscreen nudity is minimal and carefully framed. The only such moment in episode one is when a doubting Jolene checks herself in the mirror.
“The biggest thing about taking this job was that we both had conversations with [director] Dawn [Shadforth] about how she was going to shoot those moments,” says Squires. “We were made to feel very comfortable and very much part of the conversation. The whole point of it was a female gaze on this. There is one moment later in the series where you go, ‘Those people are naked and this is a very realistic sex scene.’ But when you watch it you’ll understand why it happens in that moment. It’s just really beautifully handled.”