Leon Lopez talks directorial debut 'Soft Lad'
Leon Lopez first exploded onto UK television screens back in 1998 portraying neighbourhood local Jerome Johnson on the British soap Brookside (1982-2003). A former student of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, Lopez has an impressive background displaying talents in theatre, music and scriptwriting as well as television.
Lopez now marks his feature-length directorial debut with Soft Lad (2015), a film that explores the tumultuous relationship between 22-year-old dancer David (Jonny Labey) and an older man. However, David holds a much bigger secret as his lover of two years is also married to his sister.
Soft Lad premieres this weekend as part of the POUTFest Tour 2015: a festival dedicated to celebrating diversity and introducing audiences to brand new LBGT feature films.Soft Lad debuts alongside fellow films Dressed as a Girl (2015), the Korean drama A Girl At My Door (2015), Futuro Beach (2015) and celebrated Australian drama 52 Tuesdays (2014) and Lopez discussed with us his upcoming LGBT drama.
“I had been involved in a show about a guy who had died of AIDS in the 1980s”, says Lopez “and I wanted to write a story about how the gay community explores the subject in a more modern sense.” On the topic of where Lopez’s original premise originated from, the director was passionate about the underlying subject matter. “I wanted to explore how people’s actions can affect everyone around them and – although it may be fine doing what you want to do – you don’t realise who you can hurt in the process.”
One of the most impressive qualities that went into the making of Soft Lad is its humble and personal background. Filmed on a budget of less than £20,000 and with a small cast and crew, Lopez exemplifies his impressive creative skills in his debut production. “With such low money and a small team, I thought it would be a good exercise for my first feature”, states Lopez. However, the director was adamant about remaining true to his original premise, stating that “although a film, it still has a theatrical feel to it but it’s not about the spectacle.”
Lopez cast his friend and former Brookside cast mate Suzanne Collins in the role of David’s sister, Jane. Television and film actor Daniel Brocklebank – whom Lopez had worked alongside previously – portrays Collins’ onscreen husband, Jules. “When I approached Daniel he wanted to play the role of Jules but he didn’t think he was handsome or sexy enough”, claims Lopez. “I kept saying ‘of course you are!’ He is one of the best actors that I’ve worked with and there was nobody else who could have made that character more real.” Eastenders (1985-) newcomer Jonny Labey portrays Brocklebank’s onscreen lover, David, but it was the supporting character of Sam – played by Lopez’s real life best friend Craig Stein – that was most personal to the director. “Sam isn’t based on me”, he states, “but a lot of what goes on with him has echoes of things that have happened in my life.”
Soft Lad takes place in Lopez’s hometown of Liverpool, however, it wasn’t always the main setting for the director’s script. “It was only really when Suzanne came on board that I realised that I wanted it to be Liverpool”, he states, “I had quite an open mind – I didn’t have a set idea of how I wanted things to look: it was more about the characters and the subject matter.” Lopez adds the importance that “there are still a lot of people in Liverpool who are in the closet or who are ashamed of their sexuality” therefore “I wanted it to be a nondescript place – it needed to be identifiable where it could be anywhere in the world.”
As a first-time director, Lopez affirms that it was his background as an actor that helped mould his new role. “It was easier for me to talk to other actors as a director”, he says. “It was my experience in acting that really helped me communicate with the rest of the cast.” Additionally, Lopez proclaimed nothing but praise for his cast and crew despite its minor budget confirming “it’s always a team effort.
Soft Lad’s poignant and fundamental element is the important of the character’s struggles. Lopez states it was various films like Andrea Arnold’s Fish Tank (2009) and Andrew Haigh’s Weekend (2011) that gave him the confidence boost that he needed. “The emotion was so high”, he quotes, “and watching these film gave me the ability to say ‘actually I can make something’ when I didn’t think that I could actually make it.”
As well as presenting his directorial debut at this year’s POUTFest Tour, Lopez asserts that it doesn’t stop there. “I’m developing three projects at the moment including a comedy which is new for me”, he confirms, “all of which I am very excited about.”