Southwark Playhouse – until 3 October 2026
Reviewed by Claire Roderick
3***
Unfortunately, my first reaction to this play was nausea. There is a warning about flashing lights, but perhaps this should be stressed more as the regular design of the lighting and the length of flashing is much more than you would assume from the warning.
Max Wilkinson’s well-meaning and energetic play explores the gig economy in London, with a cast of three – Jack Ambrose, Helena Pipe and Bex Smith portraying the colourful characters. Olivia Jamieson’s set is a rectangular area with rows of chains strung floor to ceiling. The workers are stuck in here while their corporate bosses prowl around the perimeter, never entering until trapped in their mother’s home. Tamara, a care worker, begins with a stroll around the outside of the cage, but as events take their toll on her life, she doesn’t leave again.
Max Wilkinson’s writing is fast and funny, making important points about the tightrope zero hours workers walk, and director Ebenezer Bamgboye’s assured direction keeps the audience on their toes. The stories of driver Jack (Jack Ambrose), waiter/writer Tia (Bex Smith) and care worker Tamara (Helena Pipe) are all linked by corporate man Felix and his company’s pursuit of profit over people. The stories of the battle for workers’ rights, management deviousness and the stress of needing wages to avoid eviction come thick and fast as Jack jumps from one fleeting sexual encounter to another – although he may just be falling for Tia – Tia helping the hungry with handouts in her posh Soho café, and Tamara’s new client Gigi – who happens to be Felix’s mother. The Tamara/Gigi storyline is the most traditional, with the general denouement being obvious as soon as Gigi begins to thaw. Even though it is predictable, the execution is glorious and hilarious. There are many other slightly insane and very distracting characters who could be cut without any impact to the story as Wilkinson writes descriptions and exposition with a poetic flair.
Arnim Friess’s lighting, although I understand why it is done, often masks the movement and dance of the actors as the flashes persist, but the evocative video design is impressive. David Lewington’s dynamic sound design creates a frenetic and hedonistic energy.