A physical and darkly cinematic show about London and the largely hidden workforce that keeps it going. Rating
Good!
Night City follows the precarious lives of the often overlooked workers who are essential for keeping London functioning. It reveals the harshness of navigating life in the gig economy, where neither decent pay nor a safe working environment is guaranteed, and you can be fired or rendered homeless in an instant. The play is based on playwright Max Wilkinson’s own experiences of working in various temporary jobs, alongside stories he compiled while researching for the play.
The show focuses on three main characters, who are all trying to survive in low-paid, insecure jobs. Jack (Jack Ambrose) is a driver with Gogo, a fictional ride-hailing company similar to Uber or Bolt. Tamara (Helena Pipe) is a care worker paid peanuts for looking after wealthy people’s much-loved elderly relatives. Tia (Bex Smith) is a young waitress from the north of England, who dreams of being a writer and is exploited by men who offer to help her fulfil her ambition.
The connection between the characters is initially unclear, but as the story develops, Jack and Tia meet and fall in love. Meanwhile, Tamara is employed as a carer for Gigi, the ageing mother of Felix, who is the wealthy owner of both Gogo and the care services company. His cost-cutting and surveillance measures are the cause of much stress and anger for his workers.
Gigi provides a comic touch, hilariously name-dropping as she describes her glamorous past. She forms a warm bond with Tamara, which is tragically broken when disaster strikes. Likewise, the other characters are victims of a system that ignores and ultimately crushes them.
Night City mentions a campaign for workers’ rights and the hope that fighting for improvements will benefit low-paid, insecure workers. Although not explicitly stated, this likely refers to the 2025 Employment Rights Act that will introduce sick pay, guaranteed hours and better facilities over the next few years. However, this element is a bit unclear. The play is largely impressionist in style, and might benefit from captions or narration to explain the politics and give the issues some context.
The acting is very strong. Each performer takes on several characters, switching rapidly and using different regional accents to differentiate between them. This is elevated by Olivia Jamieson’s costume design, with small details helping further to separate each character. Pipe showcases her beautiful singing voice, creating moments of warmth which offer breathing space between the frenetic activity. There is a lot of rapid movement which sometimes explodes into energetic dance sequences: director Ebenezer Bamgboye and movement director Rose Ryan have created a very physical show.
The set, also designed by Jamieson, is strikingly sparse. A series of heavy chains hang from the ceiling, likely reflecting the limited life choices of the protagonists. Arnim Friess cleverly uses downlighting to create an eerie cinematic mood, enhanced by a video wall showing busy London street scenes.
The busyness, subplots and quick-fire character switches make the narrative a bit hard to follow at times. That being said, there are some wonderful a-ha moments when everything comes together, and we realise how the stories are interrelated.
Night City shines a light on the hidden underside of London. It should appeal to anyone willing to listen to the stories of people we see every day providing essential services, in a sector in desperate need of better regulation.
Writer: Max Wilkinson
Director: Ebenezer Bamgboye
Set & Costume Designer: Olivia Jamieson
Lighting & Video Designer: Arnim Friess
Sound Designer: David Lewington
Movement Director: Rose Ryan
Casting Director: Fran Cattaneo
Production Manager: Emma Langan
Stage Manager: Venus Raven
Producer: Clarisse Makundul
Night City plays at Southwark Playhouse Borough Little until Saturday 3 October.
