ajhlovestheatre

NIGHT CITY

 by Max Wilkinson

 directed by Ebenezer Bamgboye

 Southwark Playhouse Borough – The Little, London – until 3 October 2026

 Running time: 85 minutes no interval

 https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/night-city/

The financial and professional instabilities prompted by the “gig” economy that forces workers into ad hoc contractless jobs, a murky nocturnal metropolis steeped in excitement and with a simmering undercurrent of danger: welcome to Night City. Max Wilkinson’s episodic but engaging drama is receiving its world premiere in an abstract, boldly inventive staging by Ebenezer Bamgboye. What it lacks in coherence and clarity, it (mostly) makes up for in sheer theatrical bravura.

Three superb actors play a varied selection of London dwellers trying to carve out their best lives, or at least survival, in an unsympathetic city. Some of them (such as Helena Pipe’s tough but warm carer Tamara) are admirable, even when up against the ropes of an increasingly dehumanising existence, some are appalling (the unscrupulous entrepreneur, played with villainous relish but some subtlety by Jack Ambrose, who sees human welfare as just another commodity to be exploited) and some ping-pong between good and bad as necessitated by what life throws at them. Chief among those are ambitious Tia (Bex Smith), working, for now, as a waitress but only until her ambitions are realised, and cab driver Jack (Ambrose again), whose morality may be malleable but his conscience less so. 

Each creation is vividly sketched and, on the whole, pretty interesting, although the frenetic flash of Bamgboye’s production, which rushes at us with the urgency of a missile, means that it can sometimes take a few moments to work out who is supposed to be who, and what on earth is going on. Spoken lines overlap each other, actors change character within seconds… More elucidation within the chaos would be welcome: the best way to enjoy Night City is probably just to let it wash over you and not worry too much if you’re not getting everything. 

The apparently random plot strands, some of which defy plausibility, do get more-or-less tied up by the end of play, one of them, involving a cantankerous, celebrity name-dropping older woman, played with relish by Smith, particularly satisfyingly. The inclusion of the creation of last year’s Employment Rights Act is vital but could be woven into the text a little more seamlessly, as could a late lurch into courtroom drama. Whatever else, Night City is certainly never boring.

In terms of energy and visuals, it’s dark, sleek and dynamic. Olivia Jamieson’s set of hanging neon tubes encased in chains and all-black costumes frequently suggest a night club, an impression reinforced by Rose Ryan’s frenetic, if slightly overused, choreography. Arnim Freiss’ stark, moody lighting and monochrome video designs of a bustling but vaguely sinister capital add immeasurably to the visual appeal. 

The actors work their socks off, and are generally very impressive, even if the breakneck speed of the character changes occasionally threaten to overwhelm them. Pipe radiates a selfless goodness combined with brusque practicality that rings entirely true for carer Tamara, and Smith has a magnetic presence and lithe physicality. Ambrose is quietly riveting as lost soul Jack, finding real power in his mercurial mood switches and strange but relatable combination of kindness and go-for-broke hedonism. 

If Night City feels more style over substance, and would benefit from a more disciplined approach to storytelling, it is nonetheless a work of considerable ambition and originality. Some of Wilkinson’s writing has a potty-mouthed poeticism that is a bracing delight, and the brilliance of much of Bamgboye’s staging matches it. The show as a whole feels slightly overlong but occasionally undernourished, yet it’s too compelling to write off. Overall, it isn’t a total success, but it’s well worth a look.