Meet Jack, Tamara and Riva. Three ordinary people. All undervalued, underpaid and overworked. Welcome to London.
Spanning three intersecting stories, Night City is an epic modern drama with sharp, dark humour, incorporating movement and an electric soundtrack to explore the highs and lows of London’s under-recognised workers.
Ride-share driver Jack Stielitz tears through the city each night, fuelled by anything that will keep him going as the ‘GoGo cars’ algorithm pumps him full of cash and customer ratings. That is, until he meets Riva and the app takes a sinister turn, leaving his body broken on Old Kent Road.
On the brink of eviction, home care worker Tamara Bishop loves her many patients but struggles to juggle all their needs. When she is asked to care for elderly heiress Gigi Mitchum, an unlikely friendship forms, but Tamara’s morality is thrown into question.
Just arrived in London, young and naive waitress Riva Singh finds the city of dreams isn’t all she had hoped for. Desperate to make it as a writer, now is her chance to tell us her story. The story of Night City.
We caught up with writer Max Wilkinson to learn more about the play.
Night City is described as an epic modern drama. What inspired you to weave these three specific professions, driver, carer, and waitress, into a singular narrative?
So I love characters and character-driven pieces. I start with characters I’m interested in and a world, this time the gig economy, and then start working out their backstories and drives and weaving story from that. With Night City I wanted to create a kind of novelistic epic that incorporates elements of cinema, performance, music and a novel by Joyce or Dickens or Jean Rhys. And to give three very different perspectives or a vast industry that is ever growing. But then weaving those narratives together into a single strand takes a very, very long time! So it’s the love of the characters and dedication to them that gets you through and you hope that it all works out in the end.
So I love characters and character-driven pieces. I start with characters I’m interested in and a world, this time the gig economy, and then start working out their backstories and drives and weaving story from that. With Night City I wanted to create a kind of novelistic epic that incorporates elements of cinema, performance, music and a novel by Joyce or Dickens or Jean Rhys. And to give three very different perspectives or a vast industry that is ever growing. But then weaving those narratives together into a single strand takes a very, very long time! So it’s the love of the characters and dedication to them that gets you through and you hope that it all works out in the end.
How much of this play was born from your own observations or experiences living in London?
When we were young we never had much money so me and my brothers always had to work and find our own cash. This carried on into my 20s when I worked in Superdrug, pubs, a tree surgeon; as a crew member, dismantling stages and lugging equipment, painter and decorator etc etc. I was never great at any of these jobs but they (just about) paid the rent and allowed me to spy on people; my favourite pass time. And then between those jobs, cycling around mostly at night, I would write as much as I could. These observations and personal experiences fed so much into the play, and all my writing.
When we were young we never had much money so me and my brothers always had to work and find our own cash. This carried on into my 20s when I worked in Superdrug, pubs, a tree surgeon; as a crew member, dismantling stages and lugging equipment, painter and decorator etc etc. I was never great at any of these jobs but they (just about) paid the rent and allowed me to spy on people; my favourite pass time. And then between those jobs, cycling around mostly at night, I would write as much as I could. These observations and personal experiences fed so much into the play, and all my writing.
Jack’s story explores a sinister turn with the GoGo cars algorithm. Do you view the technology in the gig economy as a helpful tool gone wrong, or as something inherently predatory?
I think it’s easy to be black and white and didactic about it. The answer is of course neither one or the other. It’s more the gig economy now makes up a massive percentage of our normal economy in so many ways that we don’t normally even quantify. It’s not just Ubers and Deliveroo. It’s Task Rabbit, it’s Amazon warehouse, it’s removals and construction; it’s how we eat, even how we are cared for as we die as health and especially end-of-life care is privatised . It’s the Wild West based on individualism and Ayn Rand and therefore is rife with corruption. But, as I say, that said, it’s the world we now live in. I just wish we recognised it more and took it more seriously and worked towards better protection within it.
I think it’s easy to be black and white and didactic about it. The answer is of course neither one or the other. It’s more the gig economy now makes up a massive percentage of our normal economy in so many ways that we don’t normally even quantify. It’s not just Ubers and Deliveroo. It’s Task Rabbit, it’s Amazon warehouse, it’s removals and construction; it’s how we eat, even how we are cared for as we die as health and especially end-of-life care is privatised . It’s the Wild West based on individualism and Ayn Rand and therefore is rife with corruption. But, as I say, that said, it’s the world we now live in. I just wish we recognised it more and took it more seriously and worked towards better protection within it.
In the play, Jack is fuelled by anything that will keep him going. How did you approach writing the physical and mental toll of the 24/7 "online" work culture?
So as I say, I worked lots of these different jobs throughout my life, often juggling a few at the time, and a lot of time riding around at night. Jack completely embraces the 24/7 culture: he is a perfect product of the GoGo app, at least at the beginning. He’s a loner, doesn’t sleep much, loves to shag and take cheap speed and in all of that, makes tons of money through the app. But has no friends really or family. He is the quintessential Rand-ian gig rockstar: a hedonist only out for himself. But then, through a series of events, becomes human again. I wanted to use Jack as a vehicle to explore individualism, and then redemption.
So as I say, I worked lots of these different jobs throughout my life, often juggling a few at the time, and a lot of time riding around at night. Jack completely embraces the 24/7 culture: he is a perfect product of the GoGo app, at least at the beginning. He’s a loner, doesn’t sleep much, loves to shag and take cheap speed and in all of that, makes tons of money through the app. But has no friends really or family. He is the quintessential Rand-ian gig rockstar: a hedonist only out for himself. But then, through a series of events, becomes human again. I wanted to use Jack as a vehicle to explore individualism, and then redemption.
Tamara’s story highlights the irony of a care worker who cannot afford her own housing. What did your research reveal about the reality for London’s under-recognised home care staff?
So my aunt worked for a grim, privatised care company, which I satirised directly in the play, and she was the main inspiration for the character. She was paid about £9 an hour and was increasingly told to spend less time with her ‘clients.’ Then I spent a few years on and off researching first hand accounts of carers in the increasingly privatised care system. What came up again and again is that, including my aunt, you were only given about 15-20 minutes actual time between your ‘clients,’ your patients, who were mostly very old or bed-bound and mostly just wanted to chat and spend some time with someone while you gave them their routine medicine. But if you ever wanted to just about afford your rent, especially in London, you had to treat your patients like cattle. It’s a grim reality and this is what an increasingly privatised health care system looks like.
So my aunt worked for a grim, privatised care company, which I satirised directly in the play, and she was the main inspiration for the character. She was paid about £9 an hour and was increasingly told to spend less time with her ‘clients.’ Then I spent a few years on and off researching first hand accounts of carers in the increasingly privatised care system. What came up again and again is that, including my aunt, you were only given about 15-20 minutes actual time between your ‘clients,’ your patients, who were mostly very old or bed-bound and mostly just wanted to chat and spend some time with someone while you gave them their routine medicine. But if you ever wanted to just about afford your rent, especially in London, you had to treat your patients like cattle. It’s a grim reality and this is what an increasingly privatised health care system looks like.
The relationship between Tamara and the heiress Gigi Mitchum is central to the play. Is their unlikely friendship a sign of hope, or a commentary on the vast wealth gap in the borough of Southwark?
A great question. I think it’s both. In such a terrible wealth gap because all, or at least partly, we can hope for is the rich to be more altruistic and tax themselves if no one’s going to do it. But yes, I think also hope. Why I love cities and the jobs, especially oddly with the gig economy, is that it affords these bizarre interactions between completely different worlds and people. This play maybe images a deeper, more meaningful experience.
A great question. I think it’s both. In such a terrible wealth gap because all, or at least partly, we can hope for is the rich to be more altruistic and tax themselves if no one’s going to do it. But yes, I think also hope. Why I love cities and the jobs, especially oddly with the gig economy, is that it affords these bizarre interactions between completely different worlds and people. This play maybe images a deeper, more meaningful experience.
The play incorporates movement and an electric soundtrack. At what stage of the writing process did you decide that dialogue alone wasn't enough to capture the energy of the city?
So the characters narrate between scenes in a novelistic way so, I hope, you get this textured approach to setting and the city. Then musical scores, movement and lighting, rather than heavy sets, is vital to bring that all to life. I’ve done a similar thing with my last two plays but never on the scale of Night City.
So the characters narrate between scenes in a novelistic way so, I hope, you get this textured approach to setting and the city. Then musical scores, movement and lighting, rather than heavy sets, is vital to bring that all to life. I’ve done a similar thing with my last two plays but never on the scale of Night City.
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| Max Wilkinson |
Riva is a writer herself. How does her perspective as a "naive newcomer" allow the audience to see London through fresh, perhaps more cynical, eyes?
It’s a very good question. I think it’s tragic-comic that she comes to the city from a small-nowhere town and, fuelled by old novels and her own bizarre idealism, thinks a job at a grim chain coffee shop will be the gateway to Paris in the 20s. So I think we can laugh cynically at her silly dreams but also, yes, question our cynicism and how brutal London is for an outsider coming in, especially a poor one who’s sweet and idealistic. And how the economy now doesn’t afford much idealism or the old, ‘broke artist’ idea.
How important is the geography of the play to its impact?
Very. I was born in London and, as I say, spent most of my life roaming across it between jobs. Also most things I write are set here. I should probably write about something else.
Very. I was born in London and, as I say, spent most of my life roaming across it between jobs. Also most things I write are set here. I should probably write about something else.
What was the first piece of theatre you remember having a big impact on you?
I came to theatre quite late really, relatively. I found a library full of plays in my early twenties and started reading the absurdists voraciously. People like Artaud and Pinter were the first to make an impact on me.
I came to theatre quite late really, relatively. I found a library full of plays in my early twenties and started reading the absurdists voraciously. People like Artaud and Pinter were the first to make an impact on me.
What keeps you inspired?
Characters and people. However frustrating, cruel, nonsensical and contradictory they can be, their capacity to surprise, find joy and intrigue, completely embarrass themselves and be immeasurably kind is never ending. And constantly creates story.
Characters and people. However frustrating, cruel, nonsensical and contradictory they can be, their capacity to surprise, find joy and intrigue, completely embarrass themselves and be immeasurably kind is never ending. And constantly creates story.
What is the one thing you want audiences to take away from seeing Night City?
I want them to have a lot of fun, with the music and the comedy and the tapestry of characters that will hopefully be conjured well on the stage. And then, I hope, to feel deeply for those characters and perhaps look again at an industry that is quite invisible; but ever-growing.
I want them to have a lot of fun, with the music and the comedy and the tapestry of characters that will hopefully be conjured well on the stage. And then, I hope, to feel deeply for those characters and perhaps look again at an industry that is quite invisible; but ever-growing.
Night City will be coming to Southwark Playhouse Borough, London SE1 6BD from Wednesday 9th September to Saturday 3rd October.
For more information visit: https://southwarkplayhouse.co.uk/productions/night-city
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