SAVED

Written by

Edward Bond

Directed by

Tim Maddock

Synopsis

Saved explores the violence and aggression of the downtrodden in 1960s London. Edward Bond calls this play a comedy, and whilst the humor may at times be hard to find, this perspective grants an understanding of the play that recognises the irony of the characters’ actions, and the vicious cycle that they are stuck in.

This production of Saved highlights the plight of the underclass regardless of the time and setting, while allowing for our actors to expand and refine their skills in the way of replicating a London working class accent and producing characters that are larger than life. Steeped in Marxist sentiment and immersed in the culture of the ‘underclass’, the process has presented many challenges, pushing these actors to not only explore themselves and their practice, but also deepen their understanding of the social and cultural influences that lead to the kinds of circumstances that Saved portrays.

Edward Bond was one of England’s leading writers in the middle part of the twentieth century, and Saved was instrumental at the time in challenging the existing laws of censorship leading to their removal. Sadly Edward Bond passed away during the first week of our rehearsal, otherwise I’m assured by his agent that he would have been keen to stay informed of our production.