No One is Coming to Save You @ Pleasance Courtyard

Full of both mesmerising and tedious moments, the play has many strengths, but the point being made is sometimes lost along the way

Review by Grace Lavender | 20 Aug 2018

No One is Coming to Save You is an expression of the boredom and monotony of modern life. Nathan Ellis’ writing centres around two young people who experience separately and simultaneously the maddening tediousness of the everyday.

Directed by Charlotte Fraser, this show is an exploration of the culture of suspense that exists around us. One character sits staring at a glass of water. Another watches the TV in a foreign language. Both are having trouble sleeping, have jobs that are dull and regularly think about acts of extreme aggression. In the background, a TV is playing violent images, such as bombs exploding and planes crashing into one another.

Both actors, Agatha Elwes and Rudolphe Mdlongwa, give captivating and precise performances. The show is meticulously choreographed, and they carry out their roles to a tee. In some places, it feels as though the show’s movement is too planned. The show really relies on two voices and is grounded in the script, making lots of the movement feel superfluous and over-egged.

No One is Coming to Save You may look and sound beautiful, but there are times when it feels as though style is taking precedence over substance. The plot isn’t always easy to follow, and some moments feel as though they are without purpose. There are some more touching moments though, including the final scene in which the audience is asked to write down ‘what they do to feel okay again’ and Elwes and Mdlongwa take it in turns to read the answers out.

Full of both mesmerising and tedious moments, the play has many strengths, but the point being made is sometimes lost along the way.


No One is Coming to Save You, Pleasance Courtyard, (Bunker 2), 18-27 Aug, 12:30, £10.50 (£9.50)

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