Save + Quit

The atomising effect of big city life on relationships inspires two duologues by young theatre outfit Hairpin Productions. Split down the middle, the first pair deliver their speeches direct to the audience as their paths converge in London, while the second performance brings together the lives of two dispirited Dubliners.

As competent as the performances are by this quartet, we’ve heard these stories before. There’s not enough character development or depth to feel for these individuals, who trundle along in cities occupied by millions. They observe some apparent and affecting truths—that city life is both fulfilment and isolation—but this show is also carpeted by pretty bland commentaries about the busy London Underground and the inertia of domestic life.

At times, it simply feels like a piece for Londoners about recognising Tube stops: stepping off at Embankment; jokes about perceptions of wembley; the rivalry between North and South, and various postcode districts. The psychogeography of the city is a popular subject for theatre makers in 2016, but there is still a lot more this piece could expand upon to find relevance.

The same is true of the direction; neat and tidy but ultimately uninspired. Occasionally, the script starts to unpick stages of grief that can be exacerbated by metropolitan routine, but only within the closing 10 minutes does this piece begin to take shape. The first 50 minutes feel disjointed and disinterested, the jokes fall flat and the two conclusions are unsatisfying. In this regard, Save + Quit probably isn’t worth backing up.