BRILLIANT JERKS - REVIEW - SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE

If Industry and The Lehman Trilogy reveal the human stories behind the city’s financial megaliths, Joseph Charlton’s slick and capacious telling of the rise and partial fall of Uber’s empire gives us a similar window into the world of corporate tech startups. A dextrous, fast-paced writing style, rich medley of themes, and three standout performances make for a thought-provoking exploration that hits at the heart of an app we’ve all used — and potentially questioned the ethics of.

Ex-addict and Uber driver Mia (Kiran Sonia Sawar) begins her tale of ‘miracles’, ‘chance’ and ‘driving’, setting the scene for a style of interwoven monologue and dialogue that deftly introduces a cast of supporting characters from passengers to partners to board members. Against this, talented coder Sean begins a new job at a tech startup, replete with all the perks of money, banana hammocks and the prospect of a glimmering future. Played with a firm and steady hand by Sean Delaney, it’s not long before his complex thinking and communication skills (as well as his boyish good looks) are noticed by the management, and CEO Tyler (Shubham Saraf) steps into the frame. Bromance ensues — underpinned by a strong homoerotic edge. This combines with a fraternal culture to create a toxically misogynistic environment where the passionate, hyper-focussed Amy is overlooked largely because she is a woman. Such a failure of the ‘culture’ is, fortunately, one avoided by this production, with Sawar’s grounded, fluid performance centring Mia’s multifaceted story, and, with her smaller roles, shining a light on the harm that corporate sexism can do.

Saraf’s Tyler is cocky, slippery, and charming. He sees the potential in Sean’s idea for a new app and makes it fly. But he’s also an egotist and an enabler, unable to see beyond the figures that justify his success and happy to dismiss the voices of his female staff and partner. The one moment where Sean and Tyler get up onto the circular logo table at the centre of the stage reflects a moment of lifting — when an idea is so clear and perfect that it just comes to us, putting us in touch with something greater than ourselves. This sense of scale and ambition isn’t attacked — simply set against the impact on people actively excluded from its glory.

Brilliant Jerks explores how relationships and identity suffuse our working lives, and how the machinations of tech and money are bound up in the fabric of who we are. The inclusion of the driver’s perspective draws together the newsworthy big-business insider narrative with a more tender, frail and heart-wrenching story of simply getting by. It’s certainly an ambitious challenge, but one pulled off with both a detailed journalistic edge and dramatic flare.

Minimal use of props and a functional set bring into focus the writing and performance — highlighting the skill of the creative team. The performers are totally in line with the text, and some moments of clever directing from Katie-Ann McDonough bring into focus the moral conflict of Sean in particular. The only aspect I struggled with at times was the sheer number of roles played by each actor — though simple indicators of costume and accent were able to differentiate these for the most part. It’s a quick, broad-reaching story with a lot to stay, and doesn’t always wait for you to catch up.

Despite this minor gripe, the production is an incredibly capable realisation of a thought-provoking, real and important story that many will feel strongly about. It’s intelligent and sensitively handled — a remarkable achievement and truly a play for our times.

Read all of George’s reviews here

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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