What happens when you fall asleep as your partner wakes up to start their day? Can the relationship last as your communication turns to half-asleep goodbyes and post it notes on a wall, or will it crumble alongside your sleep schedule?
Glass Scorpion Theatre’s Nocturnal is The New Sexy, written by Esme Sharpington, answers this, following Alice (Alix Lander) and Ben (Toby Lyons) as they move into their new flat. Their optimism for the future is shattered as Alice finds out she’ll be on nightshifts at an NHS call centre for the foreseeable future. What follows is a carousel of relationship issues, NHS-funded sleep deprivation, and ready meals. Nocturnal is The New Sexy portrays the crushing pressure faced by NHS key workers in the workplace and beyond.
Almost everything about this show was perfect. The cast are stellar, with Alix Lander particularly shining through. She finds the balance between the erratic and exhausted, slowly morphing into a ghost as she fades from her peer’s lives and struggles to fit in at work.
The storytelling is compact and focused, which, paired with the changing set and lighting, never left me bored. The narrative jumps back and forth, from a relationship falling apart, to career issues, to a monologue about the pressures of working for the NHS. Every scene change builds anticipation for what is to come, turning mundane household objects into call centre desks and break rooms.
The affair storylines could’ve been fleshed out a bit more, although it’s referenced throughout the play the reveal feels abrupt. Similarly, an affair is set up between Alice and her coworker (Liam River Rose) but never materialises, ending up feeling like an afterthought. However, this is probably due to the short runtime of the show. I much preferred the storyline focusing on the pressure that NHS staff face.
Nocturnal is The New Sexy will take you on a funny, introspective and overwhelming journey through the NHS call centre. One minute you’ll laugh, and the next you’ll be infuriated. The fantastic cast reveals the realities of the jobs forgotten by the NHS through their emotional portrayals, making this show a must see at this year’s Fringe.
Nocturnal Is The New Sexy is running until 22 August at Space 1 at theSpace in the Mile.
Buy tickets here.
Image by Sam Elfick, provided to The Student as press material.
