Following two sold-out Work in Progress performances at VAULT 2020, the multi award-winning Spies Like Us return to the London fringe 2 years on with their thrilling physical caper, Speed Dial.
Following the remarkable success of their previous 3 shows, Our Man in Havana (2017), Woyzeck (2018), and Murder on the Dancefloor (2019), Spies Like Us have created a fast-paced, gripping thriller that explores the themes of connection and forgiveness in a nostalgic 1970s university campus setting.
In finals week a lonely Professor is waiting for a call. When he’s chased by the ringing of every phone he passes, he finally answers to the disturbing voice of his daughter’s kidnapper who sets him a series of perplexing tasks. In a race against the clock to save his family and job, the Professor hares across the quad from the library, to the lecture hall to the long-abandoned maze, attempting to uncover whodunnit and why.
Performed by a five-strong ensemble, Speed Dial combines old-fashioned rotary telephones and a multifunctioning door and desk with Spies Like Us’ trademark physically playful and inventive style.
Focusing on themes of isolation (which have only become more poignant since the pandemic) and the notion that ease of communication can sometimes paralyse you, Spies Like Us have created a show about the importance of human connection conveyed effectively by the sense of connectedness and trust between the tight, highly-physical ensemble on stage. As well as this, the setting of a university campus lends itself well to a critique of the machinations and exclusivity of British universities, particularly focussing on how they inhibit social mobility and prize profit over education.
Directed by Ollie Norton-Smith, the cast is Ned Cooper, Genevieve Sabherwal, Evangeline Dickson, Tullio Campanale and Hamish Lloyd Barnes.
Co-Artistic Director Hamish Lloyd Barnes comments, “We are incredibly excited to get this show back on its feet after 2 years of Zoom readings and rewrites. Following the pandemic, the core themes of connection and isolation feel more relevant than ever and we’re very interested to see how the show will shift in rehearsals to reflect the massive experience we’ve had since we last physically worked on it. Running at 75 minutes and with a fully designed multifunctional set, this is our most ambitious work to date and it feels like we’re poised and ready to take a big step up as a company.”
Speed Dial is at The Pleasance Downstairs Tuesday 8th – Saturday 12th March 2020.
