PART OF THE KEY WORKERS CYCLE AT THE ALMEIDA THEATRE, MARCH ‘22

That’s how I feel every day. Like I’m taking the piss. Not essentials. Not food or medication. Not stuff people actually NEED.

Load the parcels, scan the app, make the drop - the essence of the job is SPEED. Alone in their vans, Shane and Mark keep each other company as they power down the motorway at the crack of dawn. When your life is governed by the threat of scoresheets, sanctions and the ping of an app, a mate’s voice on the handsfree is just the soundtrack you need.

Commissioned as part of The Key Workers Cycle at the Almeida:

If the Tube ground to a halt . . .
If the supermarket shelves emptied . . .
If your bins overflowed . . .
Would it feel like something, or someone, was missing?

A chorus of delivery drivers singing through the night, a support worker haunted by visions of the women who depend on her, a funeral director showing off his dab hand with a pair of clippers. In an echo of the Medieval Mystery Plays – which brought together communities of craftsmen and merchants to act out the stories of famous miracles – The Key Workers Cycle presents a cycle of nine short plays celebrating the humour, the hope and the stories of those who keep our daily lives running.

Performed by a company of professional actors, local community participants and key workers, The Key Workers Cycle places Islington’s community at its heart.

The Key Workers Cycle was produced at the Almeida, 9 -12th March 2022. The Delivery Drivers’ Play was performed by a company of ten community and two professional actors.