Play Details
Context
Artistic Director
William Gaskill
Dates Performed
Wednesday 3rd November 1965
Main House (Downstairs)
Play Details
Synopsis
A bleak council estate in 1960s South London, where poverty and disillusionment breed a cycle of violence and indifference.
Pam, a young woman desperate for connection, becomes entangled with Len, a well-meaning but ineffectual young man, and Fred, a charismatic but cruel thug. As their relationships spiral into a web of betrayal and abuse, the play builds to a shocking climax where a group of disaffected youths, including Fred, stone a baby to death in its pram. In the aftermath, Len struggles to find meaning and redemption in a world seemingly devoid of hope or compassion.
Edward Bond’s controversial masterpiece dissects the roots of social alienation and violence with unflinching brutality. Through stark, spare dialogue and moments of searing cruelty, “Saved” paints a damning portrait of a society that has abandoned its most vulnerable members. The play’s infamous baby-stoning scene serves not as mere shock value, but as a devastating metaphor for the death of innocence and humanity in a world governed by poverty, neglect, and systemic failure. Bond challenges audiences to confront the conditions that give rise to such seemingly senseless acts, forcing a reckoning with the true costs of social inequality.
Cast & Creative
Cast
John Bull
Cast
Richard Butler
Cast
Timothy Carlton
Cast
John Castle
Cast
Frances Cuka
Cast
Ian Cutherbertson
Cast
William Stewart
Designer