Jobsworth

Park Theatre

Playing until 6th December 2025

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Photo credit: Harry Elletson

{PR Gifted ticket}

It is no longer an uncommon sight for people in this day and age to have a main job and a side gig, but Bea (Libby Rodliffe, also co-writer) is different, she is a PA to a company CEO and a receptionist/general manager of an apartment building during the day, and by night, a house/pet sitter. Did I mention she also does data entry online in the evening?  

Oozes with charisma, Rodliffe confidently portrays a myriad of characters that Bea has to deal with on a daily basis, from demanding bosses to disgruntled coworkers and overbearing social media influencers, work simply never stops. Faced with impossible financial challenges she found herself in, Bea did manage to find a way to make all of her different jobs work without compromising what she has to deliver, until it didn’t.

The script by Rodliffe and Isley Lynn is slick, witty and fast-paced, almost reflecting the speed in which Bea herself has to work to make everything fit together. The writers have done a excellent job fitting all aspects of Bea’s life into one cohesive jigsaw, putting the overwhelming messiness in full display in a fantastic way.

Rodliffe’s performance elevates an exceptional script, expressively displaying the panic when her boss found out that she has been working multiple jobs during working hours, and turning the table around by using his secrets against him and the latter half of the play into a tit for tat war between the two.

Despite the comedy, the script also invests time into the exploration of the challenges and pressure Bea experiences, effectively destroys her social life and her inability to do what she thinks is right, driving her to the tip of breaking. Similar to her performance as a strong and witty woman, Rodliffe is also fully capable of playing a vulnerable character yearning for connections with her father and the crushing financial pressure she is put under when things begin to go wrong. However, even with all of the challenges, the script reminds us the risks associated with irresponsible loans and while that could seem like the only option at the time, it could also quickly spiral out of control and land us in an even worse situation.  

Jobsworth delicately balances two contrasting tones, the thrill and the wit on one hand and the pressure and despair on the other. In the face of financial destruction, there is no time for social life or moral, a key component that drives much of the narrative and an area that the writers navigated with great precision.

Creatives

Writers: Isley Lynn, Libby Rodliffe

Director: Nicky Allpress

Sound Design: Matteo Depares