Saved is a play by Edward Bond which premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in November 1965.
The play itself is set in London during the 1960s. Its subject is the cultural poverty and frustration of a generation of young people on the dole and living on council estates. In response to the censorship of the play, Laurence Olivier wrote a letter to The Observer, saying that: "Saved is not a play for children but it is for grown-ups, and the grown-ups of this country should have the courage to look at it." American novelist Mary McCarthy praised its "remarkable delicacy".
The original cast included John Castle, Tony Selby, Ronald Pickup, Dennis Waterman, William Stewart, Barbara Ferris, Lucy Fleming, and Gwen Nelson. The creative team included director William Gaskill and lighting by Eric Baker.[1]
