I know my boy. I’d know if something had happened to him. Read more …
Maddy and Rory are devoted parents to 3-year-old Joshua, committed to keeping him happy and safe. But when an everyday visit to a supermarket café turns into a far more troubling incident, their trust even in those closest to them is shattered. Fear and doubt consume them, until they reach a savage breaking point.
Gut is a taut psychological thriller that explores who we can trust with our children. And whether it’s more dangerous not to trust at all.
If Poet softens the final blow, she nonetheless exposes a fault line of social dysfunction with a relentless and transfixing logic.
A play that takes just enough leaps out of the ordinary to illustrate the extremes a mother’s love sometimes must endure.
New writing must connect with an audience to survive, something which Poet achieves through relatable issues. Pushing fresh innovative productions, the Traverse Theatre encourages discussion whilst entertaining audiences. Gut is no different and a welcome addition to the Traverse’s 2018 catalogue.
Overall, Gut is a piece of great storytelling that brings to life the test of being a parent.
When so many new writers seem constrained by the desire to fit everything into an hour, the Traverse should be congratulated for providing the opportunity to stretch out. However, there are times when this production – 90 minutes without an interval – feels too long.
Gut’s lack of redemption and hopelessness makes for a rather pessimistic night at the theatre.
Gut contains an important story, yet struggles to reconcile its immense themes within a theatrical format that has been developed for less intimate topics.
The playwright succeeds in capturing something of the insecurity of modern parenting and the ways in which parents’ identities become completely overwhelmed by their child’s needs.
Brilliant and intense.
Gripping and thought-provoking.
Despite strong performances across the piece, one can’t help but feel the absence of a real, psychological undertow.
Frances Poet’s Bruntwood-shortlisted play is astute and unsettling.
At times frightening and sometimes a metaphorical punch to the proverbial gut, Poet’s full-length debut is an enthralling new play that holds the audience in the palm of its hand long after the curtain has fallen.
Gut has been well written and taps into human fear with chilling and unsettling results.
Ones to watch in 2018: playwright Frances Poet
Gut preview: a psychological thriller about parents and their kids from Frances Poet.
Frances Poet--Gut
Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh from Friday April 20, 2018, until Saturday May 12, 2018. More info: www.traverse.co.uk
Tron Theatre, Glasgow from Wednesday May 16, 2018, until Saturday May 19, 2018. More info: www.tron.co.uk
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