Royal Court's Anniversary Season Opens with Emotionally Charged Pregnancy Drama
The Royal Court theatre in London has launched its 70th anniversary season with a production that is both devastating and deeply moving. Luke Norris's play Guess How Much I Love You? presents a shattering portrait of a pregnancy in crisis, exploring grief, love, and resilience within a marriage.
A Harrowing Yet Profound Exploration of Loss
Audience members are handed trigger warnings upon entering the auditorium, and for good reason. Norris's play plunges into the depths of sorrow as it follows an unnamed thirtysomething couple navigating the aftermath of a devastating 20-week ultrasound scan. The narrative is harrowing, yet it manages to be funny, profound, and intense without ever becoming overwrought.
The couple's relationship is built on a sparky kind of contrariness. She, portrayed by Rosie Sheehy, is clever and ferocious, always ready for confrontation. He, played by Robert Aramayo, is gentler, using humour and poetry to soften her edges. Their dialogue resembles a contact sport—ricocheting, fast, and furious—as they await the scan results in the opening scene.
Explosive Performances and Masterful Direction
Sheehy and Aramayo deliver explosive performances that match each other's intensity in different ways. The news they receive is painful, forcing them to make terrible choices about the birth of their baby. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the play seamlessly shifts gears from savage to tender, devastating to humorous, demonstrating a self-assured understanding of grief's shape.
Norris, better known as an actor, confirms his talent as a playwright of depth and flair with this work. His previous play, Goodbye to All That, was staged upstairs at the Royal Court in 2012, and this production solidifies his reputation for crafting emotionally resonant stories.
Striking Staging and Emotional Depth
The play is strikingly staged, with blackouts between scenes that allow Grace Smart's set design to transform rapidly in the dark. A hospital room morphs into the couple's bedroom or would-be nursery, enhanced by Jessica Hung Han Yun's dazzling lighting. Plot twists bring shock and dread, balanced by whimsy and deep rumination on mortality, including mystical elements that touch on dreams and other existences.
The couple's fights are visceral, articulating the unspeakable. "Sometimes I hate you," she declares, and he wishes her dead. Yet, through tears and angry accusations, their love endures. This is a tear-jerker with 100% heart and 0% sentimentality, making it an emotional tour de force.
Guess How Much I Love You? runs at the Royal Court theatre in London until 21 February, marking a powerful start to the venue's milestone season.
