An abstract look at how grief, guilt and shame can change the way we see loved one. Will they make or break? 

As you enter the theatre space, the set design gives a sense of walking into a minimalists arts exhibition. The stark white walls and bright lights accompany a large, red paper wrapped box that sits alone in the middle of the stage. On one side of the stage stands a clothes railing and on the other, a drinks trolley laid with a bottle of wine, glasses and a hammer. 

A couple enters, they are both staring at the box. The woman, played by Sarah Lawrie, is already quite drunk, kicking the box, toying with it whilst she inspects it. The man, portrayed by Martin Edwards tells her firmly not to touch the box. “It’s not time yet” Neither of the characters appear to know what is in the box and the audience are left to wonder what’s inside the box and why is it here? 

As the play continues we are led into the couples imaginary world- where the lines between reality and fantasy are dangerously blurred. Both Lawrie and Edwards have a good grasp on the script and the relationship. They worked well together and helped push the story through its twists and turns. The audience are taken on an emotional rollercoaster ride as the play examines the harrowing consequences of a mistake and how it can affect those we love the most. 

Two elements of the show that felt out of place were the music and movement. They both felt a bit cliche, overdone and predictable. The piece began to take on a GCSE devised theatre quality rather than the slick, sophisticated piece it could have been. Instead of enhancing the key moments within a scene, it took us out of the world and away from the relationship. At times it felt like a tactic to entice an emotional response rather than aiding the emotional journey of the piece.

Overall I thought the piece did well. It is always interesting to see how grief, shame and guilt can impact a relationship and decide whether its make or break. However, with the disconnected nature of parts of the script, movement and music, the play failed to find a nice synergy and left audience members feeling robbed of a true connection with the characters in this story.