Review: GUESS HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU?, Royal Court Theatre

What would you do if the results of your 20-week scan were not what you were expecting? Would you continue with the pregnancy and adapt to the serious additional needs your baby is likely to have, or could you take the decision to have a termination? That is the choice facing Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo’s characters in Guess How Much I Love You?, the current production in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs.

Across six scenes, we follow the couple’s path from their decision to its ramifications, exploring how even having to face this kind of choice will test a previously strong relationship - let alone what awaits them in the aftermath. It’s approximately 95 minutes straight-through, with complete blackouts between each scene.

At least, that’s the idea. Unfortunately the performance to which I was allocated experienced a stoppage while someone received first aid - this obviously can’t be helped, but it did break the spell just as the emotional intensity was coming to the boil. What this short break did prove, however, was that the choice to run this without an interval was absolutely correct; overhearing strangers’ analysis of an incomplete product did inadvertently colour my view of the remainder of the play, and I couldn’t quite settle back into it in the way I had at the beginning.

Not so Sheehy and Aramayo, who managed to dive straight back into one of the most emotional parts of the play with very little run-up - their performances are both out of the top drawer anyway, managing to be utterly hilarious one minute and heartbreaking the next. Sheehy has shown this time and time again, most recently in her affecting portrayal of Billie in The Brightening Air, and once more proves herself a force to be reckoned with. In his professional stage debut, Aramayo (nominated for this year’s Rising Star Award at the BAFTAs) is more than a match for her, with a naturally expressive face and brilliant comic timing.

Luke Norris’ writing also deserves praise, with its unerring ability to keep pulling the rug from under you. On several occasions it feels like you’re watching one thing, but then it turns out it’s an entirely different scenario; this definitely keeps you on your toes, and very much engaged with the story as it unfolds. Exploring the prospective parents’ point-of-view does mean that it can be a bit one-sided, but crucially it doesn’t endorse any particular opinions, instead allowing a complex scenario and its corresponding emotions to play out in front of you.

It is worth pointing out here that if you have the tiniest inkling that the subject matter might be too much for you, I strongly suggest checking the Audience Self Care Guide; the content guide isn’t too spoilerific if you want a bit of a warning, otherwise there is a plot breakdown which goes into further detail. It’s the perfect balance of supporting those who might need it, without spoiling the production for those who are less affected.

The only thing that doesn’t always let the production soar is the slowness of the scene transitions. Whilst it’s helpful to have a bit of time to sit with what you’ve just seen (and the full blackout really works here), they all take too long and make it drag on just a bit too much. There is a note in the playtext saying “If in doubt, speed up” - this is obviously in reference to the dialogue, but it should be applied to the transitions as well.

Ultimately, though, this is a thought-provoking play that is full of humanity, with a great many moments of lightness which balance out the dark topics at its core; it’s a reminder that although grief can and will persist, so does hope.

Guess How Much I Love You? is at the Royal Court Theatre until 21 February