Guess How Much I Love You by Luke Norris, Royal Court Theatre, the Jerwood, Sloane Square, London SW1 | until February 2026. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review. By William Russell

Photo credit: Johan Persson

Guess How Much I Love You

by Luke Norris

Royal Court Theatre, the Jerwood, Sloane Square, London SW1 | until February 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review. By William Russell

“Powerful, brilliantly performed and directed.”

Brilliantly acted by Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo, directed with the surest of touches, Luke Norris's play consists of a series of scenes separated by blackouts which seem to last for ever as we follow what happens after a young couple have their first baby. Things go catastrophically wrong. We meet them in the hospital private room, at home, at different periods as they cope with what has happened, fight, reconcile and argue about what she claims is his taste for watching porn, he complains about her actions, make up and ultimately maybe find a way ahead. It is a pretty gruelling evening but also very funny at times – he is impossible, she has a tongue, and Sheehy and Aramayo create a completely believable pair. His Catholic upbringing hangups infuriate her, while her obstinacy infuriates him in turn. The encounters are delivered at speed and at times to start with they were hard to follow but as they got to grips with the auditorium, they became clear as could be. It opens when they are in a hospital room and she has just had a 20-week scan – the photographer has gone, the couple are beginning to worry, why has nobody come in. What we find out after the black out is that something has indeed gone wrong and they are faced with an agonising future. There is a brief appearance from a mid-wife in one scene in hospital but essentially this is a series of conversations between the couple as they cope with what has happened ending on a beach where they are on holiday which takes up the entire stage. The sets are important, quite small, cramped rooms have been created by designer Grace Smart which appear out of the darkness – the skill with the changes are made is impressive as is the way costumes are changed so that while the blackouts create moments when the audience is in limbo the action of the play still flows with a hypnotic power. It is a heart wrenching story but maybe in the end not completely bleak as Norris springs an almost wordless surprise. The performances from Sheehy and Aramayo cannot be too highly praised -as for the play, under Herrin's direction it exerts a powerful control over the audience.

Cast

Robert Aramayo – Him

Lena Kaur – Midwife

Rosie Sheey – Her

Creatives

Director - Jeremy Herrin

Designer – Grace Smart

Lighting Designer – Jessick Hun Han Yung

Composer & Sound Designer – Nick Powell

Intimacy Co-ordinator – Clare Foster