GUSH at Traverse, Edinburgh Review
Written by Kerry for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Tickets were gifted in return for an honest review. All views are our own
GUSH, written by Jess Brodie, has its world premiere at Traverse, centring around Ally, a soon-to-be mum who wants to have a last bit of control over her life before baby Bug arrives.
The audience enters the theatre to the sound of muffled heartbeats playing on a loop, like you would hear from a baby in its mother’s tummy. A box-like bed full of pillows sits centre stage, with the flooring curved up to also form the backdrop, a unique and very practical idea by Becky Minto, as it immerses the audience into the piece, and with lighting, easily transporting us around Ally’s life. This also changes depending on her emotional state, especially when it comes to her struggles with sexuality, which consume her, knowing that this is her last chance to explore before the societal expectation of settling down and living her life through her baby.
Jessica Hardwick plays Ally with a sense of fearful hope; she toys with her emotional turmoil throughout, struggling to decide on what she truly wants. The dialogue of the piece, acting as an internal monologue for the most part, explores Ally’s fear of becoming a parent, but not as much with the night feeds and nappy changes, but instead how she’s scared of losing her identity and only being Bug’s mum. There seems to be an aura of anxiety that follows Ally through the piece, made more evident at certain points by Hardwick’s way of almost throwing up words and constant playing with the hem of her shirt. With the occasional awkward laugh here and there, the comedic moments are a definite highlight. I know I would act the exact same if I bumped into an old high school friend I never really liked.
I do wish the piece were a little longer, maybe starting a bit earlier in Ally’s pregnancy. There were mentions of her love of work and potential past issues with conceiving, which are never touched upon. It might have been nice to explore more of Ally’s life outside the pregnancy that she feels so eager to explore, however, for the length of the piece, it focuses on what matters instead of trying to squish it all in which I’ve seen in the past and failed at.
GUSH delves into what seems to be a very common feeling that parents, especially mothers, experience during pregnancy that can’t just go away with a pamphlet or pill. I am not a parent myself and being one of the youngest in the family, I haven’t seen how people change when they have a baby but if this show has taught me anything, it’s okay to still be your own person with your own dreams whilst raising a family.
GUSH plays at Traverse Theatre until 25 April 2026
★★★★
