A happy couple on their anniversary. An unwelcome visitor. A bombshell that changes everything…
An original Fringe premiere, Intrusion is all about the past catching up with us and dealing with the consequences.
Jonathan (James Cumming) and Mia (Katrina Hamilton Smith) are at home, celebrating their second anniversary when a stranger Sam (Rory McColl) knocks at the door. What he has to tell a reluctant Jonathan changes each of their lives forever.
The play is intense and unexpected, not without moments of humour, but the revelations pile up. Even the soundtrack of ‘We’ll Meet Again’, usually a song imbued with optimism and hope presents a much darker undercurrent. The set is simple but effective and the scene changes – that might otherwise be interruptive – actually work as pauses to allow the audience to process events.
It’s an exploration of trust and consent, of the consequences of our actions (sometimes long after the event), and of the chaos and frustration when it’s ‘our word against theirs’ – whose truth is real? As with life, the play invites the audience to draw their own conclusions.
This is the debut play from Scottish theatre company, Locked In Thought, and the acting is impressive from start to finish; the cast completed by Christian Grant (Detective Collins ) and Benedict Hoesl (Officer Barnes). If one thing jarred, it’s that their investigation didn’t follow any recognised police procedure, but I stand corrected by my 15yr-old pointing out I’m ‘way too literal’ – in my defence I’m an editor of a lot of crime fiction, I have to be – and that I should, ‘Chill. It’s meant to be, like, universal’. And in fact, that might be the most impressive thing of all: that he both found the play gripping and got the messages underlying it.
Written by James Cumming, produced by Chloé Baines and the director is Grace Louise.