Gush at Traverse 2 Edinburgh****

That one woman can have us hanging on her every word for just over an hour, with nothing more than a bed full of cushions as the only distraction, is some feat.

Jessica Hardwick is to be applauded for her emotional, sensitive and sometimes funny performance as a wife who embarks on secret rendezvous just before she is about to give birth. But the strength of this piece also lies in Jess Brodie’s writing, which keeps us spellbound from beginning to end. We never know what’s coming next; she continues to keep us guessing.

I don’t want to give too much away as it’s the not knowing, the anticipation, which draws us in. However, the fact that Ally is heavily pregnant plays a big part. Her hormones are all over the place and while she sees becoming a mum as the start of a new chapter in her life she is also aware of her own desires and identity and of losing a sense of freedom.

A new work commissioned by the Traverse, it is directed by Becky Hope-Palmer.

Image: Mihaela Bodlovic

Gush is at Traverse 2 Edinburgh until Apr 25

traverse.co.uk