EDINBURGH 2018: Review: AFTER THE CUTS, Summerhall

It's the year 2045 and things have changed quite a bit. Unfortunately, not for the better. James and Agnes Baxter are living in a world where real petrol hasn't been seen in years, a Blue Ribband biscuit is the ultimate luxury item and there's no National Health Service.

When Agnes gets ill and finds out her insurance doesn't cover treating her, Jim takes things into his own hands. You see, he's always been a fixer..

I really enjoyed the language in After The Cuts. The piece is set in Govan, Glasgow and the dialect is typically Glaswegian. There is a fair amount of bad language but it never really feels like swearing for the sake of it. Jim and Agnes are in impossibly hard times and the time for politeness has definitely passed.

It isn't an easy watch. I spent a large portion of the show with my jaw hanging open due to the horrific twists in the plot. A few people actually left during the 60-minute play. While there's nothing gory happening onstage, the script is very descriptive.

After The Cuts is staged in the demonstration room in Summerhall which feels fitting. The room is set out like an old lecture theatre and it's just a little bit creepy- the perfect place to listen to Jim's horrendous tale.

Gary McNair's play is a dark and twisted look at what the future could hold. While the collapse of the NHS isn't directly addressed until about three-quarters of the way through the show it very much seems to be something gradual that happened which makes this all the more terrifying.

https://festival18.summerhall.co.uk/event/after-the-cuts/

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