Prepare to have your heart wrenched and your emotions tested. Guess How Much I Love You? is not just a play—it’s a raw, unflinching exploration of love, loss, and the fragile beauty of human connection. But here’s where it gets controversial: Can a story this dark, this painfully honest, also be funny, profound, and oddly life-affirming? The answer is a resounding yes.
As you enter the auditorium, you’re handed a card with trigger warnings—and for good reason. Luke Norris’s play dives headfirst into the depths of grief and crisis during pregnancy, yet it never loses its humanity. It’s a tightrope walk between devastation and humor, intensity and tenderness, and it’s executed with breathtaking precision. The unnamed couple at its center—played by Rosie Sheehy and Robert Aramayo—are electric. She’s sharp-witted and fiercely combative; he’s gentle, using humor and poetry to soften her edges. Their relationship is a fiery dance of contradictions, their dialogue a rapid-fire exchange that feels less like conversation and more like a contact sport. And this is the part most people miss: Beneath the biting wit and raw anger lies a love so deep, it’s almost unbearable to witness.
The story unfolds as they await the results of their 20-week ultrasound scan, but the news they receive forces them into impossible choices. Sheehy and Aramayo deliver performances that are nothing short of explosive, matching each other’s intensity while carving out their own unique spaces. The play is unrelentingly dark—at one point, he asks, ‘Are we at the bottom yet?’—yet you’ll find yourself clinging to every word, every moment. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the production shifts seamlessly from savage to tender, from gut-wrenching to whimsical, all while exploring the multifaceted shape of grief. Norris, better known as an actor, cements his reputation as a playwright of remarkable depth and flair.
What sets this play apart are its unexpected twists—moments of shock and dread intertwined with profound reflections on mortality and a mystical element that dances around dreams and alternate existences. The staging is equally striking, with blackouts between scenes that allow Grace Smart’s set design to transform effortlessly in the dark. Jessica Hung Han Yun’s lighting is nothing short of dazzling, turning a hospital room into a bedroom or a would-be nursery in the blink of an eye.
The couple’s fights are visceral, laying bare the unspeakable truths of their pain. ‘Sometimes I hate you,’ she confesses, while he admits to wishing her dead. Yet, through the tears, the anger, and the unreasonable accusations, their love endures—unbreakable, unapologetic, and utterly human. This is a tear-jerker, no doubt, but it’s one with 100% heart and 0% sentimentality. It’s a bold, emotional tour de force that kicks off the Royal Court’s 70th anniversary season in unforgettable style.
Here’s the question that lingers: Can a story this heartbreaking also be a celebration of love? And if so, what does that say about the resilience of the human spirit? Let’s discuss in the comments—I want to hear your thoughts.
Guess How Much I Love You? is playing at the Royal Court Theatre, London, until 21 February. Don’t miss it.
