AN INSTINCT
Old Red Lion Theatre
★★★½
“a brave piece of theatre”
An Instinct is an inside look into coercive control, manipulation and makes you question everything. Littered with moments of shock, suspense and humour this play really takes you on a journey to an alternate experience of our once lived lockdown days.
Written by Hugo Timbrell, we are transported back to the beginning of COVID, to a cabin in the middle of the woods where we find ex lovers Max (Conor Dumbrell) and Charlie (Ben Norris) who have reunited to face isolation together.
Dumbrell and Norris are great at setting the tone and mood immediately. We see two people figuring out a situation together, but as we are drip fed information, we start to question everything presented to us. As we watch our main characters battle with trust, loyalty and the lack of both, we as an audience also ask the same questions and battle with the reality being played out. By the time our third player, Tom (Joe Walsham) enters the scene – there is a strong desire for the truth amongst the characters and audience alike.
Timbrell has created a brave piece of theatre here. There is a real understanding for how manipulation, gaslighting and passive aggressiveness play out without being biased. You are shown all sides of a story and are left to make your own judgements. He makes large, bold choices in the dynamics of the plot, with light comedy appearing throughout. The writing is very clever, clear and consistent – keeping you hooked in the twists and turns.
An Instinct is a thriller which can sometimes be a tricky genre, especially with the pressure of being able to lure your audience into anticipation ready to be thrilled. There are a couple of jump scare moments that can catch any audience member unaware, and we are pulled into a very unstable environment that is rife with mistrust. However there are also moments where the play runs the risk of being awkward.
The actors do well to sustain character and drive the plot through its highs and lows, but it’s a hard job to keep the suspense of a thriller, especially in theatre without the glitz and glamour of TV and film tricks. This pressure was almost too much for our actors at times. This didn’t take too much away from the play, and didn’t leave a bad taste, in fact it was a fun experience and audiences can take something away from it.
Director Lucy Foster delivered superbly. The transitions, the use of space and blocking of the actors are flawless and really lets us into their world by reinforcing that fourth wall and giving us a real “fly on a wall” experience. The sound (Julian Starr) and lighting (Caelan Oram) really supports the realism of the whole production and all the tricks and effects are used perfectly. Well worth seeing.
AN INSTINCT
Old Red Lion Theatre
Reviewed on 19th November 2025
by Paige Wilson-Lawrence
Photography by Craig Fuller
Previously reviewed at this venue:
CURATING | ★★ | November 2025
DEATH BELLES | ★★★½ | October 2025
FRAT | ★★ | May 2025
EDGING | ★★★ | September 2023
THIS IS NORMAL | ★★★★ | September 2023
