REVIEW: The Plot, theatregoose, EdFringe 2026 ★★★★

A jet-black mass at the centre of the stage. A charcoal lump, seeming to smoulder across the streaky white floor. Chains, cage-like, suspended above with keys, letters, lanterns, and lots and lots of costumes… Ominous rumbling rolls through the auditorium of Summerhall’s Main Hall. The stage is set.

In this highly anticipated new play by Emma Howlett of The Stage Fringe Five, timely and thoughtful questions are asked about shame, betrayal and unheard vs. heard narratives. How far will we go to make sure the right story gets told? Can we ever control the narrative as much as those who, time and time again, are able to use their elite power to tell their version of events?

This is a more interesting and subtle exploration of the Gunpowder Plot than a ‘history is written by the victors’ story. Flitting between snatches of their memories and imaginations, between a staging of Macbeth and the King’s trial itself, two brothers, Tom and Robin, are trapped in a place they decide must be Purgatory.

Using an intriguing blend of period language, Shakespearean text and tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic exclamations, The Plot leads the audience through an attempt to work out what really happened on the infamous 5th November. At times Howlett’s own voice bleeds into the story in a fascinating, metatheatrical interrogation of what it means to be adapting this notorious historical event.

Innovative in form, and impressively realised using a striking and precise set, costume and props (designed by Ellie Wintour), this is a play that is questioning its own form, its own authorial voice with regards to creating further versions of history. It surrounds the real, yet extensively mythologised, plot to assassinate King James I by blowing up Parliament. It worked.

A weighty and emotive soundscape by sound designer and composer Sarah Spencer underscores from beginning to end, creating a solemn and, at times, deeply moving atmosphere of doubt and mistrust, building as the brothers’ trust in their version of events starts to unravel.

I was excited by Howlett’s treatment of identity and how it connects to ideas of sacrifice and betrayal in the play – resonating strongly with the UK’s current turmoil about Englishness as we hear so strongly the voices of those who feel that England is ‘lost’. Howlett artfully touched on how quick the law, and public narratives, can dismiss ‘angry young men with little to lose’ without at all excusing the current rise of the far-right in this country, never once making over-simplified sweeping statements which conflated the Gunpowder Plot with today’s events.

Through its interrogation of equivocation and the lies we choose to tell ourselves (and, of course, the lies we are told by those in power), The Plot cleverly connects a divided England of 1605 with a sensitive yet pertinent investigation of subjectivity, the power and responsibility that comes with authorship and the 21st century politics’ obsession with optics.

While I appreciated Howlett’s subtlety when it came to connecting the themes of The Plot to topical issues, in parts I felt that the political connections made could have been stronger, where the play’s non-linear structure meant that its point of view was a little murky.

On the other hand, Howlett’s lightness of touch allowed for the shifting settings and characters to seamlessly merge together, creating huge gravitas and pathos by the time Tom and Robin start to question their own roles – in the plot, but also in the play, and in so-called Purgatory. Text straight from Macbeth, combined with Howlett’s own words, was humorously and fluidly woven in, adding a further layer to the themes for anyone who is familiar with that tale of loyalty, ambition and guilt.

Masterfully performed by Sophie Kean and Abby McCann, they totally commanded the stage and brought this slippery play to life with seeming ease, bringing authenticity and humour to their characters’ attempts to ‘play the parts they’ve been written’. Their incredible chemistry together propelled the play constantly onwards.

There were some beautifully moving moments in which both Kean and McCann showcased immense sensitivity and vulnerability on stage; I would have liked to see the script give a little more space to some of the heavier, emotional moments in its performance, giving us the chance to fully realise the weight of the events taking place.

theatregoose have created a thought-provoking production with The Plot that is visually striking and phenomenally immersive in the anticipation and intrigue it creates. Like nothing else I’ve see ever seen at the Fringe.

Recommended Drink: As the saying goes, “In vino veritas”. A glass of your wine of choice.

You can watch The Plot at Summerhall from 6-31 August at 19:30 (70 mins). Tickets are available through the EdFringe Box Office.