Show - an instinct (rev.)

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an instinct

written by hugo timbrell

old red lion, 2025

“what exactly has he told you?”

as the country begins locking down, max finds himself hurtling down the motorway to a remote cabin in the woods with his ex-boyfriend tom.

but as they hide away together, the oppressive monotony of it all sees old wounds resurface, particularly how max left tom for another man, charlie.

while the virus begins its deadly attack on the outside world, seeming to mutate every day, max grapples with his fears of isolation, of what might be outside, and how he’s going to stay safe.

but after a secret visit from charlie, max begins to question who to trust. if max is going to survive this, he must navigate his relationship with these two men, and more importantly himself, or face deadly consequences.

shortlisted for the theatre503 international playwriting award 2023, an instinct is a queer thriller about a cabin, a door and, most importantly, an axe. uniting acclaimed director lucy foster (offie-nominated best director) and emerging writer hugo timbrell (my life as a cowboy), you’re invited to lockdown for a nerve-wracking evening in a cabin in the woods, where working out fact from fiction is a matter of life and death.