Zinnie Harris's 'Supposing:' premieres at the Traverse Theatre for Edinburgh Fringe

A woman falls down a hole, gains the ability to see the future, and cannot convince a soul — least of all her husband — that she is telling the truth. That is the premise of 'Supposing:', the new play by Zinnie Harris that opened at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh on 31 July and runs through to 30 August as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (WhatsonStage).
Harris wrote and directed the production herself — her latest world premiere at the theatre that has long been the Fringe's home of new writing (Traverse Theatre). It is staged in Traverse 2, the smaller of the venue's two performance spaces, giving audiences an intimate setting for a story the Traverse describes as a "darkly funny psychological drama" rooted in Greek mythology (Traverse Theatre).
Nicole Cooper plays Sally, the woman at the centre of the story. Richard Conlan plays her husband, Rich. Their dynamic drives the tension: Sally believes a curse has fallen on their house, and the play turns on whether anyone will take her seriously (WhatsonStage). Alisa Kalyanova designed the set and costumes (WhatsonStage).
The Traverse calls the play "a howl against the unknown, wrestling with the consequences of truth and destiny" (Traverse Theatre). Harris's work explores grief in a darkly comic register, asking what it means to trust your own instincts when the extraordinary collides with everyday life (Traverse Theatre).
'Supposing:' is presented by Traverse Theatre Company as part of TravFest26, the venue's annual August programme of new writing from Scotland and beyond (Traverse Theatre). The Fringe, which takes over Edinburgh every August, is the world's largest arts festival, and the Traverse has built its reputation as the place where serious new scripts meet their first audiences.
For theatregoers, the draw is straightforward: a new Zinnie Harris play, staged in a compact room, with a cast of two and a premise that promises unease and dark humour in equal measure. The run closes on 30 August.


