First look at new play the Monstrous Heart at Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre and Edinburgh's Traverse Theatre

Opens at the Stephen Joseph Theatre before moving to Edinburgh

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A new play by Oliver Emanuel, co-writer of the National Theatre of Scotland’s First World War project The 306 Trilogy, opens at Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre in early October and Edinburgh’s Traverse Theatre in late October.

The Monstrous Heart is directed by Gareth Nicholls, interim artistic director at the Traverse, whose production of Crocodile Fever at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe gained rave reviews.

The co-production of the thrilling, chilling and witty The Monstrous Heart explores those knotty subjects of love/hate, good/evil, and nature/nurture and is performed by Christine Entwisle and Charlene Boyd.

Set and costume designer is by Cécile Trémolières, lighting design by Tigger Johnson and Oğuz Kaplangi is the composer and sound designer.

Mag, Christine Entwisle, lives in a rustic cabin in the Canadian wilds, far from neighbours and further from her past. But when her estranged daughter Beth, Charlene Boyd, turns up on the doorstep fresh from prison, the past becomes terrifyingly present. And it has teeth.Beth came to ask Mag a question. But is she prepared for the answer? Can they really settle their scores? And can Mag keep an innocent party from being destroyed in the crossfire? As a blizzard closes in and dangerous words are traded, Mag accepts a challenge from a most unexpected source and lights a fuse that looks set to blow both women sky high. The Monstrous Heart examines afresh the eternal question of whether we ever really change how we’re made. Is it possible to kill our old selves and create someone new and better in their place?

The Monstrous Heart can be seen in the McCarthy at the Stephen Joseph from Thursday October 3 to Saturday October 19.

Tickets, priced from £10, are available from the box office on 01723 370541 and online at www.sjt.uk.com

It then heads to the Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, from Tuesday October 22 to Saturday November 2.

Tickets, priced from £5, are available from the box office on 0131 228 1404 or online at www.traverse.co.uk