Terrified of the outside, Ed hasn’t left his home in years and his partner, Liv, is losing hope that he ever will. Inside, Ed finds escape by growing plants, germinating seeds, and cataloguing flowers. But Liv is suffocating in this enclosing world, and their relationship is in crisis.
After many failed attempts and much patience, Liv makes the hardest decision of her life: to leave. Faced with losing her, Ed sets himself the hardest challenge of his life: if she can leave without looking back, he will try to follow her over the threshold and into the outside world beyond.
Technical details
Narrative Short - UK - 14 minutes 50 seconds - English (with subtitles)
Cast and Credits
Key Cast
Liam Murray Scott - "Ed"
Roseanna Frascona - "Liv"
Director - Chloë Lawrence-Taylor
Director - Paul Sirett
Writer - Chloë Lawrence-Taylor
Writer - Paul Sirett
Producer - Amelia Deering
Screening Details:
mental health experience. April 27th 2026. 5pm-10:00pm. Venue to be announced.
Director biography
- Chloë Lawrence-Taylor,
Paul Sirett
Chloë Lawrence-Taylor (she/her) is a playwright originally from Oxford. She is part of the Royal Court Theatre’s Long-Form Playwriting Group, having been a member of their Intro Group in 2022/23. She is on attachment at the National Theatre, and has been commissioned by National Theatre Connections ("Brain Play"), Women & Theatre and has worked with Clean Break Theatre Company. She is an alumnus of the Royal Court Theatre, the Old Fire Station, Broken Silence Theatre, and the National Young Writers Programme at Pentabus Theatre. Her impressive debut play "Personal Values" (Hampstead Theatre) received stellar reviews, with The Guardian announcing that, “even as a writer in germination, she has a unique grasp of human behaviour that is far beyond her years”. "Cuttings" is Chloe’s first short film.
Paul Sirett (he/him) is an award-winning playwright, dramaturg, and musician. There have been over thirty productions of Paul’s plays, including the recent revival of his Olivier-nominated musical "The Big Life" (with Paul Joseph & Tameka Empson) at Theatre Royal Stratford East 2024. Other plays have been produced in London’s West End and at many venues in the UK and around the world. Paul has also written for radio and worked as a dramaturg for companies including the Royal Shakespeare Company, BBC Radio 4 and the National Theatre. Paul is an Associate Artist of Soho Theatre. "Cuttings" is also Paul’s first short film.