Writer: David Linsay-Abaire
Directed By: Gerard Lee
David Lindsay-Abaire’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole finds a fitting home at the Smock Alley Boys School Theatre. It explores the repercussions of a fatal accident on a small suburban family experiencing a parallel to the Kennedy Curse. Becca and Howie are trying to hold onto pieces of their late son while relatives prepare to welcome a new life or continuously compare their strength of grief. Rabbit Hole is a simmering-pot drama that sends us right into the depth of life and loss.
The cast consists of Jane Tuohy as wife Becca, Greg Freegrove as husband Howie, Sorcha Herlihy as sister Izzy, Linda Ryan as mother Nat and Jackson Ryan as Jason. The cast are a solid ensemble, emanating a strong but sensitive family bond that gets occasionally disrupted by Jason the agent of the fatal accident. The environment projects realism and a family’s life submerged by grief and loss. The family’s tension was smoothly highlighted by Gerard Lee’s directing, creating spatial formations of isolation and uneasiness. Becca (Tuohy) is frequently at the tip of this structure as she expresses her grief to be stronger than the others.
The chemistry between Tuohy and Freegrove displays a couple desperately trying to continue on with their lives without a significant piece of it. Becca struggles with the lingering presence of Danny within his possessions around the house and would rather move out, whereas Howie (Freegrove) deems it important to process his loss and hold onto the memories. This narrative is highlighted when Becca “accidentally” records over Howie’s favourite home video tape and he accuses Becca of doing it deliberately. Howie encourages Becca to go to a support group but Becca disapproves of its connotations with religion and instead seeks agency in Jason, the cause of her child’s fatal encounter. She invites him into their home and coddles him with cake and milk, appearing to project her maternal instincts but ultimately being unable to handle his presence.
The cast captures each character’s emotions well, effectively portraying the diverse perspectives on grief and loss. Praise must be given to Sorcha Herlihy who, while a supposed outsider to these dark emotions, is a refreshing burst of energy while onstage. A stand-out moment was between Tuohy and Ryan as they packed up Danny’s bedroom, we witness two mothers who have both experienced significant familial loss and Ryan gives a heart touching piece that captures grief as a constant undercurrent in daily life that one eventually seeks comfort from. Although struggles with projection resulted in some moments to be lost it was a beautiful piece.
The production design complements the emotional tone of the play, with each department working seamlessly to enhance the atmosphere. Iris Liange’s lighting design proves to be a character within itself emanating the lingering presence of Danny, balancing levels as to not take away from any other moments. Liange’s balance of cold and warm tones gently guides our empathy towards the characters and brings the sitting room set to life. The connection of similar colour scheme between set and costume ground the characters to their home and each other.
Lindsay-Abaire’s script avoids the typical shock value found in many plays, instead opting for a ‘simmering-pot’ narrative that builds slowly and authentically. While this approach may challenge some audience expectations, it allows the characters’ emotional journeys to unfold in a grounded and meaningful way. While the absence of a clear climax causes the pace to occasionally lag, the cast’s steady performances and Gerard Lee’s nuanced direction ensure the emotional depth of the story remains compelling, even without a traditional narrative peak.
Rather than relying on sensationalism, Rabbit Hole offers a deeply humane exploration of grief, focusing on the emotional complexities of everyday life. As observers you eventually stop waiting for the explosive conflict to happen and start paying attention to what the actors are saying and gain a deeper understanding of their emotional mindset. Rather than sensationalising hardship, the play invites empathy through its focus on the everyday. Lee clearly understood this was the way the piece needed to be executed and served the script justice, avoiding the temptation to push emotional outbursts but executing overall grounded and authentic performances.
Runs Until 12th April 2025.
