Rabbit Hole

‘Rabbit Hole’ is heartbreaking tale, but it has a positive message and many light-hearted passages of comedy. Written by David Lindsay-Abaire, it premiered in 2006 in New York and the next year won a Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This beautifully scripted play not surprisingly attained several Tony Award nominations.

This play is being presented at the Melville Theatre, on the corner of Stock Road and Canning Highway in Palmyra. The performances run each evening at 8.00 pm until Saturday 27^th April. There is one matinee on Sunday 21^st April at 2.00 pm.

Admirably, the Melville Theatre Company will donate $1 from every ticket sold, plus the proceeds of the raffle and any extra donations, to The Smith Family. The Smith Family is a national children's charity, helping young Australians in need to get the most out of their education, so that they can create better futures for themselves.

The lights rise to show a stunning set, including a luxury kitchen (Alan Muir), TV area, quality dining room and a child’s bedroom. The design and construction is by four of the Jensen family, Jack Hartley and Jeff Hansen.

        In an upmarket home, in the wealthy suburb of Larchmont in New York, live the Corbetts. Becca (Joanna Zukowski), who still filled with grief, is folding some newly washed children’s clothes. They belonged to her four years old son, Danny, who died in an accident six months earlier. She is almost finished the laundry, when her younger, easy-going sister, Isabel – known as Izzy (Sinéad Bevan) - arrives. 

      With a large smile on her face and with some pride, Izzy explains that she has been involved in a fracas in a bar. A few minutes later, when Becca finds that Izzy is pregnant, she offers her sister Danny’s old clothes. Naturally Izzy is apprehensive about accepting.

       Becca’s husband, Howie (David Gardette) is putting on a brave face, but deep down is hurting at the loss even more than Becca. Both are desperately trying different approaches to help them cope with their tragedy, however, their love for each other becomes in doubt.

     A week later, when it is Izzy’s birthday, a party is held at the Corbett’s house and the topic of Danny soon comes into the conversation. It is then that the girls’ mother, Nat (Shirley Toohey) reminds them that she too has lost a child - their brother when he was thirty.

     When a letter arrives from Jason (Niklas Fischer), the boy connected with Danny’s death.
Will he be seeking forgiveness? Or will he be nonchalant about the whole event? Can Howie and Becca get things back on a level plain? Or is separation the only solution?

Superb direction, one has grown to expect a quality show from director Vanessa Jensen, however, this has to be one of her best. This play relies upon the beautifully structured passages getting through to your heartstrings. With mediocre actors the evening could have been a disaster.

What an amazing cast. Joanna portrays perfectly the young mother, who even after all these months is still walking around like a Zombie. David gives an outstanding performance as the father, putting on a brave face but is inwardly totally distraught (I hope that he makes the end of the run and retains his sanity!). One of the best, heartrending performances in the community theatre for some time. Sinéad is a wonderful contrast to her withdrawn, distressed relatives. Shirley gave strong performance as the grieving grandmother – whose feelings are so often forgotten – and Niklas as the nervous nerd who caused all of this grief.

With a fairly simple lighting grid, the different areas of the stage were lit very well, appearing to have far more complex number of lights and better equipment. Well done Lars Jensen. The sound effects were crisp and clear (Vanessa Jensen), often community theatres present a muffled sound as though the effect was recorded in a thick sock.

Because of the storyline, the attendance numbers may be down a little, but every now and again it is important to raise the bar, tackle something new and exciting, and to give the audience a taste of special quality. Harrowing, but one of the best plays, with quality presentation that you will see this year. Strongly recommended.