Circa Theatre
Jan 25-Feb 2 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

UPON WALKING into Circa One for Rabbit you notice several things that are out of character for the main auditorium at Circa Theatre. Firstly, the seating block has been altered to be in a “theatre in the round” style (where the audience sits on all 4 sides of the stage). Secondly, the set is downright stylish, accented with incredibly “now” blue and red lights. Set designer Brian King has done an excellent job of creating a modern, trendy bar atmosphere – assisted by playing Dirty Three as the pre-show music. A large, glass, multi-sided table dominates the centre of the stage – this is where Bella, or Rabbit as she is affectionately known, will convene with a disparate group of her friends for an evening. It also happens to be the night her father is dying in hospital...

The play begins with a confrontation between Bella (Tania Nolan) and her Father (Peter Vere-Jones). We soon realise that these occur outside the bar as “flashbacks”, triggered by the events of the present. The present is Bella’s 29th birthday, celebrated at a flash bar/restaurant with friends who know her well but don’t know each other. Apparently this is because Bella is both a control freak and likes to be the object of undivided attention. Already there with Bella is her oldest friend, Emily (Danielle Mason) a likeable doctor in training who thinks Bella should be at the hospital with her Father. Across the bar they spot Tom, Bella’s ex-lover played by Matt Minto. He joins them, and becomes a bemused observer to the ensuing gender battles that play out. This conflict is largely created by the last two arrivals, Richard (Sam Sneddon) and Sandy (Mel Dodge), two highly opinionated, insecure and over-compensating egoists. Debates over jobs, sexual objectification and other aspects of 20s life quickly escalate into battles, indicating the tension underlying these relationships, particularly in the case of Bella and Richard, her boyfriend for many years. Given the amount of resentment these two characters still seem to have against each other it seems a miracle they are still friends. Sneddon does an excellent job of portraying the complex mix of emotions Richard feels for Bella, and Mason and Dodge both have scene-stealing moments as Bella’s girlfriends.

The writing is often sharp and witty, with the characters openly talking about sex in the manner of Sex and the City. Sandy in particular is reminiscent of a young Samantha due to her man-eating bravado. From the second half the main debating point is put forward by Richard: that woman objectify men far more than men objectify women. Sometimes how the ensuing debate relates to Bella’s relationship with her father is unclear, although we do get the sense that it has been a difficult relationship and that this has translated into Bella’s difficulty with male relationships in general. The character of Bella didn’t feel sharply drawn enough to justify the frequent intrusions of her memory. A performance by Nolan in which she often shouts or is hysterical doesn’t help to increase sympathy for her.

Although there is a lot of style, I did wonder about the substance of this play. Raine has been awarded awards for being a promising playwright and I thought this was apt to describe this play – it is promising, but not quite all there yet. I also would have preferred to see this in a site specific, or at least more intimate, setting. I understand in England the play has been performed in a bar – this would have struck me as highly appropriate. It also seems a bit too divided in its aims – it seems at once to want to interrogate a young woman’s grief over the impending death of her father and explore sexual politics. It does the latter quite well, but the former feels like it only gets a shallow treatment.