Tony Award and Pulitzer prize-winner Rabbit Hole opens soon at the Gryphon Theatre

Pulitzer prize-winning drama Rabbit Hole by David Lindsay-Abaire, a beautifully observed, witty but empathetic play about grief, opens at the Gryphon Theatre on 20 July.

Starring this year's Wellington V48 Hours Best Actress award winner, Rebecca Parker, Backyard Theatre’s production of Rabbit Hole draws from the reservoir of feelings common to anyone who has experienced the landscape-shifting vacuum left by a death in the family.

The play was recently made into a film starring Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart and Dianne Wiest. It begins 8 months after Becca and Howie's 4-year-old son Danny ran into the road after his dog and was hit by a car.

“The couple’s grief is still raw as they struggle to get back to normality, but they're grieving in very different, and incompatible, ways,” says Rebecca. “Howie seeks solace in memories of his son and Becca pushes aside all reminders of him in her efforts to cope. Then Becca's wayward sister Izzy announces she's pregnant, and it changes everything again for both of them.”

Director Tanya Piejus says she chose the script because of its realistic dialogue and family dynamics. “It’s a very credible story of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances. It’s as much about what the characters don’t say as what they do, while they tiptoe around each other’s fragile emotions.

“It’s a sad play, but there’s also a lot of humour in it and some genuine laugh-out-loud moments. David Lindsay-Abaire’s skill is in weaving the darkness and light together in a theatrical tapestry that’s always engaging. Everyone can relate to these characters.”

Rabbit Hole will be performed in the Gryphon’s 80-seat auditorium on Ghuznee Street. “The Gryphon is the perfect venue for Rabbit Hole, where the audience can ride the waves of this intimate family drama along with the characters,” says Tanya.

Performances start at 8 pm on Wednesday 20 to Saturday 23 July, 3 pm on Sunday 24 July, 6.30 pm on Tuesday 26 and Wednesday 27 July, and 8 pm on Thursday 28 to Saturday 30 July.
Tickets are $25, $20 for concessions and $18 for groups of 10+ and Equity members and can be booked by calling (04) 934 4068 or by email to bookings@backyardtheatre.co.nz