Rebecca McNamee’s “Abigail Williams” is a startling new play that absolutely warranted a life beyond the NIDA Emerging Artists Festival. Under McNamee’s incisive direction—and with Ebony Tucker in dual roles as both lead actor and producer—the piece transforms a familiar name into something altogether startling and real. Here, Abigail is not merely an echo from Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, but a fully realised young woman whose story demands our ears and our empathy.
Tucker inhabits Abigail with riveting precision: equal parts wounded and willful, she charts a journey from whispered secrets to a roar that cannot be ignored. McNamee wisely frames her with a lean, symbolic stage: ropes and draped sheets become both comforting roleplay and ominous trap, suggesting the very fabric of Abigail’s life can both enfold and ensnare her.
Keelan Ellis’s original score reverberates across emotional landscapes—warm nostalgia gives way to spine‑tingling dread—while Chris Milburn’s lighting design moves from the soft, dappled glow of private moments to the harsh spotlights that expose every secret. Angelina Daniel’s production and costume design are equally layered: textures and silhouettes that hint at period yet feel timeless, as though Abigail’s struggle belongs to every age.
Abigail slowly unwraps before our eyes and we feel we might know her finally. We certainly hear her voice, finally. Less subtle was the reminder of the Chris Dawson case where an ‘educated’ man made the most unbelievable choices because of his babysitter.
In this post‑#MeToo world, “Abigail Williams” resonates with dramatic invention, giving Abigail a voice that feels startlingly fresh. McNamee and Tucker have created a work that unpacks the anatomy of accusation and the cost of silencing young women—reminding us that beneath every legend lies a living, breathing human being. By the final scene, when Abigail literally sheds her last barrier, we aren’t watching a symbol anymore but a woman finally seen—and finally heard.
Ebony Tucker as Abigail Williams
Director/Writer: Rebecca McNamee
Production Designer Angelina Daniel
Lighting Designer Chris Milburn
Associate Lighting Designer Chaii Ki Chapman
Composer & Sound Designer Keelan Ellis
Associate Sound Designer Maddy Picard
Production Stage Manager Jemima Owen
Producer Ebony Tucker
Photographer: Robert Miniter
Show Details
Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company
15 Hickson Road, Walsh Bay Sydney 2000
April 23- 26, 2025.
April 23rd: 8:30 pm (Opening Night)
April 24th: 1pm & 6:30pm
April 26th: 1pm & 8:30pm
