I have had the opportunity to pre-emptively interview Rebecca McNamee about her new play which will be showcased at the HERStory Festival at Wharf 2, Sydney Theatre Company this April.
About Abigail Williams
What inspired you to write Abigail Williams? How does your play challenge or reframe the perception of Abigail as villain?
I was writing a comedy show about witches for a production in Chicago, when the idea of a The Crucible parody came up. Once I started researching further, I was shocked to discover how squarely Abigail was framed as the villain, despite her age and lowly social stature. It made me really reflect on what I was taught in school and wonder what they are teaching in schools now.
I have always said that my play does not change what happens in The Crucible, nor does it suggest that Abigail did not do what she did. Rather, it provides reasons for why it happened. It also asks us to consider how culpable all the adults in Abigail’s community were in contributing to her behaviour. No child makes their decisions in a bubble. This applies to teenagers as well.
How do you navigate historical accuracy versus creative reinterpretation in telling Abigail’s story? Does the play reflect contemporary issues around gender, power, and historical narratives?
I was fortunate enough to live in the US whilst writing the first iteration of this story, and got to visit Salem as part of my research. As the play is set prior to The Crucible, a deep understanding of Puritan culture in Massachusetts during the late 1600’s is integral to understanding Abigail’s motivations in The Crucible. Much of what you see in the play is based on this research including the names of people, readings, magic spells, songs and treatment of children within the culture of that time of the play. I attempted to keep references to the culture as accurate as possible. I took Arthur Miller’s lead and based the language on that used in the King James Bible, with slight adaptations to allow for modern audience understanding. As our understanding of the events of that time are limited, there is certainly a level of creative licence taken when dealing with the deep emotions of characters based on real people.
My approach was to apply my understanding of human emotion based on what we experience today, either as mother, wife, husband, or friend. I can’t imagine that teenage girl dynamics have changed much over the years – hormones were just as prevalent then as they are now! Writing the friendship dynamics between Abigail, Mary Warren and Mercy Lewis was one of my favourite parts!
Sometimes, as a society, we are at risk of accepting works within our cannon as infallible, or perhaps even the gold standard, yet we don’t always allow for the context in which they were created. In the case of The Crucible, whilst it was an analogy for McCarthyism, it is not often acknowledged that the female characters within the piece are used as devices to further the hero’s story, rather sentient beings who should have had their own emotional depth. So whilst there are themes in The Crucible that highlight issues with gender and power in the 1600’s, the work itself can also be interrogated to examine inequalities in gender and power in the 1950s itself.
About the Creative Process
How did your experience at NIDA’s Festival of Emerging Artists shape this production?
That festival placed a time limit on their shows, so it forced me to deeply interrogate what was at the heart of the story. So much was cut to find the version we have today – but I genuinely think the piece is stronger for it.
What was the most rewarding part of bringing Abigail’s story to the stage?
The most rewarding part of bringing Abigail’s story to the stage are the conversations I have afterwards with the audience. So often people come out with a completely different perspective to the one they went in with. I have had so many people tell me that they studied The Crucible at school and never even considered Abigail’s point of view, or that maybe her treatment was totally inappropriate. That sort of transformational change in thinking is the greatest reward for a playwright.
Can you tell us about the creative team and what they bring to the production?
A team made up of all NIDA alumni, they bring a keen sensibility to the time and space in which Abigail Williams is set. I am a big fan of surrounding myself with people who are better than me because I believe a collaborative team of experts can make magic happen simply through the joy of shared ideas and working together. This team has brought all their learnings from NIDA, combined with their own personal work ethoses and heavy dose of creativity.
About HERstory Arts Festival
How does it feel to have Abigail Williams as part of the HerStory Arts Festival?
I am so excited to be part of this new festival. Exploring the female perspective in traditional works has always been a passion of mine, so to be accepted into this festival feels like a perfect meeting of storytelling intentions!
This festival focuses on amplifying women’s voices and challenging dominant narratives. How does your play contribute to that mission and potentially reclaiming women’s histories?
Abigail Williams is often held up as the poster child for self-motivated seductresses but I refuse to believe that any young woman is born into that role, rather they are misrepresented and often misunderstood while their male counterparts – in this case, John Proctor – voices are elevated. This festival is all about finding those lost voices, and giving them a platform.
Theatre is at the forefront of taking risks in storytelling. It is a safe space for exploration and creativity because the medium encourages “theatricality” and by that I mean, that it encourages audiences to experience story telling that is at times, intentionally challenging. There are social boundaries such as shared space, no phones, darkness and silence that are rarely replicated in other storytelling mediums such as watching tv at home or reading a book, therefore it encourages storytellers to be bold. Sometimes confronting our patriarchal past can be challenging, especially when the heroes of our canon are specifically being targeted. Theatre is the perfect place to do that.
Were there any unexpected challenges or revelations in writing this play?
This play went through a number of iterations. It started as a feature film script and ended up as a one woman show! That process was thrilling as it stripped the story down to the very heart of what I was trying to say. Whilst the characters around Abigail are important, at each version of the script I kept getting frustrated that other characters, particularly the men, were talking too much. So my biggest challenge was working out the best way to represent Abigail’s authentic voice. That journey led me to the one-woman-play version. Now Abigail gets to tell her story directly to the audience… whatever that story may be.
What do you hope audiences take away from Abigail Williams?
I hope this piece encourages the audience to consider that sometimes works that we, as a society, consider canon, are not above scrutiny. That every playwright comes to their work with their own biases.
Do you think there are other historical women whose stories deserve a similar reexamination?
Lady MacBeth! She was a real woman named Gruoch, born into the ruling families of Scotland. King Duncan was a terrible king, and I dare say the hallways of court were abuzz with what to do about it. What if Gruoch was not a power hungry, barren, madwoman, but rather, a patriot who could see the kingdom falling apart under threat from the English invasion and was the only person brave enough to assassinate the king to protect all Scotland’s people? Maybe I’ll write that one next!
Marketing image Philip Erbacher
DATES
Season 23 – 26 Apr 2025
Performance start times
Wed 23 Apr, 8.30pm
Thu 24 Apr, 1pm followed by *post-show free artists Q&A
Thu 24 Apr, 6.30pm
Sat 26 Apr, 1pm & 8.30pm
Approx. duration 50 mins (no interval). Subject to change.
Content This production contains sexual themes, theatrical haze and complete blackouts. Recommended for ages 14+. Subject to change.
https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2025/abigail-williams
* Free Artists Q&A
Actor, Designer and Director. From NIDA and beyond
Join a Q&A with Actor Ebony Tucker, Designer Angelina Daniel, and Director/Writer Rebecca McNamee as they share insights from their journeys at NIDA and beyond. Hear from these talented recent alumni about their experiences at one of Australia’s most prestigious conservatories and how they’ve navigated life after graduation.
