“Abigail Williams, seventeen, enters – a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling.” -Arthur Miller, ‘The Crucible.’

Writer & Director’s Note

Welcome to Salem in 1692. To Broadway in 1953. And now, to Sydney in 2025.

You may think you know Abigail Williams. She’s the girl who sparks the Salem witch trials in The Crucible. The troublemaker. The temptress. The villain.

But who was Abigail, really?

This production is not here to rewrite history, nor to absolve Abigail of her actions. Rather, it offers her a voice… perhaps for the very first time. Not the voice Miller gave her in service of John Proctor’s tragedy, but her own. This is not The Crucible. This is Abigail stepping out of the shadows cast by men, by myth, and by a literary canon that rarely pauses to ask: why?

When I first returned to The Crucible as an adult – this time not as a high school student, but as a mother of teenage daughters – I was floored by how little scrutiny was given to Abigail’s circumstances. A young girl, orphaned, working as a servant in the home of a man twice her age, with whom she is sexually involved. That man, John Proctor, is framed as flawed but noble. Abigail? Manipulative. Dangerous. Hysterical. And still today, in classrooms around the world, that portrayal remains unchallenged.

This play is an invitation to reconsider. Not to excuse, but to understand. We live in a society where the stories of young women are still frequently sacrificed to serve the arcs of men. Abigail’s tale is far from unique. From myth to modern media, teenage girls are often cast as the problem: unstable, vengeful, untrustworthy. Rarely do we get to hear from them directly. Rarely do we consider the systems and adults around them that shape their decisions. No child, no teenager, acts in a vacuum. What if Abigail’s actions were a response to powerlessness? To betrayal? To a desperate longing for love and agency in a world that gave her none?

In reimagining Abigail’s story, I wanted to peel away the labels and meet the girl behind them. This version of Abigail is not filtered through a man’s guilt, or history’s scorn. She is clever, wounded, defiant, loving, and ultimately, human. This production is deeply personal. I see my daughters in Abigail – the complexity of their emotions, the intensity of their friendships and crushes, the vulnerability of growing up in a world that too often misunderstands or underestimates them. I see how quickly society is willing to condemn girls when they step outside the lines. And I see how desperately we need stories that centre, rather than sideline, their truths.

Abigail Williams was written to give voice to one young woman; one who history has maligned, who literature has flattened, and who society continues to misunderstand. She is not the first to be treated this way. She won’t be the last. But tonight, she finally speaks for herself.

Thank you for listening.

- Rebecca McNamee

cast & creatives

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS

Ebony Tucker (she/her)
Ebony Tucker is an actor and voice-over artist who grew up by the ocean in regional Victoria. Recent theatrical credits include the ‘Possum Magic’ National tour (Money Baa Theatre co.), ‘Princess and The Pea and The Great Escapee’ (Understudy, ACO), ‘Attempts on her Life‘ (Montague Basement.), ‘Cool Pool Party II’ (Ban Shakespeare), ‘Forgotten’ (NToP x Lost Voices.) and originating the role of ‘Abigail Williams’ in 2023.
A recent NIDA Acting graduate her credits whilst studying include; ‘Mr Burns a Post-Electric Play’ (Dir. Alex Berlage), ‘Perfect Stranger’ (Dir. Kate champion), ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, ‘Cloudstreet’ (Dir. Jo Turner), ‘A View from the Bridge’ & ‘The Cherry Orchard.’
Ebony is a loud advocate for accessible arts, especially for young people, and is passionate about bringing arts to regional Australia and, across all socio-economic backgrounds.
Ebony was also the producer on Abigail Williams.
WRITER/ DIRECTOR

Rebecca McNamee (she/her)
Rebecca is a writer and director who can cross genres from drama to comedy whilst evoking authentic performance and emotionally affecting story. Her work explores complex characters and contemporary issues, often using levity to challenge traditional narratives. She works across the mediums of stage and screen with experience in Australia, Canada and the US. Her short films and music videos have won awards globally, screening at festivals including the California Music Video Awards, LA Shorts, Flickerfest and New York Shorts.
A graduate of NIDA’s MFA Directing program, Rebecca also trained at AFTRS and as a writer and performer at the iconic comedy theatre, The Second City, in Chicago. Whilst at NIDA she was the recipient of the Andrew Cameron AO and Cathy Cameron Scholarship.
Rebecca has a number of film and television projects in development including a screen adaptation of Abigail Williams.
PRODUCTION DESIGNER

Angelina Daniel (she/her)
Angelina Daniel is a Set and Costume Designer with a passion for gestural and unapologetically theatrical work. Angelina's process is driven by conceptual thinking, ideas and dramaturgy. Often exploring tactical materials, stark staging and dynamic image-making. ‍
Having completed studies at NIDA in 2024 she designed for student productions; Abigail (NIDA Festival of Emerging Artists ), Frankenstein (NIDA Winter Season), Spring Awakening (NIDA Spring Season). Angelina was honoured to be the 2024 recipient of the Finch Company Fellowship. Upon finishing studies she shadowed designer Pip Runchiman on Sydney Festivals Siegfried and Roy and Elizabeth Gadsby on the Sydney Theatre Company’s Picnic at Hanging Rock. She was Set Designer for Belvoir’s 25A opening show of the 2025 season, Furious Mattress.
PRODUCTION MANAGER / STAGE

Jemima Owen (she/her)
Jemima is a passionate stage manager who began in rural theatre before moving to Sydney to study and work. She is a NIDA graduate who has worked with respected directors like Ong Keng Sen, Carissa Licciardello and Sally Dashwood in all levels of stage management.
Jemima wants to explore a wide variety of live performance, to learn as many methods and from as many sources as possible.
LIGHTING DESIGNER

Chris Milburn (he/him)
Chris is a theatre maker specialising in Lighting Design now based in Paris, France. After completing his studies at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney, Chris moved to the UK where he worked as a Designer and Production Electrician on shows such as Monopoly Lifesize and a UK/Ireland tour of the Very Hungry Caterpillar Show.
Through his current full-time study of French, and frequent nights out in the rich Parisian theatre scene, Chris continues to pursue his passion for work that challenges the way we think and promotes self-reflection.
SOUND DESIGNER/ COMPOSER

Keelan Ellis (he/him)
Keelan Ellis is a Sydney-based sound designer and composer whose work blends natural soundscapes with immersive storytelling. A graduate of NIDA, he has designed for productions including How I Learned to Drive and The Life That I Gave You, and served as composer and sound designer for Sydney Theatre Company’s Abigail Williams .
Ellis also contributed as video system programmer for Cut Chilli at the Old Fitz Theatre . His creative process emphasizes collaboration and the transformative power of sound in live performance.
ASSOCIATE LIGHTING DESIGNER

Chaii Ki Chapman (he/him)
Chaii Ki Chapman is a Sydney-based lighting & sound designer/ technician based in Sydney. While currently studying at NIDA, Chaii Ki is also establishing himself in the industry. Working freelance, he is exploring and learning from the natural diversity of the industry.
Chaii Ki is someone who weaves sustainable thinking into his day-to-day life and constantly look to find green alternatives.
ASSOCIATE SOUND DESIGNER

Madeleine Picard (she/her)
Madeleine is a sound designer & composer working on Gadigal land. Combining her backgrounds in technical theatre and music, she is interested in storytelling through sound and in being part of the creation of new Australian theatrical works. Recent select credits include: Hot Tub (Belvoir 25A); Scab (ATYP); All the Fraudulent Horse Girls (Old Fitz); Shitty (Belvoir 25A); The Weekend (Belvoir). She has also recently worked as associate sound designer and/or realiser for a number of productions including Song of First Desire (Belvoir), Ride the Cyclone (Hayes), Zombie! The Musical (Hayes), and Julia (Sydney Theatre Company).
Her work on Shitty was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award for Best Sound Design/Composition of an Independent Production. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Technical Theatre and Stage Management) from NIDA.
MECHANIST

Emma Clulow (she/her)
Emma is an emerging theatre maker and technician, working on Gadigal land. Emma has a varied, multidisciplinary skillset, attributed to combined backgrounds in design, technical theatre, and practical arts. Her passion is focused on the collaborative production of meaningful work and memorable experiences across both theatre and events.

Thank you

Independent theatre thrives on the dedication of countless volunteers, and creatives who generously give their time and energy. We are deeply grateful to our incredible 2023 creative team for their invaluable contributions to Abigail Williams, whose work we still embody and apply.

A heartfelt thank you to the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) for their support, Robin Monkhouse, Nick Day, the HerStory Arts Festival for believing in Abigail’s story, Sydney Theatre Company’s team for their venue assistance and expertise. Thank you to the ShopFronts Arts Co-op for their continued and unmatched support for independent theatre, Abigail was supported by the Shopfront Arts Co-op's Open Shop program. ‘Abigail Williams’ was independently produced by Redfern Lane Productions.

2023 ADDITIONAL CREATIVES

UNDERSTUDY, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS

Este Breytenbach

INTIMACY COORDINATOR

Shondelle Pratt

MOVEMENT CHOREOGRAPHER

Troy Honeysett

PRODUCTION STAGE MANAGER

Sherydan Simson

STAGE MANAGER

Maddison Craven

COSTUME SUPERVISOR