a chinwag with rachel seeto about sydney’s epic new play

If push came to shove (plus the pay is pretty good), would take a job in the underworld? That’s what artist, actor and all-round creative Rachel Seeto’s character faces in a brand-spanking-new play at Sydney/Warrane’s Griffin Theatre Company, and – no surprise – she takes the offer up. We caught up with Rachel to chat all about lacuna, as well as whether she herself will be accepting any underworld jobs any time soon.

Tell us about you and your role in lacuna. My name is Rachel Seeto, and I’m an artist and actor. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Art with a major in Painting from the National Art School, and my practice explores our relationship to memory, ritual, audience encounter and play. When I’m not making with my hands, you will find me performing on stage and on screen. I am playing the role of Claudia in lacuna by Eric Jiang, presented by Essential Workers and Griffin Theatre.

Describe lacuna in a sentence. lacuna is a whirlpooling adventure through the underworld, following Claudia as she accepts a job working for the Goddess of Oblivion, and embarks on a quest to repair her relationship with her mum, preserve precious lost memories and destroy the bad ones.What was your first reaction when you read the play? Reading lacuna was like being strapped in the passenger seat speeding towards a red sunset. Claudia at the wheel, her foot slammed on the pedal as we watched her take every risk and wrong turn… but not without divine consequence. Thrilling! What struck me most was how the play captured the complicated emotions that swell in your heart, when it feels like the relationships in your life are fracturing, and how those feelings attach themselves to you through memories. I was impressed with how the play takes on traditional Chinese Mythology, but bends tradition to create something new. Eric’s terrific sense of humour really shapes the world, and the characters are so fantastically written – in particular Meng Po the Goddess of Oblivion and Tu-Er Shen the rabbit god of the queer realm.

Have you found that there are many similarities between lacuna’s protagonist, Claudia, and you? Claudia makes some honourable and questionable decisions on her journey, grappling with newfound power and responsibility in the underworld. But she does it all with the hope to feel more connected to her community and to her mum. I relate a lot to her in this sense – having a desire for something more and doing whatever it takes to feel understood, but not always making the right decisions to get there. We are both mortal after all.What has being part of lacuna’s production taught you? Being a part of lacuna has taught me how important process, collaboration and imagination is to creating new work. The sparks of delight in devising, finding exciting textual revelations and exploration in the rehearsal room have been so fulfilling. Carving out the inner world of the characters, then slowly folding in sound, lighting, set and production elements – it’s an endlessly unfurling flower and the centre is so, so sweet! Theatre-making really is magic in this sense, and the magic is made possible because of our brilliant team. Their ingenuity and passion have been inspiring and it’s an honour to collaborate with them.

What do you think the play speaks to that’s happening in the world right now? lacuna explores the tensions within a mother and daughter relationship, and how their differing values formed by culture, tradition and upbringing can clash. More and more we encounter these clashes in our interpersonal and political landscapes, and as Claudia’s journey teaches us – it is important to stand strong to your beliefs, and crucial to have hard conversations. The play offers up the possibility to re-write your relationships, undo regrets and erase history, but ultimately shows us that there are no shortcuts to achieve change. The future you hope for is within reach, if you are willing to challenge it.If you were offered a job in the underworld, would you take it? Yesss, absolutely. I hear the pay is good, and the super is 14 per cent!

You can catch lacuna at Sydney/Warrane’s Griffin Theatre Company from now until August 15th. Snag tickets this-a-way.

Keen to read more about creative theatre-makers? Feast your eyes on our chinwag with The Lucky Country’s Vidya Makan or check out our chat with My Brilliant Career’s Kala Gare. Plus, sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.