The Deep Blue Sea
Written by Terence Rattigan
Directed by Tony Knight
Presented by Chaika Theatre
Chaika Theatre presents a fresh, emotionally charged interpretation of Terence Rattigan’s The Deep Blue Sea, a timeless exploration of love, loss, and personal struggle.
Set in the post-war austerity of 1950s London, the play follows Hester Collyer, a woman trapped in a turbulent affair with a passionate but troubled ex-fighter pilot, while grappling with the devastating consequences of her emotional isolation.
This new production breathes life into Rattigan’s masterpiece, with a bold, modern sensibility and intimate staging that captures the raw complexity of human relationships.
With powerful performances and a delicate balance between despair and resilience, Chaika Theatre’s The Deep Blue Sea is a poignant journey into the heart of a woman’s battle for self-liberation.
Content Advisory
This production contains mature themes, including references to suicide and a suicide attempt. The play explores mental health challenges and contains scenes that some audience members may find confronting.
Support Services
If the themes explored in this production have raised concerns for you or someone you know, support is available.
Beyond Blue 1300 22 46 36
Lifeline Australia 13 11 14 (24 hours)
Suicide Call Back Service 1300 659 467
Reviews
“Chaika Theatre’s rendition is gripping, intelligent and deeply affecting… Under Tony Knight’s direction, the tension between social expectations and the swell of emotional undercurrent is always present… [Jenna] Roberts has a breathtaking ability to convey anguish, confusion, intelligence and resilience, with a searingly dry humour, often while speaking words that contradict what her countenance conveys… Chaika Theatre’s The Deep Blue Sea brims with humanity. The powerful performances and extraordinary writing will leave you thinking for a long time afterwards.“
“Jenna Roberts is, of course, a powerhouse actress and in this play she gets one hell of a leading lady role. She’s adept at playing both the stylish front and the deep anguish behind the front, the yearning and the recognition that the yearning is unlikely to be fulfilled. As the lover-who-can’t-quite-satisfy, Sol Mason is exactly as irritating as the role requires… Michael Sparks is the ex-husband who still wants the past back in its place… there’s a melancholy yearning in his performance that breaks the heart… it’s a fine production of a personal, emotive play that will have the audience feeling along with the characters.“
“What I witnessed on the closing night was a Master Class in direction by Tony Knight and a Master Class in acting by Knight’s phenomenal cast. Chaika’s production of Rattigan’s drama of love, loss and the fragile soul, played in the intimacy of the ACT Hub theatre is a testament to the professional quality of the work that is staged at ACT Hub and its worthiness to be played on any professional stage. … Director Tony Knight elicits fully fleshed performances from main and supporting characters alike. … It is a rare achievement that each actor is able to shine in his or her moment on the stage. It is the true accomplishment of ensemble acting. … [Jenna Roberts’] performance is terrifyingly real, heart-breakingly raw and our response is visceral as we watch her struggle … If Chaika’s production were being played on Shaftesbury Avenue, queues would line the street for tickets and [Jenna] Roberts would be nominated for an award.”
“This Chaika production of The Deep Blue Sea is very successful first because of the quality of the directing. Tony Knight has clearly understood the need for the style appropriate for the period and situation that Rattigan has written into the script – almost as if it were a Noel Coward witty comedy as the play begins, which then mutates into serious reality. In addition, playing at ACT Hub … allows us to feel as if we are almost in the room with the characters… A production not to be missed.”
“There are outstanding, highly believable performances by the whole cast of eight in this production. Jenna Roberts gives a terrifying vulnerability to the central role of Hester Collyer. The pain this woman is feeling is profound. Her playing of this woman’s emotional crisis and her reactions to the other characters shines with clarity and honesty. She has achieved a very real, raw and courageous performance… Tony Knight’s expert direction of this production has ensured that the interaction of these colourful characters stays very real throughout. Presented on a set with the audience on two sides, he has achieved a notable intimacy between cast and audience. Rattigan’s play, written in 1952, is literate and emotionally involving in this excellent production.”
“The performances of the central three are sensitive and splendid… [Jenna] Roberts’ performance is clear eyed and convincing… Tony Knight’s direction emphasises the human truths of an old play that stands up very well.”
Media
Trapped in the aftermath of a passionate affair, Canberra CityNews, 27 May 2026
The devil and The Deep Blue Sea: 20th-century classic at ACT Hub, Canberra Daily, 29 May 2026
Details
When: 12 June – 27 June 2026
Run time: Act 1 90min · Interval · Act 2 30min
Where:
ACT Hub
Causeway Hall, Kingston
14 Spinifex Street, Kingston ACT 2604
Cast
Hester – Jenna Roberts
Sir William Collyer – Michael Sparks OAM
Freddie Page – Sol Mason
Miller – Karen Vickery
Mrs Elton – Kate Blackhurst
Philip – Jack Shanahan
Jackie Jackson – Blue Hyslop
Ann – Meaghan Stewart
Creatives
Director – Tony Knight
Assistant Director & Costume – Ylaria Rogers
Design – Michael Sparks OAM
Artworks – Leigh Penton & Kerry Wode / Lillian Vickery & John Vickery
Lighting & Sound Management – Disa Swifte
Sound – Neville Pye
Composition – Paris Scharkie
Properties & Medical Consultant – Yanina Clifton
Intimacy Consultant – Jill Young
Rehearsal Prompter – Michael Cooper
Marketing Support – Karina Hudson
Promotional photography – Andrew Sikorski
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Karina Hudson, Jarrad West, Anne Somes, Norman Collings, Kartya, Rhiley Winnett, St Columba’s Uniting Church, Canberra Rep