PitchWhite Productions’ A Rock in the Limbus marks the third original work from playwright, director, and producer Lochie Daniel, continuing the company’s mission to premiere new writing. With each production, the company’s ambition grows, and new heights in this department have been reached. Following technical issues Opening Night that prevented the completion of the session, the closing performance allowed the production to be experienced in all its glory, supported by a post-show Q&A that felt like a necessary extension of the piece for the audience’s benefit.
Act 1 is an exploration of how humanity reacts to the unknown, while Act 2 opens up the characters more emotionally, taking a look at the hints of otherworldly effects the rock is having on the characters – often acting dangerously out of character. Act 2 has a few lengthly monologues that can be trimmed and tidied up, causing a lapse in the pace that could have otherwise been consistent with the punchiness experienced in Act 1.
The production opens with an expansive projection sequence charting the history of the universe through to a speculative future, before grounding us in the Northern Territory where Hazel and her best friend Oli discover the mysterious rock and inadvertently propel it into global consciousness via TikTok.
The three-person ensemble: Gracie Greenrod, Holly Hastings, and Isiah Macaspac, take on the formidable task of portraying approximately 71 characters. Their technical precision is undeniable, particularly in the wild Act 1 BBQ scene where over 20 characters cycle through a tightly choreographed sequence, and then again in the Act 2 opener, cycling through another round of numerous characters, each from a different part of the world, encompassing their mannerisms, dialects and minor costumes changes or additions. Here, the ensmeble’s control and energy are at their peak, with transitions that are seamless.
Greenrod delivers two of the production’s most demanding roles as geologist Heidi and game developer Julia, both requiring a maturity that stretches beyond her physical years. She meets these challenges with conviction, effectively conveying Heidi’s layered grief and Julia’s personal insecurities affecting her relationship with her husbnad. Her scenes opposite Macaspac’s Eric are among the production’s most grounded.
Macaspac demonstrates strong range across the awkward and uncertain Oli, the more subdued Eric (til he’s not), and the late-introduced billionarie Lucas, whose exaggerated performance provides a stark tonal shift. While each character is clearly delineated, the latter feels under-developed, perhaps only as he is introduced in the final scene and is used as the device for the climax.
Hastings, as Hazel and Nova, offers some of the most emotionally accessible work of the piece, bringing a naturalism that helps anchor the more abstract elements. Nonetheless, she provides thoroughly developed characters that emotionally connect with the audience.
Collectively, the ensemble maintains and exceeds an impressive level of stamina and precision, navigating Daniel’s script with an impressive amount of commitment. A Rock in the Limbus is undeniably ambitious, and PitchWhite Productions continues to prove itself as an experimental platform for new work.
