Stalking The Bogeyman

Directed by: Neil Gooding
Produced by: Neil Gooding Productions in association with Red Line Productions Assistant Director: Erin James
Stage Manager: Genevieve Muratore
Designer: Lauren Peters
Dialect Consultant: Jennifer White
Lighting Designer: Alexander Berlage
Sound Designer: Benjamin Freeman

"This time last year I was plotting to kill a man."

Twenty-five years after he was sexually assaulted, David Holthouse learns that his 'bogeyman' has moved into his new neighbourhood. Armed with a pistol and a plan, he plots to enact revenge on the man who stole his childhood.

STALKING THE BOGEYMAN​ was first written by Holthouse as a first-hand account in the Denver Westwood newspaper, and subsequently featured as a podcast on This American Life.

Directed by ​Neil Gooding​ ​(Dogfight, Passion)​ and featuring ​Graeme McRae​ ​(Secret City, Birdland, On the Shore of the Wide World)​ as David Holthouse with an incredible ensemble cast of ​Noel Hodda ​(Janet King, Rake)​,​ Radek Jonak ​(Red Dog, The Secret Daughter)​, ​Deborah Jones ​(Top of the Lake, A Place to Call Home)​, ​Alexander Palacio ​(In The Heights) and ​Anne Tenney​ ​(A Country Practice, The Castle), ​STALKING THE BOGEYMAN​ is a riveting true story of abuse, survival and vengeance.

"An unflinching vision of the soul-eating effects of shame." - ​The Standard UK

"Brave and unflinching, Intense and tightly executed.
A challenging and thought-provoking piece of theatre that needs to be told. ★★★★" - ​Sunday Times

"Chilling. Heartbreaking. Breathtaking." - ​The New York Times

"Extraordinary. Beautifully constructed, highly recommended. ★★★★" - ​BBC London

REVIEWS

"This is theatre on a knife edge, with infinite micro-decisions by the writers and director Neil Gooding contributing to its urgency as it lifts a scab, and allows us to peer at a wound most of us could barely imagine." - Sydney Morning Herald 

"Graeme McRae delivers an outstanding performance. It is an incredibly important story that needs to be heard." - BroadwayWorld

"When theatre bites down hard on a subject like this you, too, are caught in its teeth." - The Sydney Morning Herald 

A conceptualisation which allows the story to unfold with a distance of observation that avoids the sentimental and empathetic, foregrounding the lived experience of trying to make it through each day after your life is changed irreparably... - Sydney Arts Guide

...this is gut punch theatre by stealth...Stalking The Bogeyman is an important, relevant story to tell. Unfortunately, not a rare story....But the truthtelling mustn't stop and at this time, in this intimate space, with this cast, this production bears witness with humanity and authority. – Sydney Arts Guide

A very involving piece of theatre that leaves you thinking and feeling a little raw from the sexual trauma that so many in our society experience. Played with heartfelt naturalism and honesty by Graeme McRae, this is the true story of David Holthouse. Stalking The Bogeyman is told in such a way that you are responding moment by moment to the life of David in his reliving of the experience and him trying to come to terms with his abuse. We the audience feel his horror, his fear, his wanting it to all go away, his awareness of other bogeymen in society, his desire for revenge, his desire to self destruct, and his secrecy of the rape to the people closest in his life in order to protect them. – The Buzz From Sydney

Holthouse, alongside playwright Markus Potter, has created a complex, compelling piece of storytelling that could so easily have been one-dimensional and all about revenge. But there are so many other important layers to the script. They have managed to articulate all of the conflicting emotions of betrayal, pain, revenge and fear in a distinctly human way.– Theatre Now

Director Neil Gooding uses astute restraint in what could have been a dramatic and artificial retelling of a difficult story. Instead, it's a production of clarity and respect, which is exactly what it requires. .– Theatre Now

It is an engaging production, with Neil Gooding's restrained direction keeping things concise and clear. Ideas in Stalking The Bogeyman are simple, and powerfully conveyed on this stage. Leading man Graeme McRae's vulnerability as David is a vital component, that preserves our empathy comprehensively, through every step of the proceedings. The eponymous bogeyman is played by Radek Jonak, whose portrayal of malevolence is as impressive as the electrifying energy he introduces with each appearance. – Suzy Go See

Stalking The Bogeyman is a gripping story that is both stomach-turning and shocking as it is hard to fathom that this not just a playwright's imagination but is a real story. Gooding ensures that the work retains the truth and honesty without overacting so that the impact of the work is fully felt, and the weight of the content is clear. It is an incredibly important story that needs to be heard so that people protect the innocent.. – Broadway World

The standard of acting is scintillating, with the men having the meatiest roles. Graeme McRae switches effortlessly between smooth calculating would-be killer to damaged child. Radek Jonak is ominous and vulnerable as the abuser. Alexander Palacio is most powerful as a terrifying drug dealer. A sharp and brooding lighting design adds to atmosphere. – Stage Whispers

What you get in Stalking the Bogeyman is the raw emotion imparted from the victim... It's a very moving, very personal and powerful account and Graeme McRae as a wounded but empathetic David holds our attention from that opening line to the very last line. The ensemble cast are uniformly excellent and the whole production, under Neil Gooding's direction, is tight and compelling.

This is a difficult story and a confronting production with a subtle approach to trauma and masculinity that I haven't seen on a Sydney stage before. – Night Writes

Noel Hodda

Radek Jonak

Deborah Jones

Graeme McRae

Alexander Palacio

Anne Tenney