Shane Woon’s Rabbit & Watson is an ambitious and richly imaginative new Australian play that brings Chinese mythology into conversation with contemporary Australian culture with remarkable confidence.
Set against the familiar world of the AFL, Woon weaves romance, humour and folklore into a mythic queer love story that explores identity, belonging and the enduring search for love across centuries.
Balancing ancient legend with recognisable Australian realities, Rabbit & Watson is both emotionally engaging and refreshingly original, offering audiences a work that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking.
At its heart is Tu’er Shen, the God of queer matchmaking, who has spent centuries weaving celestial threads to unite soulmates while relentlessly pursuing the reincarnations of his own lost love. Every attempt to rewrite his tragic past has ended in heartbreak.
When his beloved returns as Watson, an emerging AFL star, Rabbit once again risks everything in pursuit of the happy ending destiny has always denied him. While the premise is steeped in mythology, Woon grounds the story in recognisable human emotions, creating a moving meditation on love, loss and the hope of second chances.
Directed with assurance by Keith Brockett, the production confidently navigates its many worlds, shifting seamlessly between the celestial realm, football grounds, media conferences and intimate personal moments. Brockett embraces both the play’s theatricality and its emotional heart, ensuring the humour never undercuts the drama.
The play begins with a spectacular Chinese Lion Dance (Hung Hing Lion Dance Association) that immediately immerses the audience in the cultural traditions underpinning the story while establishing an atmosphere of celebration and wonder.
The production is thoughtfully realised within the expansive Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre. Eugyeene Teh’s set design is simple yet highly effective, creating a flexible playing space that accommodates the story’s frequent shifts in location with ease.
Teh’s costume design is particularly striking, blending contemporary fashion with mythological influences to give each character a distinctive visual identity. Joe Paradise Lui’s lighting and sound design further enriches the storytelling, deftly distinguishing the earthly from the divine while creating atmosphere without distracting from the performances.
Sean Yuen Halley delivers a thoroughly engaging performance as Rabbit, balancing charm with an aching vulnerability that makes his centuries-long search for happiness deeply affecting. His chemistry with Anton Pan-Cassin is central to the production’s emotional success, with Pan-Cassin bringing sincerity, warmth and quiet strength to Watson, whose journey is shaped as much by the pressures of family, love and fame that surrounds him.
Dr Cindy Pan is quietly commanding in the dual roles of Guan Yin and Jing, bringing both compassion and authority to the stage. Jesse Vasiliadis injects infectious energy and comic flair as the irrepressible Monkey King and Tom, while Charlie Morris demonstrates impressive versatility as Dot and Cypress.
Gabriel Partington completes the accomplished ensemble with assured performances as Zack and Jaxson. Adding an unexpected layer of authenticity is the casting of Dr Cindy Pan and Anton Pan-Cassin as mother and son, mirroring their real-life relationship and lending genuine warmth to their shared scenes.
What makes Rabbit & Watson particularly compelling is the assurance with which it embraces multiple influences without ever feeling fragmented. Chinese folklore sits comfortably alongside Australian sporting culture, while romance, comedy and mythology combine to create a work that feels both distinctive and deeply authentic.
Beneath its wit and fantasy, Woon explores more complex territory, examining the persistence of homophobia in sport, the locker room banter that can so easily tip into exclusion and prejudice, and the expectations of traditional masculinity that continues to shape Australian cultural life.
Rather than preaching, the script allows these ideas to emerge naturally through its characters and relationships, making its observations all the more resonant. Woon never treats Chinese Australian identity as something to be explained; instead, it exists as an integral part of the narrative, allowing universal questions of love, acceptance and belonging to unfold through a distinctly Chinese Australian lens.
Rabbit & Watson confirms Shane Woon as a playwright with a distinctive voice, confidently fusing Chinese mythology with contemporary Australian culture in an ambitious, richly imaginative and emotionally engaging new Australian work.
Rabbit & Watson
Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre, 189 High Street, Northcote
Performance: Friday 17 July 2026
Season continues to 26 July 2026
Information and Bookings: www.arts.darebin.vic.gov.au
Images: The Cast of Rabbit & Watson – photo by Darren Gill | Jesse Vasiliadis and Sean Yuen Halley in Rabbit & Watson – photo by Darren Gill | Hung Hing Lion Dance Association in Rabbit & Watson – photo by Darren Gill | Sean Yuen Halley and Anton Pan-Cassin in Rabbit & Watson – photo by Darren Gill | Dr Cindy Pan and Anton Pan-Cassin in Rabbit & Watson – photo by Darren Gill
Review: Rohan Shearn