When tragic events befall a family member, many families put aside their differences to help and be supportive. But in the case of a female family member who is raped, it’s an emotional timebomb for all… Written by Tawni O’Dell and directed by Jez Bond, When It Happens To You chronicles the aftermath of a sexual assault in New York City.

At the show’s centre is Amanda Abbington, who plays Tara – a writer and single mother of two grown-up children. Her son Connor (Miles Molan) is a mathematics undergraduate in California, while her daughter Esme (Rosie Day) is “paying her dues”, working as a member of kitchen staff in a restaurant. Following the end of Esme’s shift, an impromptu decision to buy something to eat near home would prove life-changing…

Abbington’s performance anchors the play as she becomes the audience’s surrogate for navigating the ebb-and-flow of emotions in the immediate aftermath and the following year. If Tara’s distraught, how angry is her son for not being able to protect his sister? And how does Esme function as if nothing’s happened?

What separates ths play from other productions that solely deal with the details of sexual assault is its scope. Much like a image that shows more details of the bigger picture when you zoom out, we see as the play unfolds not only how the event affected Esme, but her mother and brother in the long term too. Sadly, Esme’s assault is a reminder of what to shout in the event of rape – “Fire!” – because there will always be some people who will avoid getting involved when there is potential danger to themselves…

One of the seldom spoken about aspects of trauma is how it affects one’s personality and one’s ability to cope with everyday life. In Esme’s case, the changes she undergoes are radical and as pointed by the police detective (Tok Stephen), her spiralling erratic behaviour mirrors what happens to people with drug problems – who end up saying anything to acquire money or whatever else they want. No one who has experienced rape is ever 100% ‘whole’ again, but if there isn’t a modicum of ‘closure’, if emotions are still too raw and therapy is viewed as intrusive, those who are raped are ‘violated’ twice over – during the initial assault and a lifetime’s worth of festering pain…

The play also makes a valid point about the status of women post-rape. Regardless of how these women view themselves, they will always be viewed by some as ‘damaged goods’ – something not too dissimilar to the status of sex offenders. Small wonder then that many women who are raped keep their experiences to themselves.

…And lest we forget, what happened in the play is based on real events – the author’s own response to what her own daughter went through. I’m the first to admit that I had a preconceived notion of what this play might be like. I’m pleased to say that that it ‘took the road less travelled by’, so that as well as the topics you might expect the play to cover, it tackles what is (in hindsight) obviously related tangential issues that would naturally arise, but are often forgotten about.

© Michael Davis 2024

When It Happens To You runs at the Park Theatre (Park 200) until 31st August.