Review: The Sound Inside at Holden Street Theatres

 “Intelligent, unsettling and utterly compelling.”

“Two extraordinary performances. One deeply unsettling story.”

“Beautifully restrained, deeply intelligent and impossible to shake.”

There is something unsettling about being drawn into a story by the person living it, especially when you aren’t completely sure how much of what you hear is true.

In The Sound Inside, Bella Baird serves as both the main character and narrator. She takes us through a personal and disturbing tale where storytelling, obsession, and reality become difficult to separate.

Adam Rapp’s Tony Award-nominated psychological drama has premiered in a striking new Australian production directed and designed by Nick Fagan. From the moment Bella begins her story, we enter a world shaped by books, isolation, intellectual curiosity, and a growing fascination with Christopher Dunn, a brilliant and mysterious student who enters her life and changes its course.

Bella (Michelle Nightingale) is a celebrated author and university professor. Her carefully controlled life is disrupted by Christopher, played by Benji Riggs, a gifted young man whose intelligence and unpredictability catch her attention. What starts as an unusual bond between teacher and student gradually evolves into something far more complex, pulling both characters toward a proposition that blurs the lines between author and subject, fiction and reality.

Since Bella controls the narrative, certainty remains just out of reach. We witness events through the mind of a writer, someone who knows the power of language, structure, and perspective. The result is a disorienting experience, prompting the audience to question what is happening, what has happened, and what Bella might leave unsaid.

This is an exceptionally clever piece of writing, intelligent without being elusive, suspenseful without relying on typical thriller techniques. Rapp builds tension through conversation, allowing seemingly ordinary exchanges to hold an increasing sense of danger.

Nightingale shines as Bella. Her performance is controlled and nuanced, revealing a woman whose intellect cannot shield her from loneliness, vulnerability, or the consequences of her choices. There is a quiet intensity in her portrayal that makes Bella utterly compelling; she does not need to push for attention because the audience is naturally drawn to her.

Riggs provides a fascinating contrast as Christopher. There is confidence and academic assurance in his performance, but also an underlying awkwardness that makes him tough to read. He can shift from charming to unsettling quickly, keeping both Bella and the audience slightly off balance.

Together, Nightingale and Riggs create a relationship filled with extraordinary tension. Their exchanges are often understated, but beneath the surface lies a constant struggle for control. A pause, a look, or a slight change in tone can suddenly shift the atmosphere, making the audience acutely aware that something darker is unfolding.

Fagan’s direction is steady and refreshingly simple. He understands that this play needs space to breathe, allowing the writing and performances to carry the weight rather than complicating the production.

The set follows the same approach. A single couch, bench, and desk are transformed into various locations of Bella’s world, with simplicity encouraging us to fill in the gaps. This economical design choice reinforces the play’s focus on imagination and storytelling; three ordinary pieces of furniture can become nearly anything when the mind is allowed to work.

Martin Smith’s lighting design complements this perfectly, subtly shifting mood, location, and time without distracting from the actors. Together, the design elements create an intimate stage world that feels both stripped back and oddly cinematic.

What makes The Sound Inside effective is its refusal to give the audience easy answers. It asks us to listen closely, question the version of events, and consider how much of any story is shaped by the storyteller.

Just when you think you understand the direction of the story, the perspective shifts again.

This is sophisticated, unsettling theatre that rewards careful attention. The production trusts the audience enough not to explain everything, leaving room for ambiguity, interpretation, and many uncomfortable questions on the way home.

Nightingale and Riggs are superb, Fagan’s direction is smart and restrained, and the simple design keeps the focus on the strength of the writing.

The Sound Inside doesn’t need spectacle to make an impact.

It only needs two compelling performers, a few pieces of furniture, and a story you aren’t entirely sure you should believe.

4.5 stars

Lia Loves.