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1995

Rat in the Skull

Written by Ron Hutchinson

Play Details

Context

Artistic Director
Stephen Daldry

Part of 
Royal Court Classics Season

Dates Performed

Thursday 5th October 1995
Duke Of York’s Theatre

Play Details

Synopsis

An interrogation room in a London police station, 1984

Detective Inspector Nelson of the Royal Ulster Constabulary finds himself in London, tasked with interrogating Roche, an IRA suspect. As Nelson delves deeper into Roche’s psyche, he confronts his own conflicted identity as a Northern Irish Catholic serving in a Protestant-dominated police force. The interrogation becomes a battle of wills, with both men grappling with their shared cultural heritage and the violent divisions tearing their homeland apart.

Hutchinson’s Rat in the Skull is a searing exploration of sectarian conflict and the corrosive effects of political violence on personal identity. Through taut dialogue and psychological cat-and-mouse games, the play dissects the complex loyalties and betrayals endemic to Northern Ireland’s Troubles. As Nelson and Roche circle each other, the interrogation room becomes a microcosm of their divided society, revealing the deep-seated prejudices and historical grievances that fuel the ongoing conflict. The play’s claustrophobic setting and escalating tension create a pressure cooker atmosphere, forcing both characters to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and the ideologies they represent.

Director(s)

Stephen Daldry

Other productions

Cast & Creative

Cast

Pearce Quigley

Cast

Tony Doyle

Cast

Anthony Kernan

Cast

Paul Stewart

Cast

Rufus Sewell

Cast

John Castle

Designer

William Dudley

Lighting

Rick Fisher

Costume

Jennifer Cook

Sound

Paul Arditti

Music

Stephen Warbeck

Assistant Director

Raeda Ghazaleh

Deputy Stage Manager

Emma Basicilio

Voice and dialect coach

Joan Washington

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