Tunnel Rat, written by award-winning playwright, Neil Cole, and presented by Melbourne Jewish Theatre Trust, is a play that deals with the post-traumatic stress disorder of a US veteran of the Vietnam War. This story could reflect the experience of many soldiers returning home from a tour of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan today. The lasting psychological damage caused to those witnessing and partaking in barbaric acts is all too common amongst war veterans and is the theme of this drama.
Photo courtesy of Melbourne Jewish Theatre Trust
17-year old Ronnie Giles chooses to serve in Vietnam in place of going to prison for a minor crime he has committed. This unconsidered decision will haunt him for many years to come.
In the subterranean Cu Chi tunnels near Saigon in 1968, Giles, small in stature and with the agility of youth, is assigned to work as a tunnel rat to spy on and hunt out the enemy Viet Cong.
Fast forward to New York in 1994 and Giles seeks the aid of young psychiatrist, Lucy, a child of Holocaust survivors, to help him cope with his anxiety. Recurring images of the woman he has killed in the tunnels invade his dreams and are embedded in his mind. For both former soldier and young psychiatrist, the therapy sessions will conclude with a bitter-sweet revelation.
Directed by Tatiana Grasso, this anti-war play with its comic elements and use of song, aims to present the serious issue of psychological trauma with humour and sensitivity.
Tickets can be booked through
The Malthouse website.
