In a world that can feel increasingly disconnected, The Sea Horse is a timeless and deeply human exploration of two people navigating the stormy waters of their past to find a safe harbour together. We sat down with Director, Mandi Riggi to discuss their upcoming production.
The Sea Horse runs from 4th November – 11th November at The Golden Goose Theatre. Tickets are available here.
The Sea Horse premiered on Broadway 50 years ago. What inspired you to bring this timeless story to audiences today?
I’ve always been drawn to stories that explore how people carry their pasts and how that history shapes their ability to love. I first encountered The Sea Horse through The Actors Studio, where both Edward J. Moore and I are members, and it struck me as a play that feels just as immediate now as it did in the 1970s. It speaks to how trauma and survival can harden us, how we build structures around ourselves to stay in control, and how difficult it can be to let those defences soften. We live in a time when women are self-reliant and men are being asked to evolve, and the play beautifully captures the possibility of healing through connection.
This is such an intimate, character-driven piece. How do you work with your actors to create the raw honesty and chemistry the story demands?
It begins with trust. You cannot reach honesty through pressure; you reach it by creating a space where both actors feel safe enough to take risks. I come from The Actors Studio tradition, where the work is about behaviour, listening, and living truthfully in each moment. We spend time uncovering what sits underneath the words, the need, the resistance, the struggle to stay open. The chemistry grows out of that shared listening. It is not about performing attraction or emotion; it is about allowing something real to exist between them, even when it feels fragile.
You’ve described your cast, Rachael Bellis and Jay Rincon, as “immensely talented.” What qualities did they bring to Gertrude and Harry that felt essential to your vision?
Rachael and Jay both bring a great deal of sensitivity and depth to the work. Rachael is a Method-based actor, and I recognise her commitment to detail and truth through my own experience at The Actors Studio. She inhabits Gertrude with extraordinary authenticity, embracing her strength, sensuality, and emotional complexity in a way that feels completely lived. Jay brings warmth, presence, and an intuitive understanding of human behaviour. Together they create a dynamic that feels grounded and real, inviting the audience to witness both the intensity and the tenderness within their relationship.
Can you share a moment from rehearsal that surprised or moved you?
There was a moment in rehearsal during a silent improvisation when everything became very still. The scene had no dialogue, just two people in the same space, not quite knowing how to reach each other. Rachael and Jay stayed with the silence, and something shifted. You could feel the tension, the longing, and the history between them without a single word being spoken. It reminded me why I love this kind of work. When the truth arrives, it does not need to be explained.
The play explores love, trust, and vulnerability between two people who have built emotional walls. What do you hope audiences take away about human connection from their journey?
I hope audiences recognise something of themselves in it. Most of us learn to protect our hearts, often for good reason, but those same protections can keep us isolated. The Sea Horse reminds us that connection does not erase the past, but it can soften it. It is about the slow, uncertain process of learning to let someone in, even when you have spent time holding them at a distance. I hope people leave the theatre thinking about what it means to truly be seen and how love, in its simplest form, can be an act of courage.