STORY OF A RABBIT

Hugh Hughes has a hop in his step – who wouldn’t, after being the toast of the Edinburgh Fringe and the London Barbican, not to mention Singapore, Colombia and the USA – and a curious tale to tell. When Hughes finds a wee dead bunny in his yard, he is confronted with the curly questions of life, death, and what is left behind when we jump off the mortal coil.

Following Hughes’ ‘fabulous flight of fancy’, Floating, Story of a Rabbit is a darker beast and may surprise some Hughes fans. Even more surprising may be the fact that Hughes is eschewing the usual red-eye special from Heathrow in favour of a 99-day swim over 11,350 nautical miles. You read that right – after his last Sydney trip and an encounter with a long-lost family member, Hughes decided to physically re-enact the enormity of the distance between them and the many-threaded channels of immigration by swimming from Anglesey to NSW. Barring a seriousy cramp – or shark – or two, Hughes should paddle into Sydney just in time to tell his rabbity story, no doubt with some fresh reminders of mortality under his belt.  (AB)

Nov 29-Dec 10, Playhouse, Sydney Opera House, $29-35, 9250 7777, sydneyoperahouse.com