CUT SNAKE ANALYTICAL NOTES 2013
Cut Snake Analysis Notes
Margie Bainbridge and students of Buckley Park College 2013
MAKE SURE YOU REVIEW THE EDUCATION NOTES ON THE WIKI AT THIS LINKhttp://bpcdramayr12.wikispaces.com/file/view/CUTSNAKE%20ed%20kit.pdf/405846416/CUTSNAKE%20ed%20kit.pd
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FROM THE WEBSITE
Cut Snake by Dan Giovannoni, Amelia Evans and Paige Rattray
Date: 25 Feb 2013 - 09 Mar 2013
'Expect hilarious clowning and precise caricature, backyard acrobatics and sock puppetry, lightning slapstick, high-altitude
tangos and one glorious half-nelson'. Cameron Woodhead, The Age 4 Stars
This production has been selected on the VCE Drama Playlist [Drama 3] To book tickets for your school please email
admin@theatreworks.org.au
“CUT SNAKE is mad. Hell mad. I loved it. ARTHUR harnesses a highly physical style to a narrative drenched in comic excess. It
has a World According to Garp feel, and is up there with the craziest stories about grief ever told…It’s a joyous, poignant, and
incredibly funny ride.” THE AGE
Following sell out seasons at the 2011 Melbourne and Sydney Fringe Festivals, St Kilda’s Theatre Works hosts the return of CUT
SNAKE by Sydney independent theatre company ARTHUR.
Kiki, Bob and Jumper are best friends with extravagant and idiosyncratic dreams. Kiki wants to dance the tango on Mount
Kilimanjaro with a bearded lady, Jumper is in love with a snake called Trix and Bob’s an ordinary bloke who might just hold the
secret to time travel. A tale about growing up, dying young, and being extraordinary no matter what.
With a diverse bag of influences, including cabaret, slapstick, Tina Turner and David Lynch, Cut Snake is highly physical - featuring
minor acrobatics, major humour and sock puppets. An entertaining, moving and life-affirming theatrical experience that takes the
audience on an extraordinary trip outside the auditorium.
CUT SNAKE played sold out seasons at the 2011 Sydney and Melbourne Fringe Festivals, receiving a 4-star review in The Age and
won a Melbourne Fringe award for Best Emerging Writers as well as being nominated for Melbourne Green Room Theatre Awards
for Best New Australian Work and Best Independent Ensemble.
Cut Snake is made by Sydney independent company Arthur, who create new Australian work, and is directed by NIDA graduate
Paige Rattray and Melbourne-based writers Dan Giovannoni and Amelia Evans.
“Jumper was conceived during a wild electrical storm. His mum, Pam, had been on a 4-day bender at a bushdoof with a
travelling fire twirler named Guy. He shoved a jumper up his t-shirt and suggested they have a baby…9 months later, Guy had
twirled on, and little Jumper was born.”
Please Note: This production will be peformed at an outdoor location near Theatre Works; please meet in the
foyer at least 15 minutes before the performance commences.
Director/Devisor PAIGE RATTRAY
Writers/Devisors AMELIA EVANS and DAN GIOVANNONI
Producer BELINDA KELLY
Sound Design/Devisor TOM HOGAN
Performers JULIA BILLINGTON, CATHERINE DAVIES and KEVIN KIERNAN-MOLLOY
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ORDER OF SCENES
This is the order the scenes appear in.
1. THE START: KIKI’S CABARET
2. THE BUS CRASH
3. THE TELLING 1
4. JUMPER’S STORY
a. JUMPER MEETS KIKI
b. JUMPER MEETS BOB
c. JUMPER & BOB’S BIG QUESTIONS
d. JUMPER HALF INVENTS TIME TRAVEL
e. JUMPER MEETS TRIX
f. JUMPER & KIKI WRESTLE WITH THEIR FEELINGS
g. JUMPER LEAVES FOR EUROPE-ASIA.
5. KIKI’S STORY
a. KIKI AND TRIX GO ON TOUR
b. KIKI MEETS A BEARDED LADY
c. KIKI CLIMBS A MOUNTAIN
d. KIKI DANCES THE TANGO (HAPPY)
e. KIKI’S PLANS ARE FOILED
f. KIKI DANCES THE TANGO (SAD)
6. BOB’S STORY
a. BOB TELLS HIS LIFE STORY
b. BOB SEES A FAIRY
c. BOB INVENTS TIME TRAVEL
i. BOB MEETS JESUS
ii. BOB MEETS JOHN LENNON
iii. BOB MEETS ADAM AND EVE
iv. BOB MEETS JUMPER ON THE DAY HE DIED
7. THE TELLING 2
8. THEIR LIFE STORIES, AGAIN, BUT FASTER, AND A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
9. THE ANSWER TO THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
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TITLE OF PLAY: Cut Snake is an old Australian saying meaning somebody is crazy . Theusual
way it is used in a sentence is “ mad as a cut snake” The world of the play is crazy and mad and
the audience are brought along on that journey.
THEMES :
for example: Loss & Grief, Self discovery, Achieving your dreams, That Magic exists.
Seeking answers: The million dollar question. The themes of Cut Snake are universal and they connect
with all ages of audience.
PERFORMANCE STYLE
FROM CUT SNAKE EDUCATION NOTES:
THERE IS SUCH THING AS MAGIC
A key aspect of the play is the world – CUT SNAKE is set in a slightly altered version of the real world, where things
are almost like normal, but not quite. Strange things aren’t strange, magic things can happen, impossible things are
possible. The important part of this is that everything is treated as if it’s perfectly normal. That talking snake?
Normal. That fairy? Real. In this way, the world of the play contains many elements of Magic Realism. ( from notes
by Cut Snake)
ABSURDISM: As well as the usual conventions of non-naturalism, there are absurdist ideas within the play through
the ideas of the talking snake, band of gypsies, time travel and a fairy.
PHYSICAL THEATRE: Asian based theatre and actors trained in Zen Zen Zo (see wiki)
The performance we saw Tuesday March 5th
“CUT SNAKE”- Theatreworks , 14 Acland Street, ST KILDA 7.00PM
There is no interval and so the performance is an intense 50 minutes where the audience experience a range of
emotions.
THE SET
In the notes by Arthur Theatre Company it states that there is no set as such and that the
performance can occur anywhere. The performance we saw was a tent.
The set is within a black plastic tent and the action occurs against one of the corners of the tent. There is a
strip of fairy lights in a semi-circle around the acting space. There is fake green grass on the floor of the
tent. The audience sit in plastic chairs, bunting ( yellow , red, black and green) is hung around the tent.
There is a guitar and speakers and computer off to one side of the acting space. A disco ball hangs from
the middle of the tent. The acting space is roughly 4 metres by 4 metres.
The set was simplistic so it made us concentrate on what was happening. There was nothing like
fancy sets to detract from what we were seeing. We purely focused on the actors.
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STAGECRAFT
LIGHTING:
Kiki: “I’m on a rollercoaster” – as she leans out into the audience her face goes into shadow, indicating her
sad feelings.
Fairy lights around the semi circle bordering the acting space, two spotlights are hung overhead
Lighting remains constant but actors manipulate their face within the light by moving their face into the
audience and out.
When she speaks about death her face goes into shadow- the lack of light shows her sorrow.
The lighting helps to create the intimacy of the performing space.
SOUND
SFX: bird chirping and sounds of bus drone at the beginning of play
Mixture of recorded music and live music
When the actor is acting drunk he hits the side of the tent and the sound of the metal bars of the tent
construction reverberate for the audience.
Nonsense sound is also made by the actors when doing the questioning sequence eg: “bobbity bobbity
bobbiity”
MUSIC
In composing the music for the ‘fairy’ sequence, I used the rhythm from Steve Reich’s Clapping Music as an
inspirational starting point, to compose something that could provide a pulse for the performers. You can hear every
instrument playing on a loop, but with a range of instruments starting on different beats at different times, what you are
left with becomes too complex for your brain to follow. This creates a dreamlike sound that builds and fades to follow
the dancers’ movements. Most of the instruments you hear play very percussive sounds, but they’re all trying to play
as quietly as possible. This creates a very intimate and intricate little work, painting a scene behind the dancers .
TOM HOGAN, sound designer
You can listen to the CUT SNAKE sound design online:
www.arthurproductions.com.au/cut-snake-music
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Tango music is used on the sound track
Guitar music
PUPPETRY
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Use of Trix the snake as sock puppet. This can be used by many actors to bring Trix into any scene
with the use of an actor’s arm.
Trix is also created through the use of drawn on eyes on two fingers ( Davies and Billington)
Barbie dolls on the badminton racquet is also used as puppetry.
MASK
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The use of the hippo and horse mask also create a sense of the absurdity. The actors can not use
facial expressions at all and the movement of their bodies is what brings these masks to life
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COSTUME
Costumes have to be flexible and able to be moved in. The actors need to controt their body and the
costumes must allow them the freedom of movement to create with their bodies.
Bob- drawn on moustache, bow tie, checked shirt and braces on his high waisted pants. The braces are
navy blue with stars on it: This costume is stereotypical of an old man wearing his favourite checked shirtthe contrast of the shirt with the braces gives a comical air about the character- quirky and lovable. The
pants are rolled up on both male characters. The costume helps to portray the character to the audience.
Trix: blue sock depicting the snake’s body. Blue is the colour of cool. The snake is cool.
Kiki Coriander: glitter corset with fringe around the bust area, lace shorts and glitter fabric tied around the
legs above the knee
Jumper: orange suspenders ( I think this colour changes, when I saw the play his suspenders were red) ,
white vest, high waisted black pants. And later : gold glittery jocks
PROP
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Red book- journal ( red the colour of emotion, passion and blood- a fitting colour for Jumper’s
journal)
Masks- horse head and hippo mask (The masks gave a sense of hilarity and humour as well as absurdism)
Sock puppet- Trix
Cigarette lighters
“ The main ingredient, and what I relied on the most when bringing Trix to life, was to forget about myself,
and solely focus on the character of Trix; how she moves, how she thinks, how she breathes. Even though
I'm not hiding behind anything when I operate her, the audience still forgets me because my focus is
entirely on her. And then you just get creative and detailed - What kind of voice does a snake have? What
movement quality? What are her habits? What does she like? What does she dislike? And very simply,
what just feels fun to do as a performer?” JULIA BILLINGTON, actor (Bob)
MAKEUP
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Eyeline pencil on Bob drawn on to depict the moustache
Kiki wears false eyelashes and glitter in her eye shadow- typical show girl glamour appearance.
Lipstick and rouge used to depict the show girl.
No obvious makeup on other actors Bob and Jumper which makes the audience focus on what they
are saying.
SOME EXAMPLES OF TRANSFORMATION
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Hands transformed with eyes drawn on the pointer and index finger to denote a snake.
Badminton raquet with barbie dolls are a band of gyspies
Trix the snake is a blue sock . The sock was not transformed into anything other than Trix the snake.
Bob giving a lecture transforms the tent into a fake blackboard when giving the teaching lesson.
Guitar into fishing rod
Using bodies interlocked to depict the fairy with cigarette lighters flickering to demonstrate the glitter
on the wings.
Transformation of space- mountains, suburbia, performance theatre for Kiki,
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DIALOGUE
Check script for lines repeated for effect. Eg; Bob punctuating scenes with this phrase “scientifically
impossible”. This depicts his character as being a person who has perhaps forgotten the magic that can be
found in life.
Dialogue is modern and simple and relates well to the audience
Bob’s line- “That is scientifically impossible” symbolises conservatism and not having your mind open to
things.
The dialogue which Bob kept repeating- “scientifically and completely impossible” . The meaning of what
Bob is saying is broken because there is meaning in this world- there are fairies, A revelation of possibility
is opened up for Bob and the audience.
When I first saw it I thought it was sails on a sailing ship because they had established that they were on a
pier. The look on the actor’s face at the front was powerful and the moment transcended the audience.
This show is their own- it was them within the show. It is genuine. If you have created a piece of work from
scratch this can deeply affect the way it is performed as the words that come out of your mouth are the
ones you have created for the character.
EXPRESSIVE SKILLS EXAMPLES
VOICE WORK
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“ The Feelings” have a Scottish accent before they fight.
Mrs. Brocolini- Italian and mean teacher- cackles like a witch and is depicted by Catherine Davies
as if a wicked witch.
Trix the snake is depicted with over emphasised consonants- in particular “s” sound is repeated and
elongated. Favorite line: “Whatever”.
Lady Godiva- southern accent.
Use of breath and sound- oooh ha ha hee, repeated
MOVEMENT (crucial to this play and absolutely the hero of the piece)
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Bob is at the beginning narrating the story and then becomes one of the passengers on the bus by
turning.
Actress behind Jumper sitting on the bus moves slowly so as not to take the attention of the
audience.
Styles of burlesque, dance and acrobatics: these styles of movement are combined and used within
the performance at various points.
Japanese movement influences are Suzuki and Butoh
Going up into the mountains of Kilimanjaro synchronised stomping of feet. (zen zen zo training)
How far they went between Kiki and the bearded lady. He was aggressive with her there was
passionate movement, well rehearsed which captured the sense of their relationship.
Wonderful movement and physicality when Kiki and Jumper were physically fighting with their
feelings.
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FACIAL EXPRESSION
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Actors contorted their faces to show characters and exaggerated expression in parts- eg: Mrs.
Brocolini
Look of surprise and wonderment on Catherine Davies face as fairy helps to establish mood for the
audience.
Shock as actors depict bus crash
Demonstrating Bob as a much older man requires different facial expression.
The facial expressions, especially in connection with the light. One of the actors leaning out into the
audience and she remained in focus. The light picked up her face. And gave it emphasis. Very
powerful
GESTURE
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The actor Catherine Davies with a horse mask on places fisted hands on hips and legs are strongly
apart, depicting the strength of the horse.
Mrs Brocolini is depicted by Catherine Davies bending over her body and being stooped like a
stereotypical ugly witch. She contorts her face.
Lady Godiva- strokes chin to denote a beard.
Waving fingers= shattered glass
Depiction of fairy
Walking up the mountains
Gestures of aggression to depict a fight- body stiff and muscles tensed to depict power.
Bus riding
Structure of the play uses these conventions as well throughout:
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Montage: example time travel montage- meeting Jesus and John Lennon
Disjointed time sequence: the narrative cuts back and forth into different sequences and locations.
Vignette: dramatic pictures from wiki
a vignette is a short impressionistic scene that focuses on one moment or gives a trenchant impression about
a character, idea, setting, or object.[1] This type of scene is more common in recent postmodern theater,
where less emphasis is placed on adhering to the conventions of theatrical structure and story development.
Vignettes have been particularly influenced by contemporary notions of a scene as shown in film, video and
television scripting. It is also a part of something bigger than itself.
Examples of The 12 Dramatic Elements –( this list is not complete there are more examples)
1.Focus
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-extremely strong focus from actors. When they are so close to the audience , they must be
completely focused. Their focus and movement helps the audience to realise where they are meant
to watch at a particular moment within the play.
They make us look to where they want us to look
The use of focus – every single time they were doing anything- they all had a personality within their
face. They were all focused on something- not one of them was off. Not one of them wasn’t in the
world that they were in. When they were all on top of each other in an acrobatic pose. This is what
helped the audience to focus where they should. They held us .
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2. Tension
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There is a lot of tension for the audience in the repeated bus scene as the audience knows that
Jumper’s death is coming.
Slow motion movement as bus crash happens creates tension for the audience and emphasises the
moment.
There is also a sense of dramatic tension in the intricate acrobatic poses the actors use. The
audience watch these and perhaps feel a sense of awe in what they create with their bodies and the
balance they use- climbing onto each other.
Tension within the plot is Bob dealing with the grief and loss of his friend, Jumper and discovering
insights into their relationships through the journey of the play.
The beating of the snake- aggression
3. Timing
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Timing of bus crash movements are crucial to be able to show the sequence properly.
In order to undertake the physicality of the production- timing between the actors is of utmost
importance. The timing and the control of the movements to create dramatic images for the
audience- eg: bus crash.
Timing of line delivery- the question scene where the pace is very fast and the use of “bobbity
bobbity bobbity” as a sound to create a build up of tension was excellent.
4. Rhythm
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Rhythm of movement and transformation between scenes and characters helps to establish a
smooth flow of rhythm of the play.
Rhythm of dialogue and nonsense sounds create mood for the audience.
5. Contrast
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Having two people on the bus falling and showing the bus crash whilst the other actor narrates is
very powerful. There is a powerful contrast that makes the mood intense. When we return to this
scene there is a sense of pathos.
-contrast of mood and contrast of character and location.
Contrast physically within the performance occurs with different levels.
6. Mood
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cast were excellent at manipulating the mood of the play and in so doing manipulating the way we
respond to it.
The mood is able to be transformed by the actors at various points.
The audience is made to feel sad and happy at key points in the show. You feel like you have gone
on a journey in 50 minutes and you have experienced many things.
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7. Space
Here is an example: Placement of actors demonstrates the jealousy Kiki feels about the snake.
Bob and jumper with snake
kiki
Distance demonstrates jealousy.
The performing space is intimate and creates a close actor/audience relationship. The subject matter
engages us but also the fact that the actors are so close. We are part of their world for 50 minutes. The use
of space is quite a feat. The actors are in a sense “ cornered” in the tent- the acting space is small and yet
many different locations and events are created for the audience.
9. Sound
Please check music recordings on the Arthur site to get a better understanding of the sound designer’s
intention.
You can listen to the CUT SNAKE sound design online:
www.arthurproductions.com.au/cut-snake-music
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Live sound and recorded sound depict atmosphere and mood.
The actors make sounds using their voices eg: bobbity bobbity bobbity
10. Symbol
Bass note , the middle note, top note- past, present and future symbol.
Symbols created through body poses- eg: fairy
Symbolic references
The transformation into the fairy. There is a sense of wonderment as the characters see the fairy but there
is also wonderment for us the audience as we see the actors achieve this amazing physical position with
the 3 actors interlocked, creating the fairy. The use of cigarette lighters also helps to enhance the image for
the audience. It is a sublime moment in the show in the same way if you were to see a fairy in real life you
would be stunned. We the audience, are stunned at seeing this transformation.
Gypsies are symbolic- barbies on badminton raquet
-eyes drawn on fingers symbolic of Trix the snake
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Bob travelling in time and coming through the black hole created by the arms and hands of the other actors.
The use of the lighters. A stereotypical view of a fairy might be a small thing. However the 3 actors
becoming a fairy made the fairy large and emphasised.
Recurring motif: the snake- lover and then it is a friend. The snake- destiny/ change
In mythology a snake represents something. The snake is absurdist- it can eat all of the gypsies.
11. Conflict
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Conflicts of feelings brought to life with the depiction of feelings physically fighting the characters.
This is a visual display of their inner turmoil- more effective than just dialogue and script. The
audience visually see the tension and problems.
Conflicts within relationships easy to identify with eg: friendship conflicts, and conflicts within the
inner self.
12. Climax
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When you first see the bus crash- the audience feel that this is an interesting piece of movement
and the symbolism of the bus is effective, however when it is repeated there is a change of mood.
We, as an audience know what is going to happen- the mood has changed. There is a foreboding of
what is to come.
Horse- when it first comes out it surprises the audience. There is a surreal quality to this moment.
The horse and hippo fighting- a fitting climax
CLIMACTIC SCENES: Meeting Jumper on the Bus, Seeing the fairy,
Our favourite key moments from the play as recorded on the night we saw it:
Adam: when the gypsies were revealed to have been eaten by the snake
Margie: I loved it when the Snake says “what ever!” and the gypsies say “Why Not?”. There is a positivity, sense of
spirit in the character of the gypsies. They are open to anything as free spirits whereas the snake is cynical. A
contrast of characters and sense of spirit through the use of 2 words .
Andreas: my favourite bit was the introduction of the snake. It was so hilarious. The guy making out with the snake.
It worked so well -why not have a storyline of a love story with a snake and a bearded lady. The whole sequence was
perfect about what they wanted to do.
Matthew: I loved the time travel bit. I loved the sequence where she became the dinosaur, meeting with Jesus and
John Lennon and the woman hugging on his leg was very effective. There certainly was a lot of rhythm- going up the
mountain and the actors were stomping. The rhythm of the asking of the questions- “bippity bippity bippity”.
Kieren: My favourite scene towards the beginning when they are all falling as one. The movements were all perfectly
synchronised. That was just a perfect moment. I enjoyed their use of pathos towards the end. The pathos began
when Jumper was on the bus with the old man. There was a sense of mystery of what he had written and it turned
out it was the horse versus the hippo.
Olivia: My favourite part is when Bob is on the pier fishing with Tim ( his grandson) The pathos was huge at this bit.
I had such an emotional connection with this bit. He sees the fairy. I loved their movement and the way they worked
together as a team. I liked the use of contrast- fast movements, slow movements. Quick pace and slow pace- a great
collaboration of ideas.
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Yianna: The small space that they used to recreate the play. I loved the contrast and the focus of the whole thing. At
one point you were laughing and then you were focused on what they were doing and then everything becomes
slower and things become more intricate. The contrast At one point I realised I was laughing and then the next
minute I am concentrating on what they were saying. My mood continually changed in a second. When they went
back to the bus scene the second time round, I was thinking – Are you serious is that it and then they kept on going
for a bit longer- then I felt that was perfect. I am done. I’m emotional and I don’t want the play to be done.
Luis: The thing that made this so amazing compared to other stuff I have seen was being up close and personal. You
could feel the sweat from their movements.
Yianna: one of them sweated on me
Luis: You could feel the emotions and it felt like it was running through you. It was very intimate.
Yianna: The costumes were circus like- clown like- suspenders and high pants.
One had orange braces ( Jumper) and the other braces were blue with white stars ( Bob)
Kiki looked like a Burlesque showgirl. Red hair and her costume had a burlesque feel.
Examples of use of Language
Modern language also used within dialogue
Universal language - gibberish
Echo – communicating past present future
Experimental sounds made by the actors to help denote a mood
DISCUSSION WITH CAST AFTER THE SHOW
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2 week character development and rehearsal.
The actors were saying that in rehearsals they had to “say yes” and be open to trying new things.
The play is absurd but it is dealing with real stories.
Bob is central and there are two characters at the edge of his memory who are trying to help him. They are
in his ear and trying to get him to remember.
The narrator holds the stories together.
Trained in Japanese theatre techniques. Zen Zen Zo ( see wiki for more on this)
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» Reviews »
Cut Snake | Arthur
Written by Nick Spunde
Tuesday, 04 October 2011 13:36
Colloquially, a cut snake is the benchmark for madness. Are ya mad as one, or madder
than? Cut Snake, the show, is definitely madder. It’s also brilliant.
It starts with an unusual parade, as the audience follow a banner adorned with a googly eyed door snake through the
streets of North Melbourne to a secret venue. Now any show that kicks off like that is getting right into the spirit of
the Fringe and the rest of the show lives up to expectations.
Coming from Arthur productions, a side project from members of Griffin theatre in Sydney, it is a tightly scripted and
well performed piece of joyous absurdism. Written byDan Giovannoni and NIDA-trained playwright Amelia Evans, the
story is a magical realist fable about improbable romances, impossible dreams and unanswerable questions.
Following the misadventures of three friends and a talking snake, the tale jumps back and forth through time, shifting
from recognisable pastiches of ordinary life to flights of fantasy and back. The tone shifts with equal fluidity from high
comedy to genuinely affecting drama.
Its cast of three – burlesque performer Kiki Coriander (Catherine Davies), Kevin Keirnan-Molloy and Julia Billington –
are a slick unit, equally able to commit to emotive moments or to give full flight to the ridiculous while always keeping
their discipline as physical performers. The snake is a long green sock, voiced by Billington but puppeteered by all of
them at one point or another, and an irresistible character all on her own.
Directed by Paige Rattray, this show is a case study in how to do absurdist comedy well. Absurdism can stumble if it
tries to add pathos late in the piece, or spins away in mounting ridiculousness, but Cut Snake plays its cards early,
establishing both the surreal tone and the dramatic stakes in the opening scenes. From then on you buy into every
coil of the twisting plot because at all times the characters are believably engaged in their world. There are touches of
whimsical chase-your-dreams, believe-in-magic myth making, but Giovannoni/Evans’s script undercuts these cliches,
making use of anti-climax and subtleties in character change to craft a meaningful story on these themes.
In the grand tradition of absurdist theatre, Cut Snake’s target is the fundamental ridiculousness of life and death and
how to respond to it. Sometimes that’s through railing against the universe. Sometimes it’s by climbing a mountain
with gypsies, chasing the secret of time travel or romancing a talking serpent. Take whichever approach you like, but I
can recommend seeing Cut Snake as a good way to give yourself one extraordinary hour at least.
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Cut Snake
March 1, 2013
Reviewed by Rebecca Harkins-Cross
Paige Rattray, Dan Giovannoni, Amelia Evans
Arthur Productions, Theatreworks, until March 9
THIS is the funniest play you're likely to see about grief.
After premiering at Melbourne Fringe in 2011, Cut Snake's return season is staged in a small tent adjacent to
Theatreworks. An atmosphere of the carnival prevails, an uninhibited playground where anything could happen.
On the surface this is a story about Jumper (Kevin Keirnan-Molloy), a 19-year-old who goes to ''Europe-Asia'' on a
Contiki tour to find himself but instead, after getting wasted in bars across the Continent, dies in a bus crash. His
besties Kiki Coriander (Catherine Davies) and Bob (Julia Billington) must learn how to go on without him. The
loquacious script loops in wild configurations, each character's story narrated several times over. This is a universe
where every madcap dream is in reach, be it time travel, interspecific romance or tangos on Mount Kilimanjaro.
Physical theatre, clowning, acrobatics, sock puppetry - it's all performed with demented energy. Under Paige Rattray's
direction, these hybrid strains unite with admirable precision from a talented young cast.
There's plenty of camp humour too, in the vein of Little Ones Theatre's recent Psycho Beach Party or the work of
Sisters Grimm: Kiki falls for a bearded Southern belle named Lady Godiva; Jumper is torn between his affection for
Kiki and his lust for a treacherous snake named Trix.
Get your hands on a ticket before Cut Snake sells out. It's hilarious, joyous, affecting stuff.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/theatre/cut-snake-20130228-2f8xy.html#ixzz2UmGd61WS
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Review: Cut Snake, at Theatre Works

KATE ROSE HERALD SUN
FEBRUARY 28, 2013 12:49PM
Julia Billington and Catherine Davies from Cut Snake, now being performed at Theatre Works. Picture: Chris
Pavlich Source: The Daily Telegraph
NEVERMIND the cricket. If ever a live event needed an instant replay function it would be
Cut Snake, so its 50 minutes of delight could be enjoyed over and over again.
It is an absolutely gorgeous production; a wide-eyed, energetic and endearing paean to youthful
optimism.
It tells the entwined tales of Jumper (Kevin Kiernan-Molloy), Kiki (Catherine Davies) and Bob (Julia
Billington), childhood friends who share their dreams, lives and loves with one another through a
mixture of dance, acrobatics and puppetry.
When Jumper sets off on a Contiki tour of Europe he may be in love with a snake named Trix, or
with Kiki, but Kiki wants to climb Mt Kilimanjaro and dance the tango at its peak with a bearded
lady.
Jumper's best friend Bob wants to join the air force, but first he wants to know whether a hippo or
horse would win a fight between the two.
Somehow, in this field of lush whimsy, there's also room for some beautifully poignant moments, a
band of gypsies, trout as big as sheep and time travel.
The cast members, under the direction of Paige Rattray, are outstanding, turning the tiny corner of
the tent in which they perform into an entire world.
Kiernan-Molloy's happy-go-lucky, borderline bogan Jumper is reminiscent of everyone's have-a-go
mate. Davies' adventurous, exuberant Kiki is an absolute delight to watch. Billington's humble,
scientific, everyman Bob is a perfect foil and the ultimate heart-string tugger.
Cut Snake, beautifully written by Amelia Evans and Dan Giovannoni, breaks the vastness of
friendship down into its smallest moments and makes every single one matter.
It is an evening of perfect, pure joy.-----------CUT SNAKE
Arthur Productions, at Theatre Works, St Kilda, until March 9
Rating: ★★★★★
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CUT SNAKE

By Patricia Tobin | Monday March 4 2013
Following sell-out sessions at the 2011 Melbourne and Sydney Fringe Festivals, the award-winning Cut
Snake returns to St. Kilda’s Theatre Works. Presented by Sydney independent theatre company Arthur, Cut
Snake excels; it’s a bizarrely hilarious and brilliant production.
Cut Snake follows a tight-knit trio of best friends, who bond over fishing, dancing and dreaming. Jumper (Kevin
Kiernan-Molloy) falls in love with smart-mouthed snake, Trix. Kiki (Catherine Davies) yearns to climb Mount
Kilimanjaro with a bearded lady, while Bob (Julia Billington) anchors the imaginative group, occasionally offering
deadpan soundbites of rationality.
In 2011, Cut Snake was awarded the Melbourne Fringe Festival Award for best emerging writers, and it is easy
to see why. Writers Amelia Evans and Dan Giovannoni employ a surreal maximalist storyline that broadly
examines ideas about time travel, a ‘million-dollar’ question, friendship and growing up. Unexpectedly, this
endearing tale also features an underlying theme of death that runs throughout the show. Fortunately, under the
expert direction of Paige Rattray, Cut Snake deals tenderly with the subject matter of grief.
Though overall vibrant and spirited, the production offers up poignant moments with plenty of heart. Composer
Tom Hogan delivers fitting tunes for raucous fun and slapstick, while Ross Graham’s lighting design perfectly
accommodates the show’s adrenaline high.
The cast, meanwhile, exhibit undeniable chemistry onstage. The cheeky Kiernan-Molloy provides plenty of
laughs, often heralding the best lines of the show. Davies is delightful as the saucy Kiki, boldly diving into
acrobatics and cabaret. Billington shines as the most level-headed member of the group, Bob, as she skilfully
balances thoughtful insight and good-natured humour. Together, the insatiable, energetic trio create a hilariously
entertaining show.
Travelling to Sydney soon for a two-week stay at the Tamarama Rock Surfers’ Bondi Pavilion Theatre, Cut
Snake is not to be missed. From sock puppets to Jesus impersonations, it’s a riotous, vivacious and
extraordinary theatrical experience.
Rating: 4½ stars out of 5
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CUT SNAKE
March 14th 2013 11:16 am | Theatre | Review - By Diana Simmonds
Boldly written, very clever, incredibly silly and profound.
CUT SNAKE, Arthur and Tamarama Rock Surfers at Bondi Pavilion Theatre, 12-23 March
2013. Photos by John Feely, main: Catherine Davies, Julia Billington and Kevin KiernanMolloy; right: Davies and Kiernan-Molloy.
The transformation of the Bondi Pavilion theatre into an intimate space by way of pegged up
drapes is the first clue of something different. That the drapes appear to be examples of bed sheet,
doona cover and curtain design going back to the 1970s is the next. Then the hyper-emotional,
wide-eyed and somersaulting entrance of Kiki Coriander (Catherine Davies) is all you need to sit
back and go along for the wildest ride even the most savvy Contiki bus tourist is likely to have
experienced.
Kiki and childhood bestie Bob (Julia Billington) have been given a travel journal belonging to
their other bestie, Jumper (Kevin Kiernan-Molloy), after his untimely but unfortunately very funny
death in a road accident in Croatia. What happened to each of the trio before, after and during the
crash that was caused by the bus avoiding a mangy dog, hitting a tree instead and going over a
cliff is the backbone of this wonderfully flexible piece of theatre.
Directed, devised and designed by the sickeningly talented Paige Rattray and written by the overgifted Amelia Evans and Dan Giovannoni, Cut Snake is a delicious concoction of physical
theatre, unrestrained imagination, disciplined performance and exhilarating wit and hilarity.
In just 50 action-packed minutes the audience is whisked from Croatia to the top of Mt Kilimanjaro,
meets Kiki's great love, the bearded lady, and learns about the possibility of time travel and fairies.
And that's all before learning about the treacherous inclinations of a sock puppet snake named
Trix.
The collaborative nature of the show is such that other credits go to composer/devisor Tom
Hogan- on-stage music and FX - and lighting and production design to Ross Graham. The three
actors are terrific in an Energiser Bunny-meets-Serious Acting sort of way but there's a lot more
beneath the comical and absurd surface. In truth, Cut Snake is a touching set of stories and a
search for the meaning of life and death and the whole damn thing. It's boldly written, very clever,
incredibly silly and profound. I loved it.
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