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WE WANT THIS PLAY TO CHANGE THE WORLD.
AND IF NOT THE WORLD, THEN JUST EVERYONE IN IT.
CUT SNAKE is a magical, high-energy piece of contemporary, non-naturalistic Australian theatre,
collaboratively created by independent theatre company Arthur.
It connects to many aspects of the VCE Drama curriculum. These notes have been produced for you –
the students and teachers studying CUT SNAKE – by us – the artists that made it. We figured it
might be helpful if you knew what we were thinking – why we made some of the choices we made,
how we came up with some of the things we came up with, how on earth we decided on ‘Jumper’ as
a character name…
These notes focus on the Key Skills and Key Knowledge that students are required to successfully
complete Drama Outcome 3 (Performance Analysis).
Have fun. CUT SNAKE is hell mad. You’ll love it.
We hope this kit is helpful, but if you’ve got more questions, you should definitely contact us.
Definitely.
E M A I L belinda@arthurproductions.com.au
T W E E T @arthurprod
F A C E B O O K facebook.com/makersofplay
W E B S I T E www.arthurproductions.com.au
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CONTENTS.
BEFORE THE SHOW
WHAT THE HELL IS CUT SNAKE?
4
SYNOPSIS
5
THE STORY
5
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
6
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
6
WE JUST MADE THIS UP
6
THERE IS SUCH THING AS MAGIC
6
THE TEAM
6
PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
7
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK
8
REMEMBER: BLINK & YOU’LL MISS IT
8
AFTER THE SHOW
ORDER OF SCENES
9
S C E N E E X T R A C T 1 “THE BUS CRASH”
10
S C E N E E X T R A C T 2 “BOB TELLS HIS LIFE STORY”
11
S C E N E E X T R A C T : I M A G E 1 “KIKI CLIMBS A MOUNTAIN”
12
S C E N E E X T R A C T 3 “THE TIME TRAVEL”
13
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
17
THE WORLD OF CUT SNAKE
17
STRUCTURE
17
PERFORMANCE STYLES
18
CHARACTERS and EXPRESSIVE SKILLS
18
STAGECRAFT ELEMENTS
19
ACTOR-AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP
20
DRAMATIC ELEMENTS
21
THEMES
22
EXTRA THINKING
22
SAMPLE SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
23
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS ASSESSMENT
23
PREVIOUS PRODUCTION IMAGES
24
CREDITS
26
WHAT THE HELL IS CUT SNAKE?
A QUICK ONLINE SEARCH REVEALS THE FOLLOWING:
1. URBAN DICTIONARY RECKONS:
2. GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH RECKONS:
WHAT DO YOU
3. INSTAGRAM RECKONS #MADASACUTSNAKE
RECKON?
What does CUT SNAKE make you think of?
When do you use this expression? In what contexts?
To describe what? Is it used as a verb? A noun?
Start thinking about the clues you are getting from
the title as to what the show might be like or about.
WE RECKON:
IT’S A WAY OF LIFE
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SYNOPSIS
K i k i , B o b and J u m p e r 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.
CUT SNAKE is a tale of growing up,
dying young and being extraordinary
no matter what.
THE
STORY
CUT SNAKE begins with Jumper
narrating his own death in a bus accident in Europe-Asia. It then goes forward and back in time as we learn
more about him, and the effect his death has on his two best friends Kiki and Bob. After Jumper’s death, his
journal is returned to his friends – the journal he promised to write in every day to record his extraordinary
experiences – but it’s empty. Jumper hasn’t written a word. We then skip back in time and see how Kiki, Bob
and Jumper became friends, and why Jumper decided to travel to Europe-Asia in the first place.
We then pick up again after Jumper’s death and see Kiki’s story. Kiki puts an enormous amount of pressure on
herself to chase a life full of extraordinary experiences: she and Jumper’s pet snake Trix perform their
cabaret act all over the world, she climbs Mount Kilimanjaro with a band of gypsies and falls in love with a
bearded lady named Lady Godiva. But all of her experiences are marred in some way – the snake eats the
gypsies, the bearded lady wants to become a man… and suddenly the extraordinary life Kiki wanted to lead is
leaving her cold.
Then we see Bob’s life story. Bob – who was pretty much born an ordinary bloke – spends his whole life
focused on practical things. He gets married, has kids, does his job, and then dies – an ordinary life. Or so he’d
like to believe. In reality he struggles to reconcile a significantly extraordinary experience in his ordinary life,
a time when he experienced something absolutely, scientifically impossible: he and his grandson Tim see a
fairy. Remembering his best mate Jumper, who always chased adventure, Bob embarks on a mission to honour
Jumper and invent time travel – to great success. He manages to visit Adam and Eve, John Lennon and
Jesus… and then, finally, his best friend Jumper on the day that he died. In a final goodbye to his best friend,
Bob convinces Jumper to write his memories and experiences down in his journal – and then leaves a secret
note for him on the back page. Then Bob leaves, and Jumper dies all over again.
This time, when Jumper’s journal is returned, Kiki and Bob find that although Jumper didn’t have the capital‘I’-Important experiences he had planned, they were still worthwhile adventures. They are also reminded that
he hadn’t forgotten them. They still go on to live their lives – but this time a little differently. We watch as
Kiki foregoes Mt Kilimanjaro and instead becomes an Olympic fencer. She meets James Turner, has a baby
(Cardigan) and moves to the suburbs. Bob learns that you can have pretty extraordinary experiences, if you let
yourself, and so the rest of his life is lived in the knowledge that he should probably just say HELL YES a
little more (which he does). Kiki recognises that not everything in her life has to be extraordinary – that, in
fact, there might be something extraordinary waiting for her deep in her ordinary suburban life.
In the final moment of the play, we learn what Bob’s secret message to Jumper was in the back of the journal
– he finally worked out the answer to a question that had puzzled them as kids: who would win in a fight
between a hippo and a horse?
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THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
BEFORE YOU GO
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
THERE IS SUCH THING AS MAGIC
In this production, the performance takes place
inside a tent. The seating configuration is end-on.
The stage is not raised. Audience members sit on
cushions on the floor, or on comfortable chairs
and couches provided. There are blankets and
cushions available for all.
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.
CUT SNAKE has been performed in
courtyards, pubs, cabaret bars, indoors,
outdoors… how do you think the location of
the performance influences an audience’s
understanding of a play?
Are there places around your home or school
that you think would be suitable to stage a
piece of theatre? What are some of the
considerations you need to make if you were
to stage a show in this place? What kind of
environment does your setting create for the
audience? What kind of performance would
suit this location? What would be the
benefits/problems with staging something in
this location? Would you stage your
Ensemble Performance in this location?
WE JUST MADE THIS UP
The playscript of CUT SNAKE was devised by
the performers, so it includes elements (such as
the movement sequences) that only this specific
team know about and can replicate exactly.
Stage directions are open to interpretation and
experimentation.
Read the note on ‘STYLE’ from the writers
at the start of the play. With that in mind,
choose a random stage direction – say, the
fairy sequence – and read it before you see
the show. Later, evaluate how different your
expectations were from the final product.
What do you know about MAGIC
REALISM? Google it. How might this style
sit alongside non-naturalism? Do you know
of any other plays/films/books that might fit
into the category of Magic Realism?
THE TEAM
We’ve each got our own titles and area of
training and expertise – writers, directors, etc
– but we are all credited as devisors, too. This
is because we all had equal input into the work
while we were making it.
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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MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS
CUT SNAKE has had two previous productions – one at the Sydney Fringe Festival and one at the
Melbourne Fringe Festival (2011). Here are two pieces of writing that might help you get a sense of
the play before you see it – a media release, and a review.
MEDIA RELEASE
REVIEW
Arthur presents CUT SNAKE, a David
Lynch-esque dance-musical-play hybrid
performed in a secret location at the
Melbourne Fringe Festival from the 28th
September to 8th October at 7pm.
‘CUT SNAKE’
Arthur, Melbourne Fringe
Review by Cameron Woodhead, 7/10/2011
For audiences aged 9-99, CUT SNAKE is
high-octane physical theatre about big
questions and small moments, devised by a
group of award-winning NIDA and VCA
graduates.
CUT SNAKE is mad. Hell mad. I loved it.
CUT SNAKE is the story of best friends Kiki
Coriander, Bob and Jumper. 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 just an ordinary bloke
who might hold the secret to time travel. Their
friendship is tested when at 19, Jumper dies
unexpectedly in a bus crash. CUT SNAKE
explores the ordinary and extraordinary effects
this has on those that remain.
Developed with the assistance of Arena
Theatre Company’s Inside 130 residency and
drawing on influences as eclectic as cabaret,
David Lynch and Tina Turner, CUT
SNAKE has a highly physical style, combining
music, movement and text. Strictly limited
audiences will meet on the steps of the Arts
House and be led somewhere extraordinary.
WHAT DO YOU
THE WORLD
4 stars
Arthur harnesses a highly physical theatre 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.
Three oddball characters (Julia Billington,
Catherine Davies and Kevin Kiernan-Molloy)
wrestle the unformed clay of youth, moulding
magic and mayhem with every twist. The
show’s about dying young and being the
underhorse, inventing time travel and using
‘hell’ as a modifier; about dreaming big,
eccentric dreams and running with them.
Expect hilarious clowning and precise
caricature, backyard acrobatics and sock
puppetry, lightning slapstick, high-altitude
tangos and one glorious half-nelson. None of it
feels contrived either. Paige Rattray’s direction
achieves a fluid integration with the
maximalist script (Amelia Evans and Dan
Giovannoni). It’s a joyous, poignant, and
incredibly funny ride.
RECKON?
OF THE PLAY
After reading the media release and the review, what do you know
about the production? What questions do you have?
How does each of the above pieces set up the world of the play for you?
What are you expecting?
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MORE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD ASK
Before you see the show, consider what you know so far:
Consider the title of the play – what does it evoke for you?
What are you now expecting, knowing all that you know – the title, the world, the performance
space. What are your expectations of the work?
Do you know any other films, books or plays that might fit into the category of MAGICAL
REALISM?
Do you and your friends have plans for overseas travel? Are you taking a gap year? Uni? TAFE?
Schoolies? Why are you doing those things? What’s exciting about this next phase of your life?
Are you expecting the play to ‘teach’ you anything? Do you think all plays have a lesson or a
moral?
In CUT SNAKE, three actors play many roles – how might they transform from one to another?
Would you consider this production a mainstream production or a fringe production? Why? Does
the venue give you any clues to this? Does the venue suit a non-naturalistic performance?
Who else is in the audience when you see the show? Is it a cross-section of the community? Who
do you think this play was written for? Is there any actor-audience interaction before the play
starts?
REMEMBER: BLINK &
YOU’LL
MISS IT
Theatre’s ephemeral. As soon as a line is said, it disappears – you can’t rewind and listen to it again.
It’s also different every time you do it. Sometimes a line is said in a way that makes it funny, other
times in a way that makes it sad, other times someone’s sneezing and you miss it altogether. This
means that it’s important to be curious – p a y a t t e n t i o n t o d e t a i l s . It can be easy to just slip into
the world of the play and forget you should be ‘reading’ the play as well as watching it.
At the end of the show, try and write a few things down – if you can’t write it down, just have a
conversation about them. Talking through it once will help you remember it tomorrow. Doing this
after the show will help you write on it later.
An easy way to break it up is by thinking of:
What you SAW – sets, lights, props, costumes, characters, acting techniques, the theatre.
What you HEARD – music, the script (dialogue, monologue, language), songs, body percussion.
What you FELT – Did the play move you? Was it funny? Did it make you angry, sad, or leave you
bemused? Was it confusing, convoluted, or did it make sense?
It’s important that, as well as paying attention to these things, you also have an opinion.
WAS IT GOOD? DID IT WORK? IF YES, WHY? IF NOT, WHY NOT?
The audience member is an active participant in theatre. Be active!
ORDER OF
SCENES
This is the order the scenes appear in.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
THE START: KIKI’S CABARET
THE BUS CRASH
THE TELLING 1
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.
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)
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
THE TELLING 2
THEIR LIFE STORIES, AGAIN, BUT FASTER, AND A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT
THE ANSWER TO THE MILLION DOLLAR QUESTION
WHAT DO YOU
RECKON?
These scene titles help tell the story – what do they provoke for you?
What do they tell you about the story? About its structure? Look for clues.
As an activity, divide the scenes up amongst small groups – perhaps each group
could take on one character’s life story.
o Using tableau, represent each scene title (not what happens in the scene).
o You could present the scenes in sequence using the Brechtian technique of
placards/signs.
o Extend the tableaus into short vignettes where the only dialogue comes
from the title of the scene (ie, for ‘Bob sees a fairy’, the dialogue might be:
“I’ve seen a fairy!”)
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SCENE EXTRACT 1
“THE BUS CRASH”
This is Jumper’s opening monologue, taken from the start of the play.
Jumper is on a rickety old bus, heading into the mountains. He’s feeling a little queasy.
Behind him, the other performers are also on the bus – rickety and wild.
Jumper
Don’t ever let people tell you that getting out of bed and taking life by the balls helps cure a
hangover... If you get out of bed, your hangover takes you by the balls and before you know it, the
most important bus trip of your entire European adventure is compromised.
This might look like a fail – hungover, again, with nothing to show for itexcept drunken photos in
hostel bars. But this is actually a win. Because I’m going somewhere. I don’t know where, but it’s
important. A Historical Site Of Some Sort. I bought a ticket. From a guy with a red hat. The bus
came, we all got on. And even though right now all I want to do is get off and have a little nap in
that bush over there… I need to suck it up. Pull it together. There will be something worth writing in
this journal – I will remember something from this trip other than the taste of vomit in my mouth. I’m
going to own it. I’m going to ride the waves of this hangover and own it. Yes, world. I am on a bus.
Right now, I am on. A. Bus.
All three perform a movement piece inspired by the events of the bus crash
The bus heads into the mountains. Tiny roads and sheer cliffs. We get to the top of this little rise,
and before I can see what’s on the other side, this mangy dog runs in front us. We swerve – we
don’t want to hit him. Except we do hit him, and then we hit a tree. And then we go through the tree
and through the metal road barrier, and the bus does this wicked little tumble over the edge of the
cliff and smacks its head on a rock.
Then we roll. We’re rolling. The woman in front of me dives on top of her kids but she misses them,
and they get lost amongst smoke and bags and other bodies. I’ve got one hand on the seat in front
of me and the other holding my journal. We roll again and I’m thrown head first into the window, I
let go of my journal to brace but it’s too late, my neck snaps. There’s glass everywhere, and
screaming. We’re being tossed around like little chunks of meat, flesh ripping open. We roll and
roll and when we finally hit the bottom...
Jumper braces for impact – Kiki and Bob smash into him. They all turn out and see:
The whole bus bursts into flames.
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
How does this d i r e c t a d d r e s s from Jumper in the opening scenes help establish an a c t o r audience relationship?
What is the m o o d that is established by this monologue? How did the use of s o u n d help
communicate this mood?
In what ways did you see a t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f p l a c e occur in this scene? What e x p r e s s i v e
s k i l l s were used to help this?
What p e r f o r m a n c e s t y l e s are demonstrated in the theatrical playing of this scene? That is, in
the live version of this monologue, what performance styles were being used? To what effect?
What t h e a t r i c a l c o n v e n t i o n s did you see in the performance of this scene?
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SCENE EXTRACT 2
“BOB TELLS HIS LIFE STORY” taken from “THEIR LIFE STORIES,
AGAIN, BUT FASTER, AND A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT”
This is the second time Bob says this monologue – this time it’s peppered with more embellishments
and a bit more whimsy.
Crusty Old Man Bob hobbles up nice and close to the audience.
Bob
I was born on November 5th 1986. A Tuesday.
My friend – my best friend, Jumper, died when I was 19
I met Ally in the police force and had two kids, Rex and Grace. Every now and then we’d take them
over to my friend Kiki’s house and they’d play with her boy Cardigan. Ally called Kiki’s ‘the
menagerie’ but I know she secretly loved it… When she had a miscarriage it was Kiki she talked to.
When we retired we took a trip to… now, don’t tell me… you come in on the train, all of a sudden
there’s just water on both sides of you – it was like flying. Venice! We saw six rats. It was beautiful.
Then Ally got cancer… and died
Once, when I was fishing with Tim, that’s my grandson - we saw a fairy. Actually, a fairy. Then I
invented time travel! I met Christ and John Lennon, Adam and Eve... and visited my old friend
Jumper on the day he died. I wrote in his journal – the answer to the million-dollar question.
I had a heart attack. I moved into a hospice and fell in love again, with Yvonne Sinclair. I got up the
courage to tell her but she wasn’t interested. I had another heart attack and died.
It was a Tuesday
And that was that.
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
How do you respond to this monologue? How does it make you feel? What does it make you think
about?
How do the performer’s e x p r e s s i v e s k i l l s help communicate p a t h o s in this scene?
ACTIVITY
Using your own life as an example – or, if you’d prefer, someone you know exists, but don’t know
personally (ie. Lady Gaga, or your dentist) – write your own timeline, starting with birth, and
going through to the end of their life. Mark the important or significant moments. What makes
them significant or important? You’ll need to make a few of these things up – how do you think
you/they might live out your days?
Try and keep the facts simple, but embellish the important bits.
Share your timeline with a partner.
In pairs, choose one of the timelines to enact in one minute – a one-minute life cycle. This might
be a series of vignettes, or freeze frames. What expressive skills will you use?
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SCENE EXTRACT: IMAGE 1
“KIKI CLIMBS A MOUNTAIN”
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Look carefully at the image above, which depicts (left to right) Lady Godiva, Kiki, Trix, the narrator,
and the band of gypsies.
How does this image capture the actors’ use of e x p r e s s i v e s k i l l s ?
Identify a t h e m e in CUT SNAKE and describe how it is present in this image.
In this scene dialogue, narration and physical movement combine to tell the story.
o Evaluate the actors’ ability to s u s t a i n t h e i r c h a r a c t e r s whilst speaking and moving in
time.
How is the p e r f o r m a n c e s t y l e of non-naturalism demonstrated in this image?
What s t a g e c r a f t e l e m e n t s are at play in this image and how do they contribute to the m o o d
of the scene?
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SCENE EXTRACT 3
“THE TIME TRAVEL”
This scene shows Bob travelling through a number of time periods, then finally arriving on Jumper’s
bus just before Jumper dies.
Bob arrives in 10 BC, and finds himself face to face with…
Bob
Are you Jesus?
Jesus
Yeah, man
Bob
I’m Bob. I’m from the future. I invented time travel
Jesus
Right on. I’m eating dates
Bob
I’ve never had a date before
Jesus
You want to share with me man?
Bob
Ok
Jesus shares his dates with Bob. They chew and chew…
Jesus
How did you know my name?
Bob
You’re pretty famous.
Jesus
Right on.
Bob
Can I get a photo?
He snaps a selfie with him.
Jesus
Peace be with you, brother.
They sing again, and Bob dives back into time and arrives in 1968, face to face with…
Bob
Are you John Lennon?
John
Yeah man, who are you?
Bob
Bob!
John
That’s cool
Bob
Are you eating a sticky date pudding?
John
With double cream.
Bob
Can I have a bit?
He shakes his head ‘no’, his mouth too full to answer.
Bob
Can I get a photo?
John
Oh. Go on but just don’t tell Yoko
He snaps a selfie with him and leaves.
Peace be with you, man.
Bob dives back into time and arrives at the beginning of time, face to face with…
Bob
Are you guys...?
Eve
Who else would we be? Look around – it’s the beginning of time.
Bob
Did all that stuff really happen? With the snake and the apple?
Eve
Does everyone know about that?
Bob
Yeah…
Eve
What are people saying?!
Bob
That you destroyed the utopian unity between the sexes, made woman subordinate to man and
forced people to endure painful childbirth.
Eve
Are you serious! That snake hypnotised me, then tricked me! Tell them, Adam… Adam?
Adam
I’m staying out of this
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Eve
Oh, yeah, that’d be right, Mr “Is it nice? Give me a bite!”
Adam
Aw, c’mon babe-
Eve
I just wish you’d have the guts to stand up to him for once!
He snaps a selfie with them and leaves.
Bob dives back into time and arrives in 2005. He’s on a bus.
Bob
Is this seat taken?
Bob sits down next to a seedy looking 18 year old… Jumper. They bobble along, Bob
staring at his friend.
ANALYSIS QUESTIONS
Identify three t h e a t r i c a l c o n v e n t i o n s present in this scene and discuss how they support a
major t h e m e in the play.
At the end of this scene (when Bob arrives on the bus), a piece of music we’ve already heard
starts playing (song title: “The Bus Crash Revisited”). When did we hear it before? In what way
does hearing this m u s i c again contribute to the p a t h o s or m o o d of the scene?
Give an example of where m a g i c r e a l i s m is evident in this scene.
Are these m o n t a g e s or v i g n e t t e s ? What is the difference between the two?
How do the actors use e x p r e s s i v e s k i l l s in the t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f p l a c e ? Are there other
theatrical conventions at play that support this transformation?
In what way is t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f o b j e c t evident in this scene? Was it successful? What
expressive skills supported this transformation?
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EXAMPLE
15
ACTIVITY
Identify the d r a m a t i c e l e m e n t s , p e r f o r m a n c e s t y l e s and t h e a t r i c a l c o n v e n t i o n s at play in
the opening scene of CUT SNAKE (below). There are HEAPS.
THE START: KIKI’S CABARET
We’re in a dark and smoky cabaret lounge – a dimly lit underground wunderland. Our
Narrator takes to the stage, steps up to the microphone and draws a quiet breath. He
eyeballs the audience…
Narrator
Ladies, gentlemen and all those in between. Please put one hand like this – and another like this –
and smack them together over and over for our opening act – the strange and extraordinary Kiki
Coriander and Trix the snake!
Kiki and Trix perform their one-woman, one-snake cabaret, a high-energy double-act. They
swing and roll and twirl. Things are about to get crazy when:
Bob enters.
The dance stops and Kiki stares at Bob.
He whispers the terrible news to her. She falls. Jumper catches her, and then puts her to
her feet. She looks at Bob.
We jump back in time to the moment of the bus crash.
You might want to do it in charts, such as these:
OPENING SCENE
Dramatic
element
How is it used?
What is the effect?
Contrast
Contrasting a lively, energy-fuelled scene
(the Cabaret performance) with a sad and
mournful movement sequence (the
falling/catching)
The pathos of the next scene – the
bus crash – is increased because the
audience have already gone on an
emotional journey.
Performance
styles
How is it used?
What is the effect?
Non-naturalism
The opening address is from a narrator,
who speaks in direct address to the
audience.
The audience is instantly involved in
the world of the play by being asked
to applaud Kiki’s cabaret act.
OPENING SCENE
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EXAMPLE CHARACTER CHART
Use this example chart to detail the expressive skills used by each
actor when playing their many characters. We’ve started one for
you. If you need help remembering who played who, have a look
at your script.
JUMPER
Played by Kevin Kiernan-Molloy
COSTUME:
Plain white singlet, suspenders, grey trousers (pant legs rolled up
to knees), bare feet.
TRANSFORMED INTO:
Lady Godiva, Tim, Adam, Jesus, John Lennon, James Turner
CHARACTER
Jumper
Chloe
(Lady Godiva)
James Turner
FACIAL
EXPRESSION
Teenage scowl
VOICE
Broad Australian accent,
youthful, almost his
natural voice
High-pitched, overly
effeminate contrasted
with a deep masculine
tenor when transitioning
to a male, caricatured
accent (Texan)
Broad Australian accent,
masculine sounding
(deep) – similar to
Jumper, but older.
GESTURE
MOVEMENT
Stroking her
beard
Pointed toes
Hands on hips,
legs spread,
shoulders back
John Lennon
WHAT DO YOU
RECKON?
EXPRESSIVE SKILLS
Each of the characters in CUT SNAKE is carefully constructed. Mock up your
own chart like the one above and consider how the actors used a range of
expressive skills to create each one.
Don’t forget to EVALUATE these character choices – were they convincing?
Did they work to full effect? If they did work, why? If they didn’t, why not?
You might find the best way to start evaluating is to ask your classmates –
what do they think? Do you think the same?
DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
THE WORLD OF CUT SNAKE
A discussion of the world of a play should include reference to: location, time period, and context.
CUT SNAKE is set primarily in a non-specific Australian town, and relocates briefly to a range of locations all
over the world.
We like to think the kids have grown up somewhere regional – like Castlemaine or something
– but we also didn’t want to specify a location exactly. We wanted it to feel like they could
have been from anyone’s hometown.
DAN GIOVANNONI, co-writer.
The audience are given a few references to time: Bob says he is born in 1986, and goes fishing with Tim (his
grandson) in 2046. He also says that he was 19 when Jumper died. From this information, can you work out a
rough time period for the play?
Ask yourself:
What makes this a contemporary story?
What stagecraft elements are there that help establish the world of the play?
STRUCTURE
Structure is important in any play, but especially in a play where you move back and forth
through time. We needed to be sure it made sense, that the audience knew what time period
we were in, and that it helped us tell the story.
DAN GIOVANNONI, co-writer
In what way does the structure support the themes of the play?
How is time used in the structure of the play? Is it disjointed? Linear?
Where do you see the following conventions used in the performance:
o
Montage
o
Disjointed time sequence
o
Vignette
Are they used appropriately? How do they help contribute to the telling of the story?
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PERFORMANCE STYLES
NON-NATURALISM
We were influenced by many different performance styles. It’s overwhelmingly nonnaturalistic, and we’ve borrowed from a lot of practitioners and methodologies.
AMELIA EVANS, co-writer
What are some of the non-naturalistic elements in CUT SNAKE? Consider:
o
The use of direct address (what is an example of this in the play?)
o
The use dance sequences and contemporary movement (think of an example of each)
o
The way sound is used to help create mood (identify a point in the play where sound is used to
good effect)
o
The episodic structure and disjointed time sequences
What performance styles do you recognise in CUT SNAKE?
Can you think of examples of how CUT SNAKE demonstrates elements of the following performance
styles or dramatists?
o
o
Grotowsky, Suzuki, Commedia dell’Arte, Non-Naturalism, Brechtian techniques, physical
theatre, Magic Realism
Any others? Think of clear examples that easily illustrate your point.
When writing, we wanted to have the best of both worlds - the satisfaction of a story well
told that you get from a play combined with the excitement of physical theatre and the fun of
the circus.
AMELIA EVANS, co-writer
Evaluate the success of this fusion of styles.
CHARACTERS and EXPRESSIVE SKILLS
Each character has a different posture and hence has a different way of moving and gesturing
etc. It is from here that a characters voice comes out. Whatever the physical choice I made
for the character informs the change in my voice, as I'm moving about as this new character
a voice comes out that I feel suits the body
KEVIN KIERNAN-MOLLOY, actor (Jumper)
I personally find characters through movement – how do they stand? What physically might
they feel most confident/self-conscious about? I find voice then comes quite naturally from
how the character holds their body. From here you can get specific about speech patterns and
then how that character might behave in front of another character ie are they attracted to
them? Do they dislike them? Do they feel powerful? And then experimenting with the
opposite, because that’s how human beings often operate. Oh, and to keep things exciting,
certain nuances creep in – this also helps to distinguish the characters (not only for the
audience, but yourself as well!)
CAT DAVIES, actor (Kiki)
Think back and remember each of the characters Kevin and Cat played – what were the postures,
movements, gestures and character voices that distinguished each one from the next? For each
character, identify:
o
Facial expressions: a grimace, pout, smile, frown?
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o
Voice: tone, pitch, volume, timbre, accent?
o
Gesture: expressive (eg. Mrs Broccolini falling to her knees with her arms outstretched is a
classic expressive representation of anguish), physiological, cultural.
o
Movement: body shape, gait, tempo, posture, body language
What were some of the expressive skills used to transition between characters? Consider the moment
of transformation for each of these characters.
o
For example: how did Jumper transition into Lady Godiva? He adjusted his body into what
position? How did his gait change? What did he do to his voice?
Complete the included chart for each of the characters.
STAGECRAFT ELEMENTS
Set
There is no formal set design for CUT SNAKE – because the show is so transportable,
wherever it’s being performed becomes the set, which is really just a backdrop. For example,
we did it in a kitchen in a pub, so the backdrop for that performance was a weird 1970s
kitchen. We also did it in a park under a tree, so the tree was the backdrop. We did this
because the central tension in the play is ‘ordinary vs extraordinary’. We think the
experience of the play is quite extraordinary, so we want it performed in ordinary settings.
PAIGE RATTRAY, Director.
How does the idea of ‘no design as a design’ reflect the themes of CUT SNAKE?
How do you think different locations would affect your understanding of the performance? Where did
you see the performance?
In what way did this production’s set contribute to the non-naturalistic performance style?
Costume
The costuming really came from a desire for the actors to be comfortable (they do run
around a lot) and also to help create a really intimate vaudevillian or Commedia-esque sort
of vibe – a highly theatrical aesthetic.
PAIGE RATTRAY, director.
Discuss each actors costuming. Did you like it? Did you think it allowed them to successfully transition
between characters?
If you were to re-design their costumes, what would you do differently? Why?
Sound/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
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How does the sound that accompanies the fairy sequence impact on the scene? What mood or
emotion does it evoke?
Is sound important in CUT SNAKE? Why?
You can hear from the bus crash opening scene how intricately wound the sound is; with the
script, movement and music all being developed at the same time, all the elements come
together to tell their own part of the story. What you are left with is a combination of all
your ideas, musical and otherwise, that had been developed right from the beginning.
TOM HOGAN, sound designer
How does the sound that accompanies Jumper’s opening monologue (The Bus Crash) impact on the
scene? What mood or emotion does it evoke?
Consider that the ‘bus crash’ theme is played twice, and a version of the ‘tango’ three times. What
effect does repeating music have? How did this help tell the story?
Consider how Trix’s introduction music contributes to transformation of place. Was this used to good
effect?
You can listen to the CUT SNAKE sound design online:
www.arthurproductions.com.au/cut-snake-music
Props
We decided very early on that we didn’t want to have lots of props. We wanted it to be highly
theatrical, and that meant asking the audience to use their imaginations. Apart from costume
pieces (masks, glasses), instruments (guitar) or characters themselves (the sock that
becomes Trix and the Barbies that become the gypsies), the only prop is Jumper’s journal.
That had to be real.
AMELIA EVANS, co-writer
What does Jumper’s journal represent? What is it a symbol of? What does the writer mean when she
says ‘That had to be real’?
Did you notice how many items were mimed instead of props being used? What do you think this lack
of props did to help the non-naturalistic style of the performance?
Puppets
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)
In what way did the stagecraft element of puppetry help illuminate a major theme of CUT SNAKE?
What expressive skills did Julia use to help create the character of Trix?
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ACTOR-AUDIENCE RELATIONSHIP
One of the first pieces of text we started playing around with was a monologue I had
previously written. We read it as a group, and everyone really connected with it – the content
as well as the form. The idea for having the story narrated kind of came from there – if
Jumper could narrate his own death, then everyone else should get the chance to narrate their
own lives.
DAN GIOVANNONI, co-writer
In what way does the Narrator’s opening lines help establish an actor-audience relationship? What
relationship does the audience have with the actors onstage throughout the performance? How is this
relationship maintained?
In what way does the breaking of the fourth wall help tell the story of CUT SNAKE?
How does the theatre space (the tent) affect the actor-audience relationship?
DRAMATIC ELEMENTS
Dramatic elements can be used together or separately to create a range of dramatic effects.
For example, rhythm:
Rhythm refers to the timing and pace of the drama. It also means the beat or tempo of the
performance. As a rule, rhythm should never be the same throughout the drama, regardless
of its length. Rhythm can follow the emotional state of one or more characters or the
atmosphere of the performance at particular moments.
SOURCE: THEDRAMATEACHER.COM
In Jumper’s opening monologue, what is the rhythm of the language? Is it slow? What about the
physical rhythm? Is it the same? If so, what is the combined emotional effect? If not, how do the two
rhythms juxtapose to create meaning? How does the rhythm of this scene create drama?
Conflict:
As a rule, conflict should always be considered an essential ingredient for all dramatic
performances. Conflict can be between two or more characters, or simply one (inner conflict).
Many Elizabethan soliloquies contain inner conflict (‘To be or not to be…’ is an excellent
example). Conflict on stage can be verbal, physical or non-verbal (psychological). Conflict
differs from tension in that it is often a fixed part of the structure of a play, with characters
destined to clash with one another from the outset.
SOURCE: THEDRAMATEACHER.COM
What is the central conflict of CUT SNAKE?
How does inner conflict manifest? In which characters? How does this keep us engaged?
o
For example, Bob’s inner conflict might be that he wants to ignore the extraordinary things in
his life but can’t reconcile seeing the fairy. What emerges from this inner conflict? For Bob,
perhaps it’s a final attempt to resolve his inner conflict, which sees him invent time travel. Do
you think this is accurate? Try it with Trix, Kiki and Jumper.
Find examples of verbal, physical and non-verbal conflict in the play. As a guide, conflict generally
occurs between two or more people who want the same or different things.
Mood:
Mood is the feeling or tone of a performance. It refers to ambience or aura and is often
created through a combination of several dramatic and stagecraft elements working in
harmony with each other. The mood of a performance is closely linked with everyday feelings
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such as pity, anger, desire or frustration. Mood in drama can be created via sound, lighting,
movement, setting, rhythm, contrast, conflict and more.
SOURCE: THEDRAMATEACHER.COM
How did you feel when you left CUT SNAKE? What was the mood at the end? Do you think this was a
deliberate choice to end the play with this mood?
Identify three different moods present in the play. What dramatic and stagecraft elements were at
play to help create those moods? Identify at least one of each.
And more…
What do you think is the climax of CUT SNAKE? Why?
What examples of contrast can you recall?
What symbols are present in the work? What are some examples of the ways symbol is used in the
play?
THEMES
The themes of CUT SNAKE became the big questions - the ones we couldn't answer easily the ones that even talking about is hard.
AMELIA EVANS, co-writer
What are some of the ‘big questions’ you think CUT SNAKE is dealing with?
o
Can you ever get over the death of a loved one – especially a teenager?
o
How do you live an extraordinary life in an ordinary world?
o
How do you maintain connection with your friends?
o
How can you look to the future with hope when the adult world seems so depressing?
There are plenty more: list some.
What are some of the ‘big questions’ in your life? Do you think these questions are the same for
everyone? What are the universal ‘big questions’ and why are they universal?
How are the themes of loss and grief explored in CUT SNAKE? Consider in particular how these
themes are explored through theatrical style, expressive skills and the use of stagecraft.
o
What dramatic techniques are used to explore Kiki’s grief?
EXTRA THINKING:
Consider how CUT SNAKE might tie into real-world events and scenarios.
Read this article about Australian palliative care nurse Bonnie Ware’s book called The Top Five Regrets of
Dying in which she details what she thinks are the top five regrets of her patients on their death bed.
LINK www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life/common-regrets-of-the-dying-20120716-224y2.html
Discuss how the idea of regret is present in CUT SNAKE.
There have been a series of tragic accidents in the past 12 months involving young Australians on holiday.
Read this article about a Melbourne teen who was fatally injured in an accident in Laos.
LINK www.news.com.au/national-old/man-found-dead-after-tubing-accident-in-laos/story-e6frfkvr1226253908055
How might a story such as this contain links to Jumper’s story?
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SAMPLE
SHORT ANSWER QUESTIONS
Performance Analysis Assessment
1. Provide examples of how the themes of grief and loss are explored in CUT SNAKE.
2. Discuss three theatrical conventions used within the performance and give examples.
3. Select and list two characters. Evaluate how the actor used two expressive skills to communicate that
character to the audience.
4. List three dramatic elements used. How did they assist in giving the performance the non-naturalistic
style? Examine how they were created.
5. Name two stagecraft elements present in the performance and evaluate how effectively they were
manipulated.
6. Describe aspects of the performance that can be linked to the influence of a dramatist or dramatists.
Reflect on what this brought to the performance.
SUGGESTED
ACTIVITIES
PUPPETRY
Using only the things available to you in your classroom – pencil cases, socks, basketballs, etc – recreate the
characters of Jumper, Kiki and Bob.
How would you represent them with objects/puppets?
What are their characteristics?
What performance skills would you use?
Present to the group, share your findings, discuss.
MONTAGE
What other periods in history might Bob have visited in his time-travel montage? Pick three events (real or
fictional) and represent them:
Firstly, in freeze frame or tableau
Secondly, in a short vignette
Consider your transitions between each time period.
BEATBOX
In pairs, your own list of questions that you’d like to know the answer to, and set them to a rhythm. Think
about what Jumper and Bob did in CUT SNAKE – how they used their voice (pitch, in particular), as well as
their bodies to help them communicate the emotion and feeling of the scene. Present to the class or to small
groups.
Then, if you’ve got time, choose one of these questions as the ‘Million Dollar Question’ and, in a short
vignette, recreate it.
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PRODUCTION IMAGES
TAKEN FROM THE MELBOURNE FRINGE PRODUCTION, 2011
The night that it was performed in a 70s replica kitchen above a pub.
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CREDITS
© 2013
Notes prepared by Dan Giovannoni for Arthur.
With thanks to Megan Twycross for her feedback, support and additional notes.
Images used in this kit remain the copyright of their owners.