venom
Venom
‘Venom’ is performed by one actor / puppeteer using objects,
puppets, physical theatre and clowning. Influenced by the Australian
bush ballad tradition, and written in rhyming verse, ‘Venom’ explores
the theme of rivalry - its whimsy, folly, and tragedy.
Venom is based on the true story of John Underwood and Joseph
Shires. Set in Australia in the 1860’s, both men are ex-convicts,
living on the harsh Tasmanian midland plains, and barely surviving.
John and Shires are some of the first recorded snake antidote
salesmen in Australian history; their antidotes were sold throughout
Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales from 1850 to the 1860s.
Australia has the largest number of deadly snakes in the world, in
the 19th century, the snake population out numbered humans.
The story of Venom begins on the Tasmanian plains, when John
Underwood, a rabbit trapper goes to check his traps at dawn. As he
walks through the long, dry grass a snake bites him. Fearing for his
life, he takes anything he has to hand to mix a potion he hopes will
save his life. When he wakes the snake that bit him is still by his
side. He believes that she, and this miracle antidote he has found
were sent to help him find fame and fortune.
Another snake antidote salesman, Joseph Shires is jealous of John
Underwood’s success and provokes John into a snakebite duel.
The Duel took place in Launceston, Tasmania. Reporters from the
day record how neither man would be bitten by the other’s snake. In
frustration Shires threw snakes at John until a fistfight broke out.
Shires beat John to the point of death – and from this display of
brute strength Shires’ antidote was declared the best by popular
opinion. John Underwood was ruined, and found dead with his
favourite snake curled inside his shirt and a snakebite on his hand.
Shires became very famous and began performing in a music hall
in Melbourne, Victoria. The music hall was located on Bourke Street,
today the main street of Melbourne. In the 1860s Bourke Street was
nicknamed ‘Snake Alley’.
Melbourne was a large, prosperous city. The alluvial goldfields
nearby (the richest in the world) were pouring money into the city
and it’s population. While Shires submitted his antidote to
numerous medical and scientific tests, there were many men in
society circles that thought he, and other such salesmen were
cheap con-artists (not helped by their convict backgrounds) only
interested in taking money from the wealthy citizens.
Police Magistrate William Murray Drummond was known throughout
Melbourne for his dislike for Joseph Shires. In the late 1860s he
publicly challenged Shires’ antidote and demanded to be bitten by
one of his poisonous snakes. He was bitten on the wrist before
witnesses, and refused to take Shires’ antidote...
It's man against beast
and the beasts will have a feast
of our quivering fear filled flesh
if we don't invest
in our security
even immunity...
Paris, France:
Salle ABC
112-114 Rue St Maur
Paris, 75011
Mo. St Maur
July 5,6,7,12,13,14 2007
Cape Town, South Africa:
'Out of the Box'
UNIMA South Africa
Festival of Puppetry and Visual Theatre
Little Theatre Complex,
Cape Town
September 14, 15 2007
puppets, physical theatre and clowning. Influenced by the Australian
bush ballad tradition, and written in rhyming verse, ‘Venom’ explores
the theme of rivalry - its whimsy, folly, and tragedy.
Venom is based on the true story of John Underwood and Joseph
Shires. Set in Australia in the 1860’s, both men are ex-convicts,
living on the harsh Tasmanian midland plains, and barely surviving.
John and Shires are some of the first recorded snake antidote
salesmen in Australian history; their antidotes were sold throughout
Tasmania, Victoria and New South Wales from 1850 to the 1860s.
Australia has the largest number of deadly snakes in the world, in
the 19th century, the snake population out numbered humans.
The story of Venom begins on the Tasmanian plains, when John
Underwood, a rabbit trapper goes to check his traps at dawn. As he
walks through the long, dry grass a snake bites him. Fearing for his
life, he takes anything he has to hand to mix a potion he hopes will
save his life. When he wakes the snake that bit him is still by his
side. He believes that she, and this miracle antidote he has found
were sent to help him find fame and fortune.
Another snake antidote salesman, Joseph Shires is jealous of John
Underwood’s success and provokes John into a snakebite duel.
The Duel took place in Launceston, Tasmania. Reporters from the
day record how neither man would be bitten by the other’s snake. In
frustration Shires threw snakes at John until a fistfight broke out.
Shires beat John to the point of death – and from this display of
brute strength Shires’ antidote was declared the best by popular
opinion. John Underwood was ruined, and found dead with his
favourite snake curled inside his shirt and a snakebite on his hand.
Shires became very famous and began performing in a music hall
in Melbourne, Victoria. The music hall was located on Bourke Street,
today the main street of Melbourne. In the 1860s Bourke Street was
nicknamed ‘Snake Alley’.
Melbourne was a large, prosperous city. The alluvial goldfields
nearby (the richest in the world) were pouring money into the city
and it’s population. While Shires submitted his antidote to
numerous medical and scientific tests, there were many men in
society circles that thought he, and other such salesmen were
cheap con-artists (not helped by their convict backgrounds) only
interested in taking money from the wealthy citizens.
Police Magistrate William Murray Drummond was known throughout
Melbourne for his dislike for Joseph Shires. In the late 1860s he
publicly challenged Shires’ antidote and demanded to be bitten by
one of his poisonous snakes. He was bitten on the wrist before
witnesses, and refused to take Shires’ antidote...
It's man against beast
and the beasts will have a feast
of our quivering fear filled flesh
if we don't invest
in our security
even immunity...
Paris, France:
Salle ABC
112-114 Rue St Maur
Paris, 75011
Mo. St Maur
July 5,6,7,12,13,14 2007
Cape Town, South Africa:
'Out of the Box'
UNIMA South Africa
Festival of Puppetry and Visual Theatre
Little Theatre Complex,
Cape Town
September 14, 15 2007
| Copyright © 2006 'the indirect Object' all rights reserved. ABN 55 263 640 956 |
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link to: projects
the indirect Object
the indirect Object would like to acknowledge the support of the Victorian College of the Arts, Post Graduate Puppetry
department staff and students in the creative development of 'Venom'.
Thanks!
department staff and students in the creative development of 'Venom'.
Thanks!
poetry + hand puppetry + naked hand +
physical theatre + mime
Languages: English
Duration: 45 minutes
physical theatre + mime
Languages: English
Duration: 45 minutes
| Venom, Paris July 2007 |
|
| Out the Box Festival Cape Town, South Africa September, 2007 |
link to: SIXPACK
link to: workshops