snails & ketchup
LONDON 2012 CULTURAL OLYMPIAD COMMISSION
TOTAL THEATRE AWARD NOMINEE
DEVISED BY RAMESH MEYYAPPAN & HAMISH PIRIE
IN ASSOCIATION WITH IRON-OXIDE
Spiteful exchanges, punishments, pinpricks, snails and ketchup are the last straw for this dysfunctional family…
Inspired by Italo Calvino’s ‘The Baron in the Trees’, Snails & Ketchup is the darkly comic tale of a dysfunctional family, following a son taking to the trees to live an arboreal existence, escaping his brutal home environment for the solace of the forest. Powerfully told through solo performer Ramesh Meyyappan’s masterful storytelling, it uses physical performance, an ingenious aerial set and aerial choreography, animation and a specially composed score, to poignantly unfold the lives of a young boy and his sibling, from the traumatic birth of the twins to a typical family dinner. Ramesh’s unique physicality and extensive imagination allow him to embody the four members of this quirky family and remind us that despite familial love being unconditional, it is sometimes impossible to co-exist with those we hold dear.
★★★★★
“Rarely have I witnessed a piece of theatre that stunned me as much as Snails & Ketchup.”
[Three Weeks]★★★★★
“darkly comic tale of familial dysfunction, brought vividly and breathtakingly to life by aerial artist Ramesh Meyyappan”
[Metro]★★★★
“a real gem”
[The Skinny]“...theatrical magic…imagination and skill...miracles in plain view”
[The Flying Inkpot Singapore]“The show's aerial choreography is powerful… its passionate commitment to the freedom of the human spirit - emerges with a clarity and charm that wins a warm and delighted audience response”
[Scotsman]CRITICS’ PICK OF THE YEAR, SINGAPORE
CREDITS:
Devised by: Ramesh Meyyappan & Hamish Pirie
Performed by: Ramesh Meyyappan
Producer: Chloe Dear / Margaret-Anne O’Donnell / Gillian Garrity
Director: Hamish Pirie / Josette Bushell-Mingo
Aerial Choreography: Jennifer Paterson & Lucy Deacon
Music: Toh Tze Chin
Lighting Designer: Alberto Santos Bellido
Aerial Rigger / Production Manager: Topher Dagg / Kevin Murray
Animation: Marta Mackova
Costume: Anna Cocciadiferro
