Rattlesnake, a new play tackling violence in the home which began life as a police training programme in Durham, is now preparing to take its bow in the region

A NEW play tackling coercive controlling domestic abuse, which began life as a training programme for frontline police officers in County Durham before being developed for the stage by the makers of critically-acclaimed prison drama Key Change, is to take a bow on its home beat.

A sharp, moving and unflinching play based on the real life stories of women who have faced and survived coercive controlling domestic abuse, Rattle Snake opened at London's Soho Theatre on May 8 before a national tour, including performances at Durham Gala Theatre on May 30 and Newcastle Live Theatre on June 5-9.

The follow up to the critically-acclaimed Key Change, winner of the prestigious Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award and a New York Times Critics’ Pick, Rattle Snake is written by Catrina McHugh MBE and directed by Charlotte Bennett, associate director at Soho Theatre.

Coinciding with the change in UK law in 2015 making coercive control in relationships a crime, RattleSnake was originally developed as part of a training programme for frontline police officers in Durham.

Durham Police, Crime & Victims’ Commissioner Ron Hogg said: “This play was an innovative approach to training here in Durham. It provided front-line officers with a unique opportunity to learn through theatre, so that they would further understand coercive control in domestic abuse, and the day-to-day incidents which victims suffer though this appalling crime.”

As with Key Change which was created with women serving at HMP Low Newton, in Durham, Rattle Snake was inspired by the women who put their trust in Open Clasp to tell their stories.

Writer and artistic director Catrina McHugh MBE explains: “Rattle Snake was created by Open Clasp to train frontline police officers in County Durham in better responding to sexual and domestic abuse, coinciding with the change in UK law in 2015 making coercive control in relationships a crime. Officers sat in bullet proof vests, daring us to make an impact and we did.

"During its premier in 2017, an audience member said they had never felt such a visceral response to a show before, a collective intake of breath, unable to turn away or to predict what was next. This play matters because we find ourselves in 2018, living in a world where some still feel a sense of entitlement to take away another person’s liberty, to control, threaten and annihilate. Live Theatre and Open Clasp will now take this show to audiences across the UK, with change at its heart.”

As part of the tour, Open Clasp is urging audiences to take action by visiting their website (openclasp. org.uk) to download their Action Toolkit, suggesting ways to join the conversation and help to combat violence against women and girls.

Christina Berriman-Dawson will play Suzy. Christina was one of the cast of four in Open Clasp’s hit play Key Change, and has also worked with Director Charlotte Bennett at Forward Theatre. Eilidh Talman, one of the original cast members in the police training sessions, will play Jen.

Director Charlotte Bennett said: “Rattle Snake is a thrilling and unsettling show which highlights the impact of coercive control on victims who no longer want to be victims but who continue to be trapped by their circumstances. It gives these women a voice and opens up a conversation about an element of domestic abuse which is widely unrecognised and seemingly ‘invisible.’ I am incredibly proud of what this show evokes in our audiences; the frustration and injustice it often makes them feel and the potential this show has to create a genuine attitude change towards a complex and vital subject.”

Graeme Thompson, creative producer for Live Theatre, added: “Live Theatre is delighted to continue its long association with Open Clasp to bring back Rattle Snake, a brilliant and important play which shook audiences to their core on its tour in 2017. Based on the true stories of women who have suffered and survived controlling relationships, this play returns at a pivotal moment where vital conversations about how to challenge coercive control, harassment and abuse are happening worldwide. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Open Clasp to present this beautiful piece of theatre, touring to Soho Theatre, London and reaching audiences (including police officers) nationally at community venues.”

  • Rattle Snake, Durham Gala Theatre, May 30, and Live Theatre, Newcastle. June 5-9 June. For more information, visit http://www.openclasp.org.uk