Rattle Snake

Spine tingling and visceral, Rattle Snake will literally take your breath away.  An epic tale based on real life stories of women who have faced and survived coercive controlling domestic abuse.

This mesmerizing and emotional tour-de force follows Open Clasp’s hugely successful Key Change, which premiered at associate venue Live Theatre before winning the Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award in 2015 and transferring to off-Broadway, featuring as a New York Times Critics Pick in 2016.

Based on research identifying gaps in police understanding of coercive control by Professor Nicole Westmarland and Kate Butterworth (Durham University) and the impact of arts-based research interventions by Professor Maggie O’Neill, Rattle Snake was created by Open Clasp and funded by Durham PCC and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), to train frontline officers in better responding to sexual and domestic violence – coinciding with the change of law making coercive control in relationships a crime in 2015.

Please be aware that this play contains references to domestic abuse and violence. Please look after yourself and see our website for sources of information and support.