Vinegar Tom

How do you lift the curse of a witch? Chase her cat from the shadows of your house. But when your cows start shaking, your husband won’t sleep with you, your wife’s baby turns blue? Find something to burn. Let it go up in smoke. Burn your troubles away.

Experimental arts collective COUP: Canberra presented Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom, a play about the witch trials in 17th century England. This fresh period piece cut loose from time and place to tell the story of a community who find themselves under the threat of a witch, featuring an ensemble of local actors and a line-up of seven exceptional local and interstate music acts—from dream pop to psychedelic R&B—performing their own version of the play’s songs commenting on the story as the paranoia mounts around them.

Vinegar Tom premiered in Canberra, Australia, as part of the inaugural Ralph Indie experimental theatre season at Ainslie + Gorman Arts Centres, 2016.

Playwright - Caryl Churchill / Director - Cathy Petőcz / Production Design - Imogen Keen / Lighting Design - Gillian Schwab / Sound Design - Cilt (Hannah de Feyter & Becki Whitton) / Cast: Emma McManus, Linda Chen, Kate Blackhurst, Claire Granata, Paul Cristofani, Elektra Spencer, Nick Elmitt, Nick Delatovic, & barb barnett / Live music: Aphir, Passive Smoke, Alphamale, Marlēné Radice, GLASS, Keresiya, & E.B.Kerr

Poster artwork by Aleksandra Waliszewska; photo and editing by Anna Mayberry / Show documentation by Thorson Photography (Click image for more)