Theatre company makes its debut with gritty tale of power, passion

Something special happened in 2011 when Sammy Moynihan and Marlene Radice met at an Australian National University (ANU) event.

They were both doing what they loved: Sammy directing a show, Marlene creating music as a theatrical sound designer.

“I don’t know what it was,” Marlene said, “but we just clicked.”

The two kept in contact and soon collaborated on their first theatrical project.

Today, they’re on perhaps their most ambitious project of all – the controversial play by Mark Ravenhill, The Cut. With its all-female cast – Ali Clinch, Diana Caban Velez, Hannah Tonks and Maxine Beaumont – the play explores how media and government can manipulate societal morality.

It marks their first production as the entrepreneurs behind The Seeing Place, Canberra’s newest independent theatre company.

Sammy describes the play as “in your face, gritty, theatre” which may cause some surprises to its Canberra audience when it opens next month at the Mill Theatre, Fyshwick.

He said the play immersed the audience in a dystopian society where a mysterious procedure, known only as ‘the cut’, promised salvation – but at a cost.

“The play explores themes of power, control, and the ethical compromises individuals and societies are willing to make for a sense of security and order,” Sammy said.

“As the narrative unfolds, characters grapple with their roles in a regime that uses ‘the cut’ to maintain dominance, raising questions about personal responsibility and collective morality.”

Sammy and Marlene agreed their first professional collaboration at the Mill was never going to be a traditional, expected piece of work. That’s not what they do.

While Marlene describes herself as a “queer artist”, Sammy lives with multiple sclerosis. So the two were always going to create art on their own terms.

“Working together on this production also shows how far our friendship has grown,” Marlene said.

“Throughout his career, Sammy has always been there for me on my gender journey. It is really special working with someone who challenges you when it comes to what sort of theatre you want to make.

“Part of what we do informs us but does not define us, that’s the way a lot of queer artists feel. It’s such a journey for us … and can be really frustrating when you’re trying to understand your sexuality.

“In the theatre, you can give this a voice – gender bending, disability, it’s one of the few spaces where you have access to do so, not like in schools.”

The artists are fascinated by what they can create in their immersive worlds.

“I tell my story through the music I create and Sammy does it his way,” Marlene said.

“Our art gives us an introduction and an invitation to how we see the world and our experience of it.”

The two paid tribute to Lexi Sekuless who allowed them to do “something very daring” in her theatre, the Mill.

“She really prioritises the voices of creatives in Canberra and gives us the opportunities to take these risks.”

The Cut by Mark Ravenhill runs from 12-21 September at the Mill Theatre, Dairy Road, Fyshwick, Canberra. Bookings now open.