The Curio Cabinet

Mary Anning was a female fossil hunter in pre-Darwinian early 19th century Britain. “The Curio Cabinet” draws inspiration from this remarkable palaeontologist, her male contemporaries and the creatures she discovered.

This is a half length work for theatre performed by 2 males and 2 females. Stark delineation of the spatial territory reflects the social structures of the time. Gender roles are examined and status struggles are at play in a world that is inhabited by archaic creatures and governed by the laws of survival of the fittest. Striking costumes by Neil Davies reference both the restrictive fashions of the 19th century and the prehistoric creatures that became so fashionable to collect.