Snuff Puppets is an Australian puppet theatre company that was founded in 1992.

Originating in Canberra as part of Splinters Theatre of Spectacle

Splinters Theatre of Spectacle

Splinters Theatre of Spectacle was an Australian Performance Troupe formed in Canberra in 1985 by David Branson, Patrick Troy, Ross Cameron, and John Utans, that was known for large outdoor spectacles. Between 1985 and 1996, Splinters produced more than 20 works that played at Australian theatre...

, Snuff Puppets moved to a dusty warehouse in the industrial working class suburb of Footscray

Footscray, Victoria

Footscray is a suburb 5 km west of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Its Local Government Area is the City of Maribyrnong. At the 2006 Census, Footscray had a population of 11,401....

 in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

, and are now based in the historic Footscray Drill Hall. Snuff Puppets founding members were Pauline Cady and Simon Terrill and the current Artistic Director, Andy Freer.

The company tour nationally and internationally, with shows on the streets, in circus tents, theatres and at rock concerts.
Snuff Puppets combine the elements of puppetry, live music, visual and physical theatre. The company refers to its 'roaming acts' as 'interventions' as Snuff Puppets specialize in creating mayhem in the streets, playing with traffic and shoppers.

Subjects that are considered taboo are tackled, with 'a vulgar, irreverent, gratuitously violent and a comic sensibility'.

Snuff Puppet elements: ‘a blackly dangerous humour, an incisive political satire, shamelessly handmade visual aesthetic; populist, free, joyous conflagration of art, audience and artist.’

The company has an interest in direct action on political issues. Over the years this had included appearances in dozens of political rallies and support for alternative energy, world peace

World peace

World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...

, third world debt relief, gay rights and asylum seekers.

Snuff Puppets shows have toured to over 16 countries, including shows in Japan, China, Korea, Brazil, England, Ireland, Western and Eastern Europe.

Local communities have worked with Snuff Puppets with dozens of large scale workshops undertaken in Australia, Denmark, England, Indonesia, Japan, Netherlands, Singapore and at the World Social Forum

World Social Forum

The World Social Forum is an annual meeting of civil society organizations, first held in Brazil, which offers a self-conscious effort to develop an alternative future through the championing of counter-hegemonic globalization...

 in Brazil.

The troupe won the 'Spirit of the Fringe' award from Melbourne Fringe and the 'Adelaide Fringe 2006 Circus / Physical Theatre Award'.

The Australian Federal and Victorian State Governments support Snuff Puppets with annual Arts Funding.

Works In Rep

• A Cruel Life
• Circus Ole - with acobat
• The Dancing Cow Show
• Forest In The Night
• Nyet Nyet's Picnic - with Australian Indiginious Artists
• Snuff Clubb
• Scarey

• People's Puppet Projects
• Kidsnuff

• Roaming - Bunyips - with Australian Indiginious Artists
• Roaming - The Boom Family
• Roaming - Cows
• Roaming - Elephant
• Roaming - Human Body Parts - Premiered in July 2011
• Roaming - Seagulls
• Roaming - Snail