Claudia Shnier doesn’t find it courageous that she’s sharing her story through her latest production, Split Ends. But plenty of people who have seen the show sure do.
The actor, performer and creator is originally from Sydney, but moved to London for her Masters in Creating Theatre. It was while in London that she found her creative voice. It’s also what led her to write Split Ends.
Inspired by her own life, Split Ends follows Shnier’s own journey through OCD, coercive control, and the abuse of power.
Shnier explained that she always had an addiction to cutting her split ends. When she fell in love with the “hairiest man I had ever met”, her addiction moved from her own split ends to vacuuming up his shed hairs.
“This man would cyclically leave and enter my life depending on his mood, but his presence remained, and so did his hairs,” Shnier explained, saying it took her a very long time to acknowledge the compulsion and how it, and he, was controlling her life. “I thought the metaphor for hair, specifically the removal of it, is such an incredible metaphor for the powerlessness I felt in this abusive relationship, the cyclical nature of it and how that controlled me.”
Hence the name, Split Ends.
She told The AJN, though, that until she actually sat down to write the play, she wasn’t able to fully comprehend the experience.
“My inner voice was so detached and blurry to me for so long, that I wasn’t able to validate my own experiences. Similarly, my ‘gut feeling’ had been completely annihilated which left me so susceptible to his words and promises,” she said.
“It really feels like when I perform this show, I am bleeding out on stage. As intense as that sounds, I feel like I am offering myself completely and unapologetically and I think audiences find that very easy to engage with.”
“I was justifying his actions right up until after I first performed the show in Brighton. From that point, I felt completely that I had found my voice again and my power started to return.”
What touched Shnier so deeply though was the response from audiences. While she said it was overwhelmingly moving, it was also incredibly sad to hear and see how many people shared her experience. She was proud that by sharing her experience, they felt validated.
The show blends puppetry, music, physical theatre and dark humour, and many people assume it’s a comedy.
“I start the show in a stand-up comedy style, but I’ve crafted the piece to intentionally play with the audience’s expectations and emotions. Once the darkness starts to seep in, it becomes so insidious that the audience starts to feel the ‘wait-how-did-we-get-here’ moment at the same time as my character (me),” she said. “The show has been described as a ‘very skilful punch in the gut’, which is exactly what I wanted. I also think it is very accessible to audiences to connect to because while I use varying forms, they are all rooted from a raw, honest place of real experiences.”
Shnier is humble, but told The AJN that she’s exceptionally proud of what she has created, particularly as she had to perform what is a very taxing and trying show for three weeks with no break.
“The amount of strength it took to share this daily for three weeks straight, no break, was more than I ever thought I had in me. And because it all comes from such a vulnerable and real place, I think regardless of whether audiences had similar experiences to me, they could still connect with me on a human level,” she said.
“Once the darkness starts to seep in, it becomes so insidious that the audience starts to feel the ‘wait-how-did-we-get-here’ moment at the same time as my character (me).”
“It really feels like when I perform this show, I am bleeding out on stage. As intense as that sounds, I feel like I am offering myself completely and unapologetically and I think audiences find that very easy to engage with. I think they also like the music and the multi-media aspects of the show. It’s not a conventional way of storytelling, so I think they found the use of different forms and styles quite refreshing.”
Shnier said she’s thrilled to be bringing Split Ends to Australia, but has learned a lot from her shows in the UK. Saying she really struggled with looking after her own wellbeing during the Edinburgh Fringe because it was non-stop, with very little time to mentally prepare. But, she said, the main struggle is that she tried to do it alone.
For the show’s Australian run and the subsequent UK tour, she plans on expanding her team so she can also focus on the audience a bit more, and give the audience a chance to simply sit and digest the show.
“One of the reviews I received said that this show deserves to be seen and understood and educate people on the damage left behind and I couldn’t have summed it up better myself. Also, I think I’ve done a pretty good job on demonstrating how to empower yourself from people that hurt us and if I can give my audience that feeling then I think I’ve done my job.”
Split Ends will be at The Motley Bauhaus in Melbourne from January 6-10 and at Qtopia in Sydney from January 20-24.
For Melbourne tickets, visit eventfinda.com.au/2026/split-ends/melbourne/carlton.
For Sydney tickets, tickets.qtopiasydney.com.au/Events/Split-Ends
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