Download Leaf - Lion And Unicorn Theatre

 Present Leaf By Helen Potter “Like the b**tard child of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh” – Jesse Briton (Bound) Originally created as part of East 15’s Debut Festival, birthplace of Fringe first winning play Bound and companies such as Antler, Bear Trap and Snuff Box Theatre. CONTENTS 02 03 04 05 06 07 09 10 11 Official Copy Target Audiences Potter & Wagner Creative team Sample direct letter Sample press release Box office Notes About the company Contacts 1 OFFICIAL COPY Potter & Wagner present Leaf by Helen Potter Mark is a chemical engineer. He loves chess. He lives with his mum. A teaching assistant has had it up to here with her own conscience. A caretaker grows tired of childrens’ vomit. Quite possibly the theatrical spawn of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. In a story constantly being interrupted by irrelevant sketches, we see a French disco, two strangers meeting on the moors of Berlin and a very sad potato..? Prepare to laugh out loud…or cry…. or just cough in all the quiet bits. All three if you’re really up for it! “With an irreverent combination of cross-­‐dressing, madcap slapstick and linguistic gymnastics, LEAF is heir apparent to old-­‐school absurd English humour. Like the b**tard child of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh…prepare to be pleasured.’ Jesse Briton, Bear Trap Theatre “Monty Python meets The Mighty Boosh. Fabulously odd and laugh out loud funny” Fat Rascal Theatre Twitter: @PotterandWagner Facebook: PotterandWagner Trailer: https://vimeo.com/198556930 2 TARGET AUDIENCES AND KEY MESSAGES/BENEFITS • Those aged between 40-­‐50. The opportunity to relive the 70s -­‐
specifically designed to allow the audience to relive their telly watching experiences. Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh combined! • Previous Debut Festival audiences. Potter & Wagner are the newest company fresh from the East 15 acting and contemporary theatre’s Debut Festival – the birthplace of companies such as Antler, Fat Rascal Theatre, High Rise, Bear Trap and many more. • Existing theatre audiences – a reminder of the good ol’ days of television brought to the stage. Great for getting those Friday nights started or to end those Monday blues. • Existing comedy and Stand-­‐up Comedy audiences – Leaf is created from expanding Stand-­‐up comedy ideas. Leaf merges sketch and storyline in a way that is accessible for all comedy audiences. • Arts professionals – the opportunity to see the newest work from the exciting Debut Festival, birthplace of companies such as Antler, Bear Trap and Snuff Box Theatre • Weekend theatre-­‐goers – Leaf is great for getting those Friday nights started or to end those Monday blues! 3 POTTER & WAGNER Helen Potter Helen Potter spent much of her youth claiming she had been raised by wolves, playing in a rock band that only did covers and eating the leaves of a suspicious red bush. She must now dedicate much of her life to achieving enough that people might forget those former days. This bio hasn’t helped. An energetic actor, writer and musician who trained at East 15 Acting School. Helen Potter claims no magical connection but doesn’t deny the possibility. acting credits include Tesla (The Alchemist), Love for Love (RSC), US (Melanie Lomoff), Three Sisters (Chris Meads) She stood at the Window (Kirsty Housley, Complicite) Carissa Wagner In a bid to follow all of those other successful Birmingham artists (Ozzy Osbourne & Jamelia), Carissa has left (most of) her accent behind and found herself in London. She's an actress, trumpet player and comedian in her final year of East 15's BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course. A co-­‐founder of Potter & Wagner, the company are in the midst of bringing their play 'Leaf' to audiences in London and Edinburgh. acting credits include Jack Whitehall Gets Around (NIA), The Final Scene (Macoy Media), Tesla (The Alchemist), Love for Love (RSC) 4 CREATIVE TEAM Helen Potter – Writer & Director https://www.spotlight.com/845901909607 Carissa Wagner – Producer & Cast member (Mother) https://www.spotlight.com/0463-­‐6753-­‐8257 Created by | Potter & Wagner Director | Helen Potter Writer | Helen Potter Designer | Nadine Froehlich Composer | Helen Potter and Carissa Wagner Producer | Carissa Wagner Image Design | Ed Theakston 5 SAMPLE DIRECT LETTER From the birthplace of award-­‐winning companies Antler, Bear Trap and Snuff Box Theatre, Debut festival reveals its newest company, Potter & Wagner. Their play Leaf is on at [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATES]. Mark is a chemical engineer. He loves chess. He lives with his mum. A teaching assistant has had it up to here with her own conscience. A caretaker grows tired of childrens’ vomit. Quite possibly the theatrical spawn of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. In a story constantly being interrupted by irrelevant sketches, we see a French disco, two strangers meeting on the moors of Berlin and a very sad potato..? Prepare to laugh out loud…or cry…. or just cough in all the quiet bits. All three if you’re really up for it! Helen Potter, who wrote the production, comments: “Leaf is Potter & Wagner’s first production and we’re extremely excited to share our unique style of comedy. It is a long-­‐term ambition for us to join together to create a high quality, innovative and accessible project to bring Monty Python loving audiences to the theatre! We have been lucky enough to be mentored by award winning Charlotte Josephine (Snuff Box Theatre) and Fringe first winner Jesse Briton (Bear Trap Theatre) during Debut Festival 2017 which enabled us to develop the show and be ready to take it to Edinburgh this year.” Leaf gives the opportunity to relive the best bits of telly -­‐ on stage. This Python-­‐esque comedy will make you laugh your socks off! “With an irreverent combination of cross-­‐dressing, madcap slapstick and linguistic gymnastics, LEAF is heir apparent to old-­‐school absurd English humour. Like the b**tard child of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh…prepare to be pleasured.’ Jesse Briton, Bear Trap Theatre “Monty Python meets The Mighty Boosh. Fabulously odd and laugh out loud funny” Fat Rascal Theatre Leaf is on at [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATES] at [YOUR TIME]. Tickets are [YOUR TICKET PRICE] and are available from [YOUR VENUE] Box Office on [YOUR BOX OFFICE NUMBER] or online at [YOUR WEBSITE]. 6 PRESS RELEASE BIRTHPLACE OF AWARD WINNING COMPANIES SUCH AS BEAR TRAP AND SNUFF BOX THEATRE REVEALS ITS NEWEST SHOW. Following in the footsteps of fellow CT companies Antler, Bear Trap and Snuff Box Theatre, Potter & Wagner bring you their Python-­‐esque comedy, Leaf! Mark is a chemical engineer. He loves chess. He lives with his mum. A teaching assistant has had it up to here with her own conscience. A caretaker grows tired of childrens’ vomit. Quite possibly the theatrical spawn of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. In a story constantly being interrupted by irrelevant sketches, we see a French disco, two strangers meeting on the moors of Berlin and a very sad potato..? Prepare to laugh out loud…or cry…. or just cough in all the quiet bits. All three if you’re really up for it! Leaf is a big, adventurous piece of theatre. It’s British. It focuses on the little problems and the little people. Because we don’t all have big problems. But we all feel lonely sometimes. With influences of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh, Leaf will get everyone laughing! Helen Potter, who wrote the production, comments: “Leaf is Potter & Wagner’s first production and we’re extremely excited to share our unique style of comedy. It is a long-­‐term ambition for us to join together to create a high quality, innovative and accessible project to bring Monty Python loving audiences to the theatre! We have been lucky enough to be mentored by award winning Charlotte Josephine (Snuff Box Theatre) and Fringe first winner Jesse Briton (Bear Trap Theatre) during Debut Festival 2017 which enabled us to develop the show and be ready to take it to Edinburgh this year.” Leaf comes to [YOUR VENUE] on [YOUR DATE(S)] as part of its tour of the UK. Notes for Editors For further information, photography, interviews or to arrange reviewer tickets, please contact: [YOUR PRESS CONTACT] on [YOUR CONTACT NUMBER] or email [YOUR CONTACT EMAIL] OR Carissa Wagner on +44 (0)77 16 400032 / [email protected] 7 The Company Potter and Wagner first met and trained together on Uri Roodner's BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course at East 15 acting school. It was here, in this fine institution, that they discovered an equal passion for unusual writing, creating horrifyingly rubbish synth music, and a bloody good laugh. Mentored by writer, director and fringe first Winner Jesse Briton and writer and fringe first winner Charlotte Josephine – Potter & Wagner’s first show Leaf was born in the debut festival. Following in the footsteps of Antler, Stay Up Late Collective and their debut mentors, all of whom also started their first show at the Debut festival, this new company aims to take Leaf first to Edinburgh, before touring around the country. Listings Information Potter & Wagner present Leaf By Helen Potter Created by Potter & Wagner Written by Helen Potter Designed by Nadine Froehlich Composition by Carissa Wagner and Helen Potter 8 BOX OFFICE NOTES Dates and Times [Your Dates and Times] Company Potter & Wagner Production LEAF by Helen Potter, presented by Potter & Wagner Ticket Prices [Your Ticket Prices] Show Copy Mark is a chemical engineer. He loves chess. He lives with his mum. A teaching assistant has had it up to here with her own conscience. A caretaker grows tired of childrens’ vomit. Quite possibly the theatrical spawn of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh. In a story constantly being interrupted by irrelevant sketches, we see a French disco, two strangers meeting on the moors of Berlin and a very sad potato..? Prepare to laugh out loud…or cry…. or just cough in all the quiet bits. All three if you’re really up for it! “Like the b**tard child of Monty Python and the Mighty Boosh…prepare to be pleasured.’ Jesse Briton, Bear Trap Theatre Twitter: @PotterandWagner Facebook: PotterandWagner Trailer: https://vimeo.com/198556930 Images For all high res images, please contact Carissa Wagner. Production photography will be forwarded once available Capacity Minimum capacity: 50 Running Time 50 minutes. No interval Twitter Hash tag #LeafthePlay 9 ABOUT THE COMPANY Potter & Wagner Potter and Wagner first met and trained together on Uri Roodner's BA Acting and Contemporary Theatre course at East 15 acting school. It was here, in this fine institution, that they discovered an equal passion for unusual writing, creating horrifyingly rubbish synth music, and a bloody good laugh. Mentored by writer, director and fringe first Winner Jesse Briton and writer and fringe first winner Charlotte Josephine – Potter & Wagner’s first show Leaf was born in the debut festival. Following in the footsteps of Antler, Stay Up Late Collective and their debut mentors, all of whom also started their first show at the Debut festival, this new company aims to take Leaf first to Edinburgh, before touring around the country. Comedy Style Potter & Wagner make comedy that is both entirely based on the truth, and an absolute load of fictitious nonsense. Surgically precise, but seemingly all over the place. As quintessentially British as the queen eating her roast dinner off a Boris bike seat (perish the thought!) Our work is sandwiched somewhere between Monty Python and Family Guy. Expect characters that are so depressing you’ll rediscover the joys in your own dreadful life, a ridiculous quantity of puns, and so many cutaway gags you won’t know where you left your gin and tonic when you came in. 10 CONTACTS Producer – Carissa Wagner [email protected] +44 (0)77 16 400032 @PotterandWagner PotterandWagner 11