Mr Poe’s Legendarium
Application for the Clive Barker
Award for Performance
F Applicants F
F Sam George (Director): second year Theatre Studies student
F Sam Thorogood (Producer): second year English and Theatre Studies student
F Oscar Owen (Associate Producer): second year Theatre Studies student
F Christina Owen (Company Manager): second year English and Theatre Studies student
F Alex Wallis (Head of Marketing): third year Theatre Studies student
F Tim Chow (Stage Manager): second year English and Theatre Studies student
Sam Thorogood, Oscar Owen and Christina Owen will also perform in Mr Poe’s Legendarium.
They will be joined by Ella Tebay (second year English), Patrick Tobin (second year History),
Rachel Elfassy Bitoun (second year Film and Literature) and Freddie Paul (second year
Philosophy). Alexander Webster (second year English) will be the show’s designer.
F Background F
Clown Funeral formed in 2013 for our production of The Other Woman, a devised performance
based on gender tropes in literature. We have since then performed a playful adaptation of
Chekhov's On the High Road in the Loft Theatre, an off-campus amateur theatre, and a circusset, promenade, devised murder mystery called Bienvenue au Carnival as part of Warwick
Student Arts Festival 2014. Our diverse performances have allowed us to create a distinctive
F
1 F
performance style and collaborative ethos. Our rehearsal methods are centred on workshops,
using character and physicality as devices to open up the devising process.
F Creative Vision F
Mr Poe's Legendarium, which will run for 2.5 weeks at the Edinburgh Fringe (provisionally in
a C Nova studio), will be a mad, thrilling experiment, infusing modern urban myths with a
gothic, Poe-inspired twist. Our Legendarium will tell stories of disturbing chain letters, séances
and a woman with tarantulas in her hair, bringing dark comedy, clowning and physical
performance to the tales. These urban myths will be brought to life in the devising process, and
framed (in the final performance) by a spectral vaudeville act presided over by the ghosts of
Edgar Allan Poe and Sigmund Freud.
The show itself will be an exploration of how we frighten ourselves with stories, and the
continuity between Victorian anxieties and modern horror. It will also be a lot of fun, and a
very marketable, unique proposition in the crowded marketplace of the Edinburgh Fringe.
We will take our initial stimuli and reinvent them through a unique blend of stylistic
experiments, drawing on our experience with clowning, contact improvisation and dramatising
literary texts. We will begin with a wide range of character exercises, working on both internal
and external aspects in order to create characters who are both complex and exaggerated.
Taking the central characters from our scenarios, we will look at developing them into
compelling personalities who can communicate directly with the audience and drive the
narrative of the show.
We will collectively devise and co-direct the scenes in order to share the creative input. We will
focus particularly on developing a tight, trusting performance ensemble, who can multi-role and
are confident in ambitious physical sequences, creating both the world and the grotesque
characters that inhabit it. Our design will be influenced by the films of Tim Burton and Steven
Berkoff's adaptations of Poe's work, focusing on a monochromatic, pseudo-Victorian visual
aesthetic.
F Skills and Qualities F
Sam George (Director)
Sam is versatile, collaborative director, with a particular interest in developing creative,
disciplined physical ensembles. He has diverse experience in directing, performing and writing,
and believes that this helps him in directing a collaborative devising company, in which creative
roles naturally blur and blend during the theatre-making process. Particular highlights of
Sam's directing experience include WUDS' On the High Road (June 2014), a playful
adaptation of Chekhov's early one-act play that focused on blending contact improvisation and
F
2 F
commedia-inspired character work, and Codpiece's upcoming Down Street (March 2015), a fastpaced, physical devised show that uses a large, adaptable ensemble to create the environments,
characters and story.
Related experience: producing Colouring the Sky (2015), directed On the High Road (2014),
director/producer for A Piece of Cod showcase (2014), co-directing Down Street, working a
youth theatre leader at the Warwick Arts Centre (2014-15), co-wrote, directed and produced
Leonardo da Vinci's Magical Time-Travelling Circus for Pegasus Theatre (2013), Workshops
Co-ordinator for Codpiece Theatre Society (2014-15).
Sam Thorogood (Producer)
Sam is an efficient, cooperative, focussed producer with a particular interest in devised work. As
the producer of Mr Poe’s Legendarium, he will draw on years of experience in theatre. He
performed in and marketed Babolin Theatre’s devised show Sentinels at the 2013 Fringe, so
knows what it takes to ensure a successful rehearsal period and run at the festival. He is
currently working as producer for Codpiece’s Down Street, which is ideal preparation for Mr
Poe because the methodology behind the two shows is so similar. Sam will also bring the
organisational and communication skills he has honed as current Secretary for Codpiece to
ensure that everyone – from venue staff to the Clown Funeral company – is kept in the loop at
all times and that roles are appropriately allocated.
Related experience: producing Down Street (2015), co-directed The Curse of Coddlesham (2014),
youth theatre leader at the Warwick Arts Centre (2014-15), stage managed The Merchant of
Venice (2014), intern at the Finborough Theatre (2014), Secretary for Codpiece Theatre Society
(2014-15), performer/marketer for Sentinels (2013).
Oscar Owen (Associate Producer)
Oscar is an attentive and openly collaborative producer; with an awareness of when to give
creative input and when to take on a more managerial role. He has worked in many aspects of
production, from performing to designing to writing, and finds this experience strengthens his
ability as a producer, giving him the necessary understanding of all areas of production. Oscar's
current work as producer includes creative producing The Glass Menagerie (Warwick Arts
Centre Studio), a radical restaging of Williams' text for which Oscar has also designed
publicity; and as co-producer of Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons for Walrus
Theatre, which has just enjoyed a successful run at the Warwick Arts Centre Helen Martin
Studio. Oscar feels he will work well in the development of both the performance and
production side of this project, as an associate producer.
Related experience: Events Manager for Warwick Student Arts Festival (2014-15), Secretary for
Drama Collective Society (2014-15), co-produced Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Lemons
(2015), creative producing The Glass Menagerie (2015), and Excursions Co-ordinator for
International Federation of Theatre Research (2014).
Christina Owen (Company Manager)
Christina has experience in both producing and directing and is excited to use her knowledge
and skills in her capacity as Company Manager. This role will involve assisting in producing as
F
3 F
well as looking after the members of the company and overseeing the whole process. She is
organised, thoughtful and engaged in multiple aspects of theatre which she believes will help
her in this diverse, ever-changing role. Furthermore, she worked as Duty Theatre Manager last
year in C Nova – the venue we will most likely be performing in – which means that she has a
wealth of knowledge about the Fringe, as well as an existing relationship with a large portion of
the senior staff.
Related experience: Duty Theatre Manager of C Nova (2014), Marketing and Publicity
Manager of Codpiece Theatre, Co-producer of Bienvenue au Carnival (2014), Director of Up
Through The Woods (2014), Organiser of Bacchus, Assistant Director of The Other Woman
(2014), Co-director of Romeo and Juliet (2012), Writer/performer for the IATL GAIA project
(2015). Performer in Grotprov, Beinvenue au Carnival and Down Street.
Alex Wallis (Head of Marketing)
Alex has experience in designing and creating posters, has a keen interest in photography
particularly for promotional uses and is trained in programmes such as Adobe Premiere Pro and
Illustrator, as well as editing programmes such as GIMP. She has previously created
professional images for Warwick Rep Theatre Company, designing both promotional images
for shows such as Ragnhild (2014) and Stop Kiss (2015). She also has experience creating and
maintaining websites, and using social media as a key tool for marketing practices. As part of
her Theatre and Performance course she has created films and exhibition designs as well as
producing illustrative supporting material. As part of her ‘Adaptation for Performance’ course
she is also learning to use professional technology to create promotional images for a potential
performance. Having previously worked on devising projects such as If 6 was 9 (2013, Director)
and Down Street (2015, Director) she is keen to apply her marketing skills to a collaborative,
devising project.
Related experience: Workshop Coordinator/ Head of promotional Material including
trailers/photography for Warwick Rep Theatre Company (2013 -15), acted in Ashes and Sand
(2013), directed If 6 was 9 (2013), marketed The Crucible (2014), wrote Fresh Towels (FreshFest
2014), acted in The Daisy Chain (2014), marketed Ranghild (2014), co-wrote Souvenirs (2014),
directed/assistant marketed Stop Kiss (2014), Fat Git Theatre Company Writers Residency
(2014-15), youth theatre leader for Warwick Arts Centre (2014-15), directing Down Street (2015).
Tim Chow (Stage Manager)
Tim is fascinated by the potential of theatre as a site where creativity, collaboration, and
industry coalesce and transform into an extraordinary experience for those who believe in the
craft. Over the years, he’s explored different aspects of theatre and performance including
directing, acting, stage management, and theatre criticism. As a member of Clown Funeral,
he’s especially keen to try his hands at more behind-the-scenes work and to gain a deeper insight
into the making of a production.
Related experience: worked as a production intern in two leading theatre companies in
Singapore, The Necessary Stage and Checkpoint Theatre, and assisted in areas such as
marketing, publicity, education and outreach. Has also been involved in numerous devised
shows, including This and That (2013) and Bienvenue au Carnival (2014).
F
4 F
F Time Plan F
The rehearsal process will begin in the third term, including a scratch performance at Warwick
Student Arts Festival (WSAF) in which we will seek feedback from the audience. The company
will remain in Leamington after the end of term three in order to facilitate an intensive
rehearsal process in July in the build-up to the two-week Edinburgh run.
Here is our provisional time-plan:
Jan
Feb
March
April
May
June
July
Aug
Applications for funding (Lord Rootes Memorial Fund, Clive Barker Award, SU
Opportunity Fund, IATL Festival Performance Bursary)
Register Clown Funeral as a small business
Sort public liability insurance
Secure venue for performance
Negotiate conditions and publicity through venue
Secure accommodation
Continue applications for funding
Begin exploratory workshops and design process
Continue workshops and exploration of source material
Register for the Fringe before 11/03/15
Alex Webster (designer) to order fabric for costume
Alex to work on costume
Design publicity
Continue correspondence with venue and accommodation to ensure everything is still
OK
Order flyers and posters
Begin non-intensive rehearsal process for scratch performance at WSAF
Begin to publicise via social media (to continue until the end of the Edinburgh run)
Scratch performance at WSAF
Begin main rehearsal period after exams
Main rehearsal period (all of July)
Source props
Travel to Edinburgh (end of July/very beginning of August)
Once in Edinburgh: publicise through leafleting and the press
Technical and dress rehearsals in the performance space
Previews
Two-week run (7-21 August)
F Budget F
This is our provisional budget for the project. The two largest expenses are space hire and
accommodation. The figure of £1,700 for space hire is based on email correspondence our
Company Manager, Christina, has been having with the Artistic Director of C Venues. The
F
5 F
provisional plan is to perform in one of the studios in C Nova for the first two weeks of the
Fringe (7-21 August), plus half a week of previews, giving us a 2.5 week run.
Because Christina and our designer, Alex Webster, worked at C Venues during last year’s
festival, we have been offered a 25% discount on the guarantee. As detailed in the most recent
email from the Artistic Director of C Venues (see Additional Material), this guarantee would be
subject to change based on our proposal and final box office split, but the figure given here is a
good approximation of what we expect to pay.
We are currently in the process of finding accommodation. Some members of the company are
able to stay with other production teams during the festival, but we still anticipate having to
find accommodation for at least nine people for three weeks. Although C Venues have offered
us a reduced rate on their accommodation if we assist in their get-in and get-out plus one hour
per day of flyering on their behalf, we feel that this is too much of a time commitment and so
are looking further afield.
Again, see Additional Material for screenshots of two potential properties, which are some of
the cheapest we have been able to find. The £4,500 figure is partially based on these two
properties, plus additional research carried out so far.
Venue
Production costs
Accommodation
Travel
Press and marketing
Guarantee for space hire
Staffing
Fringe Society Programme fee (A)
Programme advert
Box Office commission
Edfringe.com advert
Costume and makeup (B)
Props (C)
£1,700.00
£0.00
£295.20
£0.00
£120.00
£0.00
£70.00
£20.00
Public liability insurance (D)
Copyright
Music Licence fees (E)
Rent and utilities
Food
To and from Edinburgh (F)
Around Edinburgh
Venue marketing
Ad design
Flyers
Posters
Print distribution
Trailer (social media/viral)
Company t-shirts
Publicity photos
Sub total
Contingency
Total
£80.00
£0.00
£0.00
£4,500.00
£500.00
£500.00
£0.00
£300.00
£0.00
£250.00
£120.00
£0.00
£0.00
£0.00
£0.00
£8455.20
£500.00
£8955.20
F
6 F
Potential income
100% of tickets sold over 14 performances at £10.00 (full
price) plus 3 previews at £6 (G)
40% of tickets sold over 14 performances at £10.00 (full
price) plus 3 previews at £6
25% of tickets sold over 14 performances at £10.00 (full
price) plus 3 previews at £6
Lord Rootes Memorial Fund
£8690.00
£3476.00
£2172.50
£3,000.00
Clive Barker Award (H)
£600.00
IATL Performance Bursary
£500.00
SU Opportunity Fund
£1000.00
Crowdsourcing (e.g. indiegogo.com)
£500.00
(A) Discounted rate of £295.20 (instead of £393.60) if we register for programme before 11/03/15
(B) Makeup £9.34, Fake beard £6, Fake moustache £1, Fabric £24.10, Postage £8.50 plus
contingency
(C) Source any (minimal) props and set items needed, contingency of £20 for items we don’t
own
(D) Quote from insurance4performingarts.co.uk
(E) Any music used will be composed specifically for the production
(F) Calculated from £280 Megabus fare (London Victoria to Edinburgh return) plus £190 in
train/Underground fares and £30 taxi fare
(G) Based on an audience capacity of 55. All C Nova studios have a capacity of 50-60
(H) If Lord Rootes Memorial Fund and Clive Barker Award were both granted, breakeven
would be 61.6%
F Benefits F
This project gives us an opportunity to translate our working methods and enthusiasm for
theatre into a professional environment. Many of us are interested in forming a devised theatre
company upon graduating from Warwick, and this would be a valuable first excursion to the
Fringe Festival for us a group.
We would relish the opportunity to better understand the practicalities of developing our style,
generating attention in the professional sphere. Warwick University has a fantastic history of
producing new, experimental theatre companies, and our appearance at the Fringe would be a
wonderful first step towards following in their footsteps.
F
7 F
F Additional Material F
Most recent email from Hartley Kemp, Artistic Director of C Venues
Hi Christina,
Thanks for your email.
I think the Nova studios make best sense:
Guarantees will depend on our assessment of your application, but for a generic Nova studio
(could be any of 1/2/3/5 or similar) offer we would probably be looking at standard guarantee
rates, per hour of slot, of around £1200 for a 7-10 day 'one week' run (10 days in weeks 0+1, 7 in
week 2, 9 in week 3), £2,250 for a 2.5 week run and £3,600 for a full run.
For a specific studio (e.g, if you wanted studio 3 only) the rates would rise to as much as £1500
for a 7-10 day run, £2,700 for a 2.5 week run and £4,200 for a full run.
For studio 0 (subject to noise from below) or studio 6 spaces the rates would be around £900 for
a 7-10 day run, £1,650 for a 2.5 week run and £3,000 for a full run.
Please note that this pricing is only a guide: the exact guarantee cost would depend on our
assessment of your application and what we could offer you at the stage we are ready to make
an offer.
As discussed below we could offer you 25% off these rates and possible further reductions with
an increased box office split, but we could only look at this once we had seen your proposal.
In terms of reduction on accommodation in return for FOH and flyering help, there isn't a
standard tariff. If we organised your accommodation, based on what we pay for accommodation
we could do so for around £400 per person if you were performing for the full run in shared
rooms similar to those in the C venues team flats (if you were not performing for the full run we
would not be able to reduce the accommodation much as the discounts we get from landlords are
based on occupying it for the full run).
What we have offered another company in a similar situation before would be that if your team
worked the whole of the get in and get out for us on the same hours as our teams and did an
hour a day of flyering during the tech rehearsal and run period, then we could reduce the
accommodation cost to £200 per person. Please note your team would need to be in Edinburgh
for seven weeks to achieve this and that this would mean that rehearsals would need to take
place before this seven week period.
I hope this helps.
Best wishes,
Hartley T A Kemp
Artistic Director
C venues
F
8 F
Two possibilities for accommodation (gumtree.com)
Risk assessment
When working physically, there is always the risk of the company hurting themselves, through
accidents such as slips, trips and falls, and going beyond their physical limits. This will be
counteracted through attention to warming-up, correct attire, an awareness of each other’s
abilities, and meticulously rehearsing all choreography. There is also the risk of electrical, noise,
F
9 F
and fire hazards within the venue; all of which will be checked and controlled by both the venue
and company stage management. Hazards regarding manual handling in setting up will be
minimal due to the lack of fixed set because of limited set up time in Fringe venues, however all
company members will be made aware of the space, and set-up practised. Most risks for
performers throughout the show, such as handling props or working in costume, will be
minimised throughout the rehearsal process. If potentially offensive material develops
throughout the devising period, this will be properly advertised to all audiences.
Mood board for costume design
Publicity ideas
Mock-up of company logo (to be used on all promotional material):
F
10 F
Two ideas for show poster:
F
11 F