View Proposal
Production Type: Mainterm
Show Details
Show Name: What Alfred The Butler Saw
Author: John Rushton and Stuart Young
Cast Male: 13
Cast Female: 7
Approx Running Time: 130 minutes
Preferred Week: Latest Mainterm
Team
Producer: Sophie Condon
Director: Stuart Young
Technical Manager: Bryn Jones
Stage Manager: Freya Mitchison
Blurbs
Publicity Blurb: A farce. With superheroes.
Proposal Blurb: In a world where superheroes are real a year has passed since crime-fighting team The Super Squad disbanded - but former member Brad Ford wants to see the gang reunited. Arranging a meeting at a hotel, the heroes are unaware that it also happens to be the base of supervillain The Human Skull. Plus the hotel is being inspected, the Mayor is visiting, the manager is heavily pregnant and the freezers have broken down. Can the Super Squad re-unite to save the day? Will the hotel get shut down? And will all the halibut defrost?
What Alfred The Butler Saw takes two wildly different but perfectly matched genres; the bedroom farce and the derring-do world of the superhero, and creates a potent combination of snappy comedy and memorable characters.
It's a piece of original writing, but marketing should be aided by the recent popularity of the superhero genre, the enduring popularity of farce and a strong visual identity created by our in-house comic-book artist.
It's an ambitious production, which requires a large cast, dozens of costumes (including full spandex-style finery) and an impressive, two-tiered hotel set. With experienced set-builders, producer and directors on the team we believe we can deliver a comedy on an unprecedented scale of tight action and visual impact.
Technically, the play is no less ambitious. As a farce in which the stage is split into five rooms, the lightning will comprise triple-figure cues as the audience's attention is directed from one group of characters to the next and back again. In addition, effects in the script as diverse as smoke, projection and demolishable (paper) walls are used.
What Alfred The Butler Saw is a timely ensemble comedy on an epic scale. It's a damn silly play, but this is a serious proposal.
Requires Rights: No
Rights Available: John and Stu will waive their usual fee. ;)
Budget
Royalties: 0
Publicity: 200
Tech: 75
Set: 300
Costume: 225
Props: 75
Admin: 25
Contingency: £90.00
Total Budget: £990.00
From EUTC: £750.00
From other sources: £240.00
Time Submitted: Tue 5th Jan '10 at 01:21:01 late
Approved By: Will Green