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A Beginner's Guide to Populism
by NoLogoProductionstheatre
Dark political comedy about a little village that doesn't want to be part of a big city.
about the production
The residents of Little Middleton are up in arms about proposals that could spell the end of their historic community. Would-be MP Antonia Morgan wants to lead their campaign and take her seat in the corridors of power. Sometimes things don't go the way you plan... A political satire and timely warning of the dangers of using populist tactics to win support. A big hit at Edinburgh Fringe and best new writing nominee at Buxton Festival Fringe. The inclusion of lines taken from letters and statements made by MPs during Brexit debates in 2017 give the play added authenticity.
about the artist
NoLogoProductions are a professional theatre company based in Edinburgh who produce and perform new writing. A Beginner's Guide to Populism is the fourth production they have taken to Edinburgh and other UK Fringe festivals including Buxton, Camden and Brighton. The play premiered at The Cockpit, London for the 2017 Voila! Europe festival, after preview shows in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Other productions include 'Are You Lonesome Tonight?' 'Casual Encounters' and 'After We Danced'. These are also available for touring. Further details about the company and the plays are available on the website www.nologoproductions.com
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stage dimensions
width: 4 metres
height: 3 metres
depth: 3 metres
Access: Small back stage space with direct access to stage needed and room to store small items of set and costume changes required for production.
Lighting: Standard rig will generally suit – predominantly a play of washes.
Sound: No live audio required. Sounds include: A baying crowd, boos and cheers, a rumble of thunder; Several pieces of classical music are also used during scene transitions.
Projection: No projection required.
Tech support: Company have own lighting/sound technician.
The play is a thought provoking political comedy that has attracted audiences as young as 14 and as old as 84 so far. It has strong language and one scene with a short piece of simulated violence, as long as those things don't offend you, you are in our target audience.
There is a plethora of political satire and critique being produced at the moment, and so finding a unique take on it is hard. ‘A Beginner’s Guide of Populism’ is able to take a fairly worn out topic and give it a fresh face, it’s incredibly refreshing and thought provoking, and somehow manages to be funny too! Part of the cleverness of this play was echoing the current political situation, but not copying it. In this way they are able to demonstrate the dangers without being clichéd.
'All of the actors are excellent in this smartly-paced show. It is expertly conceived, written and executed by a team who plainly have an eye for the socio-political zeitgeist. Echoes of the present resonate throughout – references to sex pests, contempt for experts, the invitation to build a wall - all delivered with wry humour and witty lines. A thoroughly entertaining play, brilliantly executed and cleverly written.'
A timely production. It lampoons populism and its insular message with great verve, but without offering simple solutions. The writing is pointed and telling, and manages to note many of the strategies feeding the rise of populism without feeling didactic. The us-and-them divisions are nicely drawn, as what makes an outsider so becomes ever more ludicrously defined.
The only accessibility issue with the production is that we are not able at the moment to offer audio described performances, hearing loops or sign language performances. We would be very willing to work with venues if they offer these facilities.
We can offer acting and writing workshops on afternoons of performances or the morning afterwards. These will normally be for two hours. Fees for these are dependent on overall financial deal. We are also willing to run Q and A and discussion sessions post performance. We offer these free of charge.
We pay equity rates to all performers. To cover this and other costs, our performance fee is normally £1000. We are applying to Creative Scotland's Touring Fund and also seeking funding for shows in England, and so we're also interested in conditional offers with box office splits or lower fees.
