Much Ado About Wenlock
On your starting blocks!
Vamos Theatre, in association with The Everyman Theatre, Cheltenham, presents its new touring production, a show about health, sports, a reforming doctor, and a runaway chicken!
In 1850, the Shropshire market town of Much Wenlock hosted its very own ‘Olympian Games’, which was to become an inspiration for the modern Games. Behind this seemingly mild-mannered event, where country sports combined with spelling and knitting races, lay a modern day struggle for equality and the right to health, set during the changing world of the Industrial Revolution.
In a captivatingly comic production that celebrates the Games’ unlikely UK roots, Much Ado About Wenlock reveals a local doctor’s determination to improve the health of all the townsfolk, rich or poor. Will Dr Penny Brookes inspire the workingmen to swap their tipple for triple jumping? Will Beatty the schoolmistress win over the cynical Reverend Benedict Wayne? Will little Eddie Sankey triumph over the bullying butcher’s boy, Archibald Blockley? And will our national love of the underdog be satisfied in this heroic piece of theatre?
A glorious full mask show, with original music, amazing physicality, and dance choreography, Much Ado About Wenlock is a hugely inventive adventure for audiences from 8 to 108!
Show Support
Financial Support Summary
Northants Touring Arts carried out a survey in 2010 and it became apparent that promoters were keen to promote more work from a wider range of art forms if the upfront financial risk could be underwritten. We have developed a new method of supporting events that we believe can achieve this whilst retaining our core value that NTA's core aim is to support professional arts events in rural areas rather than subsidise fundraising events.
Full Cost of Show
NTA will ensure that we source and offer work with a wide price range to ensure that promoters with small halls and in areas not funded by their district councils are still able to book work. The advertised cost of each show is the full fee that Northants Touring Arts will have to pay the performer. This is before we underwrite or financially support any event.
How Support Is Given
NTA will underwrite events in the following steps:
- 1. We’ll advertise the full cost of each show that we’ll have to pay to the performer.
- 2. Each show will receive support of £150 from our County Council funding.
- 3. If your district council funds the scheme then the event will be supported
by a further £250. - 4. We’ll then have a chat with you to agree what the capacity and ticket price for your show will be. Once we’ve agreed this we’ll work out what you could make on your ticket sales and agree to underwrite your event with 60% of this amount.
- 5. If the combination of Council and our support means the whole cost of the show is covered then you’ll be able to put the event on safe in the knowledge that in the unlikely event that you don’t sell many tickets you won’t lose a lot of money.
- 6. However if the combination of Council and our support means that the full cost of the event isn’t covered then you’ll have to pay the difference regardless of ticket sales and in addition to the box office income to put the event on.
How Money is Recouped
Once the event has taken place you'll be asked to complete a box office return form. You'll then pay us for the show in the following way:
- 1. The fee on booking (if any) will be added to your invoice.
- 2. You’ll pay NTA up to the first £300 of box office income.
- 3. You’ll retain up to the next £100 of box office income.
- 4. If there is still box office income remaining you'll pay this to NTA until the full cost of the performance is paid for.
- 5. If there is still any box office income remaining then you keep all of this.
If you have any queries about how Northants Touring Arts financially support events then please contact us on 0115 927 2334 or at info@northantstouringarts.co.uk
Show Details
| Title: | Much Ado About Wenlock |
|---|---|
| Artist: | Vamos |
| Full Cost of Show: | £800 |
| Target Audience: | All ages |
| Special Consideration: | none |
| Dates Available: | 31 May 2012 2 June 2012 |
| Running Time: | 1 hour 50 minutes |
| Interval: | 20 minutes |
| Get In Required: | 5 hours |
| Get Out Required: | 1 - 1.5 hours |
| Performance Space Required: | Height 3m, Width 5m, Depth 5m |
| Seating Layout: | Theatre rows |
| Number of People on Tour: | TBC |
