Underbelly Productions Brochure 2013

ABOUT Underbelly Productions is the live theatrical production arm of Underbelly Limited.

Founded in 2000, Underbelly is one of the UK’s most successful and exciting festivals and events companies. Every year, thousands of people enjoy theatre, comedy and music at our festivals in London and Edinburgh, and on tour in the UK. While Underbelly is most famously associated with the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, it also produces the E4 Udderbelly Festival – now an annual highlight at London’s Southbank Centre – and 2012 saw the opening of Priceless London Wonderground, a brand new festival or circus and cabaret at Southbank Centre. In 2012 we sold over 300,000 tickets at our festivals.

Underbelly Productions is our boutique theatrical production arm – producing, developing, promoting and managing shows.

Recent Underbelly Productions have included UK tours of dynamic dance troupe Flawless, breathtaking beatboxer Shlomo and Police Academy star Michael Winslow.

In London, Australian circus spectacular Cantina headlined Priceless London Wonderground, with The Vocal Orchestra and Havana Rumba! headlining E4 Udderbelly Festival.

For Edinburgh 2012, Underbelly Productions included Radio 4 favourite Susan Calman, skilled-up family fun from Tumble Circus, one-man tour-de-force Basic Training and the Old Vic New Voices season of 5 new plays by emerging companies.

In 2010 our production legendary musical Five Guys Named Moe starring Clarke Peters transferred to London’s Theatre Royal Stratford East for a run after a successful Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

FUTURE WORK We are constantly looking for the next brilliant show for touring and for our festivals. We love hearing about new ideas and we’re particularly interested in non-language, circus, music and family shows.

Pictured: Production: Cantina. Photo: Idil Sukan

productions Underbelly Productions 5 Bywell Place, London W1T 3DN | +44 (0) 207 307 8480 | www.underbelly.co.uk/productions Producer Stephen Makin | stephen@underbelly.co.uk Directors Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood

HHHH ‘Cantina is the most divinely decadent and disconcerting entertainment in town’ Charles Spencer, Daily Telegraph HHHH ‘Cantina is clearly the hottest ticket in town’ Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard HHHH ‘Superb... carnival with a dash of David Lynch’ Ben Walters, Time Out HHHH ‘It’s a night of jaw-dropping highlights... you couldn’t tear your eyes away’ Keith Watson, Metro HHHH ‘Skilled-up and deliciously twisted entertainment’ Lyn Gardner, Guardian

ABOUT THE SHOW Underbelly Productions produced the London premier of this acclaimed circus show for a five-month season, as the headline show of the inaugural season of Underbelly’s London Wonderground at Southbank Centre festival.

This haunting and mesmerizing piece of circus is a sensational cocktail of glamorous vaudeville and scintillating circus.

A journey through an incredible world of acrobatics, magic, dance and live music, featuring a dazzling company of Australia’s finest circus artists from Circa, La Clique, Acrobat and Circus Oz. Cantina is available for touring in the UK. Please contact Underbelly Productions for further details.

Presented by Underbelly Productions, Southbank Centre and Strut & Fret

Photo: Idil Sukan

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ABOUT THE SHOW In 2010 Underbelly Productions mounted a brand new production of the smash hit West End and Broadway musical Five Guys Named Moe. Sizzling with dance, comedy and irresistible music of jazz legend Louis Jordan, this 20th anniversary production starred the show’s original creator Clarke Peters, star of Chicago and Porgy and Bess in the West End, and on TV, the multiawarding winning TV series The Wire and, more recently, Treme.

The score of this award-winning musical includes Early In The Morning, Choo, Choo, Ch’Boogie and Saturday Night Fish Fry and features dazzling choreography mixed with unforgettable comic performances.

Five Guys Named Moe played to critical acclaim and sold out houses at Underbelly’s McEwan Hall at The Edinburgh Festival Fringe in summer 2010 and at Theatre Royal Stratford East, London in autumn 2010.

Presented by Underbelly Productions and Theatre Royal Stratford East by arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh.

Photos: Steve Ullathorne / www.ullapix.com

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HHHHH ‘Dazzling. Don’t miss it’ News Of The World HHHH ‘Turns hip-hop into an urban ballet… such infectious enthusiasm for the sheer joy of movement… sizzling’ Metro

HHHH ‘The dream team… no competition’ Glasgow Herald HHHH ‘Astonishing’ Daily Telegraph HHHH ‘A brilliant lighting design… one of the best sequences of

audience participation I’ve ever seen… their athleticism is a given, but their humour, inventiveness and abundant charm might come as a surprise to many… immaculate’ Daily Express

HHHH ‘Masters of the style at its most demanding. Their sense of

rhythm, their responses to the bold, unrelenting music that they use, are prodigious... world-beaters’ Financial Times Photos: Dave Nelson

ABOUT THE SHOW Underbelly Productions presented the Flawless’s debut live show for an 80-date UK no. 1 tour, two West-End seasons and two sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

See the UK’s hottest dance act, Flawless in their first ever live show. You’ll see Flawless as never before as they fuse the stunning street dance for which they have become famous with contemporary jazz and ballet in a show that is breathtaking, funny and moving. Then it’s your turn as you join Flawless on a journey through time and space to chase the dream!

They starred in the Number One UK Box Office Smash StreetDance 3D. They’ve worked with some of the biggest names in the business including Madonna, Beyonce, Leona Lewis and Westlife. They won the nation’s hearts in Britain’s Got Talent.

Presented by Underbelly Productions in association with World Dance Management.

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HHHH ‘Demonstrations of supreme controil and physical strength are incredible and the performers get to showcase their playful sides for the finale when youngsters sitting in the front rwo excitedly become another obstacle... truly superhuman’ Metro

HHHH ‘It’s a crowd pleasing spectacle, with plenty of ooh’s and ahh’s for the outragrously fit men (and one woman) who seem to defy gravity’ WhatsOnStage.com

HHHHH ‘The ensemble 3Run come with much hype and expectation - millions of YouTube hits, world records and the first staging of this street art form in the UK. There is also the promise of ‘spectacular entertainment’. Is that promised delivered? The answer is emphatically yes’ One4Review ’The family filled crowd loved every leap’ The Stage

Photos: Steve Ullathorne / www.ullapix.com

ABOUT THE SHOW Free Run combines free running and parkour, martial arts and urban acrobatics with spectacular immersive multimedia video along a 23 metre long projection wall.

The show is performed by 3Run, a world leading professional team of athletes. For seven years they have influenced the development of Parkour and Free Running worldwide, in the process breaking numerous world records, and showcasing their astonishing abilities on television and film.

Home grown in the UK, the 3Run team draw their skills from Olympic level gymnastics, world class martial artists and the intoxicating adrenaline filled arena of extreme sports. This is their first live theatre show.

Free Run is a 50-minute long immersive production specifically designed for our Udderbelly tent venue. Underbelly Productions developed this show in 2011, with seasons at E4 Underbelly Festival at Southbank Centre, London and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Presented by Underbelly Productions and Southbank Centre.

HHHH ‘Breathtaking’ The Herlad HHHHH ‘World class’ British Theatre Guide HHHH ‘Hilarious’ Daily Record HHHHH ‘Truly Incredible’ Edinburgh Evening News HHHH ‘Impressive’ The Scotsman HHHH ‘A masterclass’ Metro HHHH ‘Mesmerising’ Edinburgh Festivals Magazine HHHH ‘An experience like no other’ Broadway Baby HHHH ‘Simply astounding’ Daily Telegraph

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ABOUT THE SHOW

Best known for playing Sgt ‘Motor Mouth’ Jones in the hugely successful Police Academy films, Michael Winslow’s shows are a whirlwind of staggering special effects, astounding sounds and extraordinary noises.

The original vocal artist of the 20th century, Winslow can imitate the impossible using only his voice. Whether it’s the frenzy of Jimi Hendrix playing the guitar, or a very special treat for Star Wars fans, Winslow is the master of vocal gymnastics and a true comedy star.

Underbelly Productions presented MMichael Winslow’s first ever UK tour in 2012, as well as two sold-out Edinburgh Festival seasons in 2011 and 2012.

Michael Winslow is available for UK touring – contact us for details.

Presented by Underbelly Productions and GetComedy

HHHH ‘Glorious’ Time Out HHHH ‘Slick theatrics, vocal gymnastics, brilliant’ Evening Standard HHHH ‘Energetic, effervescent, audience grabbing’ The Times HHHH ‘A high-octane party’ Broadway Baby HHHH ‘Impressive and fun... a remarkable display’ The Scotsman HHHHH ‘A phenomenal show not to be missed’ Three Weeks HHHHH ‘An incredible memorable show’ The Good Review

Photos: Steve Ullathorne / www.ullapix.com

ABOUT THE SHOW

A spine-tingling hour of incredible musical entertainment. The Vocal Orchestra is a celebration of everyone’s favourite tunes using seven mouths, seven mics and no instruments.

Combining jaw-dropping human beatboxing, glorious vocal harmonies and floor-wobbling basslines, The Vocal Orchestra is a breathtakingly original show, written and created by internationally acclaimed beatboxer Shlomo, and performed by a company of the world’s most exciting beatboxing superstars. This uplifting mashup of intricate group beatbox routines and roof-raising interpretations of all-time classics will leave you whooping, clapping and dancing all the way home.

Underbelly Productions presented The Vocal Orchestra as the headline show in the Udderbelly at E4 Udderbelly Festival Southbank Centre and at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2012.

The Vocal Orchestra is available for touring. Please contact us for details.

Presented by Underbelly Productions

‘Master of the fine art of beatboxing’ The Independent ‘The kid’s good. Jaw-droppingly good’ The Guardian ‘He’s like a one-man Hollywood action film soundtrack’ The Times ‘Brilliant soulful vocal gymnasticsics’ Evening Standard

HHHHH ‘A must-see spectacle’ Broadway Baby HHHHH ‘Impressive... each show is its own work of art’ Three Weeks HHHHH ‘Effervescent and wildly inventive’ Jewish Chronicle HHHH ‘Incredible noise-making skill from a lovable entertainer’ The List

SHLOMO MOUTHTRONICA Mouthtronica was the acclaimed World Loopstation Champion’s first solo show, mixing storytelling, live-looping and high-energym genre-hopping human beatboxing. Shlomo uses his voice to create original soundscapes ranging from experimental vocal acrobatics to jaw-dropping one-man renditions of classic tunes.

Underbelly Productions presented the show on tour in the UK and in a sell-out season at the Edinbrugh Festival Fringe in 2011.

Presented by Underbelly Productions Photo: Gabrielle Motola / gabriellemotola.com

HHHH ‘An hour of pure, unaffected, exuberant joy’ The Times HHHH ‘Rumba as it should be played: as a force of liberation’ Evening Standard HHHH ‘The Quality and exuberance of the dancing is staggering’ The Scotsman HHHH ’Like a two-week sun-drenched holiday in Havana’ Metro

The hottest Cuban Salsa party in town! Direct from Havana, an intoxicating cocktail of rumba, salsa, rum and reggaeton.

Dazzling, eye-popping and mind-blowing performances from the Kings of Cuban dance.

This irresistible dance show, which which Underbelly Productions presented as the headline show at the E4 Udderbelly Festival in 2012, starred some of South America’s most legendary dancers, including Eric Turro, star of Buena Vista Social Club, and Osvadys Ganza, star dancer of Los Van Van and Afro Cuban All Stars. Ecstatic and explosive Cuban beats came live from Sonora La Calle, Cuba’s legendary salsa band.

Presented by Underbelly Productions

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Feel the carnival beats and be swept away on this incredible journey to the pulsating heart of Brazilian passion. Unstoppable rhythm, indescribable feats of acrobatics and a breathless display of football magic from the world masters of the beautiful game. Accompanied by the stunning singers, dancers and musicians of Rhythm Carnival, Brazil’s hottest samba band. Ole! Ole! Ole! Brazil! Brazil! headlined E4 Udderbelly Festival, Southbank Centre 2010, and sold out at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2010.

Presented by Underbelly Productions and World Stage Productions & DWH.

HHHH ‘It’s pure feel-good entertainment. A pared-down version of Stomp and Cirque Du Soleil packed into an hour of premier-league beat-boxing, drumming, turntablism and those ridiculously accomplished acrobatics’ The London Paper ‘This is an enjoyable, high-energy family show… Parents will be urging their offspring to run away and join the Tom Tom Crew’ The Guardian

HHHH ‘Great beats, wowing physical feats and lively sweaty fun’ Metro ‘Mad, chaotic, sound-busting mayhem... a must-see’ Daily Telegraph ‘No ordinary circus outing… impressive, mesmerising, infectious’ Time Out, New York

Super charged collision of extreme circus, heart pumping music and 21st-century spectacle. Australia’s freshest acrobats join forces with former Duos World Champion beatboxer Tom Thum, drumming sensation Ben Walsh and master record scratchers to present an hour of uplifting and explosive entertainment for all ages. Tom Tom Crew is an extraordinary mix of audacious acrobatics, phenomenal beatboxing, DJing and drumming.

Tom Tom Crew headlined the E4 Udderbelly Festival, Southbank Centre 2009, the E4 Udderbelly Festival in Brighton in 2008, and played two sell out seasons at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2007 and 2009.

Presented by Underbelly Productions and Strut N Fret Production House

AT THE EDINBURGH FESTIVAL

Every year, Underbelly Productions presents a selection of work at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, including comedy, circus, theatre, music and family shows. Here are a few of our recent highlights...

BRIEFS

Briefs slams together a beef-caked and disorderly line-up of Australia’s award-winning mischief-makers in a circus-infused variety show for the not-so-faint-hearted. Host Shivannah, love-child of the ringmaster and bearded lady, leads a ragtag team of skilful buccaneers in a contortion of vaudeville, burlesque, dance and clowning.

HHHH ‘Highly Entertaining’ Time Out HHHH ‘Classy Cabaret’ Fest HHHHH ‘Astonishing’ Three Weeks

THE ADVENTURES OF ALVIN SPUTNIK

A multi-award-winning, one-man, micro epic puppet show that melds technology and multimedia into a touching story of enduring love and the end of the world.

HHHHH ‘Spellbinding’ Metro HHHHH ‘Flawless and moving’ Scotsman HHHH ‘Hugely playful and inventive’ Guardian

BOOM BOOM CLUB

Cabaret, live music, promenade performance and after-hours revelry across three venues in Underbelly Cowgate. An immersive extravaganza. Spectacular sideshow, surreal comedy and heart-breaking song rub shoulders at the party which never ends.

HHHH ‘Trailblazing, hell-raising cabaret’ Time Out HHHH ‘Preposterous, fascinating and totally brilliant’ Quotidian Times

TOM THUM: BEATING THE HABIT

Take a sonic journey into the mind and overworked vocal chords of Australia’s most prolific multi-vocalist, Tom Thum, beatbox addict and star of Tom Tom Crew. Armed with a microphone, Thum pushes the limits of the human voice to create a mindblowing soundscape of impossible beats, phenomenal sounds and an entire big band’s worth of instruments.

HHHH 'Fantastic' Daily Telegraph HHHHH ‘Outstanding’ Three Weeks HHHH ‘Will leave you gobsmacked’ Quotidian Times

TUMBLE CIRCUS

Adelaide 2012 Best Circus winners’ Edinburgh debut. No fanfare or sequins, just extraordinary skill from two acrobats on a lifelong adventure.

HHHH ‘Fabulous’ Fest HHHH ‘A soaring and touching display of physical talent’ Big Issue

OLD VIC NEW VOICES SEASON

2012 saw Underbelly, in association with Old Vic New Voices and IdeasTap, brought five new theatre shows to the Fringe, each produced, directed, written and performed by emerging artists. In 2012, these shows were Chapel Street, One Hour Only, Glory Dazed, Bitch Boxer and Strong Arm.

BASIC TRAINING

Hip hop, family secrets, the US Air Force and non-stop laughs all come together in this Fringe First-winning production. As Kahlil Ashanti begins a new life in the military, a shocking revelation forces his attention home to face the childhood he is trying to leave behind. Winner of the Broadway Baby 6th Star Award HHHHHH ‘I laughed & cried...outstanding from start to finish’ Broadway Baby HHHHH Scotsman

SPANK!

A mixed bill of comedy, music and festival anarchy with a break for beer in the middle. The ultimate party night.

‘This is what the festival should be about’ List ‘Comedy and legendary party night… If you haven’t experienced this night, get down there right away!’ Time Out

SUSAN CALMAN: THIS LADY’S NOT FOR TURNING EITHER

Susan (News Quiz/Have I Got News For You) knows her own mind and wants to share it with you. In her most political show yet, she talks about what makes her who she is, and why no one’s going to change her.

HHHH ‘Cracking’ Evening Standard HHHH ‘Effortlessly engaging’ Chortle HHHH ‘Masterful’ Skinny

Underbelly Productions 5 Bywell Place, London W1T 3DN | +44 (0) 207 307 8480 Producer Stephen Makin | stephen@underbelly.co.uk Directors Ed Bartlam & Charlie Wood www.underbelly.co.uk/productions