Dear Venue Marketeer, -...

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

Dear Venue Marketeer,

We have designed this marketing pack to support your promotional activities for The

Table by Blind Summit.

We hope that it will provide you with all the information you need. If you have any

further questions please contact:

Sarah Wilson, house Marketing Support Officer.

[email protected]/01252 745 419

The Table is a unique show and thus difficult to describe! Its definitely worth taking a

look at the promo video's to get a sense of the show.

The fusion of the theatre and comedy allows The Table to be sold across different

markets. To that end, we have provided a specific mail out for your regular

attendees of stand up comedy and one that you might want to send to your

audiences of theatre.

We also find we have strong audiences of young people - particularly students. The

show is partly about theatre and artists, so we have also included some material to

help with targeting them.

Contents

Blind Summit Theatre company

About The Table

The team

Marketing copy

Online Marketing

Audiences

Press Quotes

Box Office Information

Template Press Release

Template Mail-out

Q&A with Blind Summit's Artistic Director

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

ABOUT BLIND SUMMIT

Blind Summit's mission is to present new puppets, in new places, in new ways to

new audiences. Founded in 1997 by Mark Down & Nick Barnes, we are

dedicated to reinventing puppetry for modern adult audiences and pioneering

new methods of performing with puppets.

Blind Summit draws on the traditional Japanese form of Bunraku puppetry in

which 3 puppeteers combine to operate one beautifully crafted puppet. The

puppets communicate through finely detailed movement and gesture, creating

an intimate and intense personal world where the characters’ thoughts become

physically realised in the action on the stage. The power of puppetry is in the

simplicity of their movements combined with the complexities of their

implications. They live in a world where everything may suddenly come alive, or

suddenly die.

Productions include: The Heads (2013), The Call of the Wild (2010), 1984 (2009),

Real Man (2007), Low Life (2005), Pirate Puppetry (2004), Martin’s Wedding

(2004), The Spaceman (2003), Mr China’s Son (2002) and Tramping the Boards

(2001)

Puppetry commissions include: The Magic Flute (Bregenz Festival 2013 & 14),

London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony (Danny Boyle), Master and Margarita

(Complicite 2012), Angus Thongs and Even More Snogging (West Yorkshire

Playhouse 2012), Kommilitonen! (RAM 2011), Faeries (ROH2 2010), A Dog’s Heart

(Complicite, DNO, ENO 2010, La Scala 2013), Puss In Boots (Gotham Chamber

Opera, Tectonic Theater 2010), Shun-kin (Complicite, Setagaya Theatre Tokyo,

Barbican 2010), Madam Butterfly (ENO, Lithuanian National Opera, Metropolitan

Opera 2006/2007/2008/2011/2013) and Ramayana (Lyric Hammersmith, West

Yorkshire Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic 2007)

house with

Blind Summit

Theatre presents

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

house with Blind Summit presents

THE TABLE

Director: Mark Down

Puppet: Nick Barnes

Devised by Blind Summit Theatre

Moses is a 2 foot high puppet with a cardboard head and a lousy temper... who

lives on a table. He's always lived on the table. He's a table top puppet. Tonight he

wants to tell you the epic story of the last twelve hours of the life of his namesake,

"Moses". But he is easily distracted as he tries to mime the conversation between

God and Moses on the top of Mount Nebo, demonstrates the workings of

puppetry, shows off "the running man" and falls out with his puppeteers... As his

carefully constructed table top world falls apart, will he ever finish his story? Do you

want him to?

This stand-up-comedian-puppet-philosopher might never come to the point, but he

certainly gets to the heart of the matter.

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

An award winning, internationally acclaimed show from "the UK's puppet masters"

(Lyn Gardner, The Guardian) Blind Summit Theatre - the makers of Low Life, Madam

Butterfly, A Dog’s Heart, 1984 and puppet directors for the London 2012 Olympic

Opening Ceremony.

WINNER FRINGE FIRST 2011, GUARDIAN PICK OF THE FEST, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH TOP 5

MODERN PUPPET SHOWS, KONTRAPUNKT FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****

"Astonishingly accomplished"

THE TELEGRAPH****

“Beckett meets Tommy Cooper... Brilliantly Funny”

TIME OUT****

"One of the more astonishing 70 minutes of theatre, puppetry, whimsy, mischief, eye-

brain-hand coordination and total brilliance"

Chicago Sun-Times

Photographers credit: Lorna Palmer

COMPANY BIOGS

Mark Down (Director and Performer) is Artistic Director of Blind Summit Theatre, which

he founded in 1997 with Nick Barnes. He originally qualified as a doctor and

retrained as an actor at Central School of Speech and Drama in London. For Blind

Summit Mark is a director, performer and writer.

Nick Barnes (Puppet daker and designer) is an Associate Artist of Blind Summit

Theatre, which he originally founded in 1997 with Mark Down. Nick studied drama at

Hull University in England, and theater design at the Slade School of Fine Art in

London. He trained in puppetry with Philippe Genty at the International Institute of

the Marionette in France. Nick designs and makes puppets for theatre, opera and

musicals at home and abroad, including Blind Summit.

Sean Garratt (Performer) has been a performer with Blind Summit for over two years.

He trained at East 15 Acting School, graduating in 2008. At that time he also took a

first step into comedy, trained by the late Ken Campbell in competitive comedy

improvisation. Now his work includes performing, puppetry, movement direction,

sketch comedy, improvisation, television and radio.

Irena Stratieva (Performer) has been a performer with Blind Summit for over two

years. She started her puppetry training in 2007 at the National Academy of Theatre

and Film Arts in Sofia, Bulgaria and continued her studies at Central School of

Speech and Drama in London. Now she works as a puppeteer, puppet maker and

theatre performer based in London.

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

MARKETING COPY

(LONG 150 WORDS) OPTION 1

house with Blind Summit present The Table








want him to?

Virtuosic puppetry improvisation, Beckettian simplicity, wild humour and a dark

edge... on a table.

FRINGE FIRST 2011, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH TOP 5 MODERN PUPPET SHOWS, KONTRAPUNKT

FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****


THE TELEGRAPH****


TIME OUT****

(SHORT 100 WORDS) OPTION 1



lives on a table. Tonight he wants to tell you the epic story of the last twelve hours of

the life of his namesake, "Moses". But he is easily distracted...


edge... on a table.

FRINGE FIRST 2011, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH TOP 5 MODERN PUPPET SHOWS.

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****


THE TELEGRAPH****

“Brilliantly Funny”

TIME OUT****

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

(BRIEF COPY 50 WORDS) OPTION 1



lives on a table.

Award winning, epic puppetry inspired by Beckett, the Bible and Ikea.


THE TELEGRAPH****


TIME OUT****


(LONG 150 WORDS) OPTION 2

Moses is a cantankerous 3 man operated puppet with a cardboard head... who

lives on a table. Tonight he wants to tell you an epic story about God and Moses, life

and death, and puppetry... on a table. But he gets easily distracted.

Like a cross of Tommy Cooper and Eddie Izzard this table top

puppet philosopher cum stand up comedian is the funniest "piece of cardboard"

you'll ever meet.

Just back from a sellout tour of USA, the team behind the 90 feet Voldemort in the

London Olympic Opening Ceremony, brings you a 2 foot high puppet in an

unforgettably unique show.

If you see one puppet show in your life - make it this one!


TIME OUT****



Chicago Sun-Times


THE TELEGRAPH****

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

(SHORT 100 WORDS) OPTION 2


Moses is a cantankerous 3 man operated puppet with a cardboard head... who

lives on a table. Tonight he wants to tell you an epic story about God and Moses, life

and death, and puppetry... on a table. But he gets easily distracted.



you'll ever meet.



Chicago Sun-Times


THE TELEGRAPH****

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****


TIME OUT****

(BRIEF 50 WORDS) OPTION 2




you'll ever meet.

If you see one puppet show in your life - make it this one!


THE TELEGRAPH****

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****


TIME OUT****

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

ONLINE MARKETING

Twitter: @1blindsummit

@mosesonthetable

#thetable

#poseswithmoses - Moses meets and greets the audience after each show for

photos and encourages them to send them in using this hashtag.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/blind Summit Theatre

Website: www.blindsummit.com

Content to share:

- Production images

- Rehearsal images

- Information on other Blind Summit shows currently being performed .

- A Blind Summit guide to puppetry - information on designing and constructing

puppets.

- A rehearsal blog

- Promotional Videos

Messaging:

- This is an award winning production from the critically acclaimed company behind

the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

- The show has toured the world and is now heading to your venue.

- The show is funny - has been compared to Tommy Cooper, Eddie Izzard, Russell

Brand.

- Expert puppeteering from 'the UK's puppet masters' (The Guardian)

AUDIENCE QUOTES:

" absolutely bloody amazing"

"I never saw puppetry like that before "

" theatrical heroine!"

"fantastic, inspirational theatre experience"

"the coolest show I've seen this year"

"one of the best things I've seen in my life"

"I will never forget this evening"

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

TARGET AUDIENCES

People interested in:

- Puppetry

- Improvisation

- Stand up comedy

- Physical and dynamic storytelling

- Experimental Theatre

- Theatre about theatre

Selling points:

- Award winning theatre: FRINGE FIRST 2011, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH TOP 5 MODERN

PUPPET SHOWS, KONTRAPUNKT FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX

- Critically and internationally acclaimed company

- High quality puppetry

- Very funny - has been compared to Tommy Cooper, Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand.

PRESS QUOTES


TIME OUT****


THE TELEGRAPH****

“Blind Summit once again prove that when you’re working in miniature

you don’t have to think small"

THE GUARDIAN****

"When he made his exit, part of my heart left with him" METRO****

"Extremely entertaining ... humour that hits home" EVENING STANDARD****

"Truly amazing...exceptionally funny" CHICAGO TRIBUNE****

****The Guardian **** The Times ****The Telegraph ****The Scotsman

****The Independent ****The Evening Standard ****Metro ****Time Out

No 1 in THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'S "Top 5 modern puppet shows



Chicago Sun-Times

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

A description of the show in two simple lines

An award winning show from the critically and internationally acclaimed company

who brought you the puppetry in the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

How long is the performance?

70 minutes, no interval.

Are there any lighting or strobe effects?

No

Recommended age limits

12+ (contains some strong language)

Is there any music or songs?

Some music.

How many performers are there?

3 performers and a puppet

What does the set look like?

A table centre stage

How can I find out more about Blind Summit?

Visit www.blindsummit.com or sign up to our mailing list by emailing

[email protected] for a monthly newsletter.

Who are House?

house is an initiative supported by Arts Council England designed to support venues

to increase audiences and improve the range, quality and scale of theatre

presented across South East and Eastern England.

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

TEMPLATE PRESS RELEASE

house with BLind SumMiT present:

THE TABLE

Fringe First Award Winner 2011

Winner of the Grand Prix at Kontrapunkt Festival Poland 2013

Created by BLIND SUMMIT THEATRE

Inspired by an original commission by JCC/YAD Arts Supported by JACKSONS LANE

Moses is a cantekerous 2 foot high puppet, with a cardboard head, who lives on a

table. And he's got a problem. All he ever gets asked to perform is fairy tales or

children's birthday parties, and he's fed up with it. He's an artist! He's a serious

puppet! So tonight, for one show only, the table is his and he is going to perform an

epic story. The final 12 hours of the life of Moses, in real time, on his table.

Unique and very funny, this is improvised puppetry like you have never seen before.

Our table-top philosopher explains the nature of puppetry, has disagreements with

his puppeteers, shows off his dancing skills, examines the bible and has an

unfortunate mishap with an invisible running machine. Along the way he gains a

theatre full of fans who then watch his painful attempts to rescue his show from

chaos.

This is award winning, epic puppetry inspired by Beckett, the Bible and Ikea.

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

The Table premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011 where it won a Fringe

First. Since then it has gone on to tour the world - including the UK, Europe, China

and the USA - winning critical acclaim and awards.

Blind Summit are the puppetry innovators (geeks?) behind Moses. Their work pushes

the boundaries of puppetry in their own productions (1984, Low Life, Pirate Puppetry)

and in international collaborations (Bregenz Festival, Complicite, Barbican, Royal

Opera House, MET Opera). Their work puts the puppetry centre stage and is

dedicated to developing the role of puppetry in adult theatre. They have brought to

life a singing dog in Simon McBurney's A Dog's Heart, a three year old boy in

Anthony Minghella's Madam Butterfly, and a 18 metre high firework-firing Voldemort

in Danny Boyle's Olympic Opening Ceremony.

****The Guardian **** The Times ****The Telegraph ****The Scotsman

****The Independent ****The Evening Standard ****Metro ****Time Out

One of THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH'S "Top 5 modern puppet shows"

Press Quotes:


TIME OUT****


THE TELEGRAPH****

“Blind Summit once again prove that when you’re working in miniature

you don’t have to think small”

THE GUARDIAN****

"When he made his exit, part of my heart left with him"

METRO****

Cast:

Mark Down

Sean Garratt

Irena Strateiva

Puppet: Nick Barnes

Director: Mark Down

Blind Summit Theatre

Founded in 1997 by Mark Down & Nick Barnes, Blind Summit is reinventing puppetry

for modern adult audiences and pioneering new methods of performing with

puppets.

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

Productions include: The Heads (2013), The Call of the Wild (2010), 1984 (2009), Real

Man (2007), Low Life (2005), Pirate Puppetry (2004), Martin’s Wedding (2004), The

Spaceman (2003), Mr China’s Son (2002) and Tramping the Boards (2001)

Puppetry commissions include: The Magic Flute (Bregenz Festival 2013 & 14), London

2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony (Danny Boyle), Master and Margarita (Complicite

2012), Angus Thongs and Even More Snogging (West Yorkshire Playhouse 2012),

Kommilitonen! (RAM 2011), Faeries (ROH2 2010), A Dog’s Heart (Complicite, DNO,

ENO 2010, La Scala 2013), Puss In Boots (Gotham Chamber Opera, Tectonic Theater

2010), Shun-kin (Complicite, Setagaya Theatre Tokyo, Barbican 2010), Madam

Butterfly (ENO, Lithuanian National Opera, Metropolitan Opera

2006/2007/2008/2011) and Ramayana (Lyric Hammersmith, West Yorkshire

Playhouse, Bristol Old Vic 2007)

Blind Summit Puppetry

Blind Summit's mission is to present new puppets, in new places, in new ways to new

audiences.

Blind Summit draws on the traditional Japanese form of Bunraku puppetry in which 3

puppeteers combine to operate one beautifully crafted puppet. The puppets

communicate through finely detailed movement and gesture, creating an intimate

and intense personal world where the characters’ thoughts become physically

realised in the action on the stage. The power of puppetry is in the simplicity of their

movements combined with the complexities of their implications. They live in a world

where everything may suddenly come alive, or suddenly die.

For more information

T:020 7272 9020 W:blindsummit.com E:[email protected]

facebook.com/blindsummit @1blindsummit

http://www.blindsummit.com/

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

TEMPLATE MAIL-OUT - For Theatre audience

Dear theatregoer,

Re: The Table, presented by Blind Summit Theatre with house








want him to?

This stand-up-comedian-puppet-philosopher might never come to the point, but he



edge... on a table.

An award winning, internationally acclaimed show from "the UK's puppet masters"

(Lyn Gardner, The Guardian) Blind Summit Theatre.

WINNER FRINGE FIRST 2011, GUARDIAN PICK OF THE FEST, SUNDAY TELEGRAPH TOP 5

MODERN PUPPET SHOWS, KONTRAPUNKT FESTIVAL GRAND PRIX

"Dazzling"

THE SCOTSMAN****


THE TELEGRAPH****


TIME OUT****



Chicago Sun-Times

We're pleased to announce that The Table will visit [venue name] on XXX. This

thrilling show is already proving extremely popular, so don't hesitate to book your

seats. Tickets are £X and £XX and you can book by either visiting our website or

calling the theatre on XXXXXXX.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to welcoming you to [venue name]

soon.

With warmest regards,

[Director name and signature]

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

TEMPLATE MAIL-OUT - For Comedy audience

Dear comedygoer,

Re: The Table, presented by Blind Summit with house.

Stand up comedy with a twist. Moses is a 2 foot high puppet with a cardboard head

and a lousy temper...who lives on a table. All he ever gets asked to perform is fairy

tales or children's birthday parties, and he's fed up with it. He's an artist! He's a serious

puppet! So tonight, for one show only, the table is his and he is going to perform an

epic story. The final 12 hours of the life of Moses, in real time, on his table.

This stand-up-comedian-puppet-philosopher, who has been compared to Eddie

Izzard, Ricky Gervais and Russell Brand might, never come to the point but he


Unique and very funny, this is stand up like you have never seen before.



you'll ever meet.


TIME OUT****

"exceptionally funny...70 minutes of big laughs"

CHICAGO TRUBINE****



Chicago Sun-Times

We're pleased to announce that The Table will visit [venue name] on XXX. This

thrilling show is already proving extremely popular, so don't hesitate to book your

seats. Tickets are £X and £XX and you can book by either visiting our website or

calling the theatre on XXXXXXX.

Thank you for your time and we look forward to welcoming you to [venue name]

soon.

With warmest regards,

[Director name and signature]

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

Q&A with Mark Down, Artistic Director of Blind Summit

You first premiered this production in 2011. What has been the journey of this

production?

The Table premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2011 where it won a Fringe

First. Since then it has gone on to tour the world - including the UK, Europe, China

and the USA - winning critical acclaim and awards.

What was your process for creating The Table and Blind Summit shows in general?

We wanted to do a show with a puppet on a table. We usually begin with a theme

and an image rather than a story and then there is a process of improvising and

stretching. But the intention was always to create a show about a puppet on a

table.

Moses was stuck in the wilderness for 40 years, so we thought the metaphor of a

puppet stuck on a table would be interesting. The death of Moses in the Bible and in

Jewish Midrash and Caballah is an existential examination of life and the mystery of

death. There is a clear separation between God and Man, which is a rich idea for

puppetry where you can see the puppeteers and we wanted to see if we could do

a show which was just a puppet on a table.

We also create puppets and puppet sequences for other companies including

Complicite, ENO and the National Theatre. We created a whole menagerie for His

Dark Materials, a hauntingly fragile puppet child for Anthony Minghella’s production

of Madam Butterfly, and a terrifying skeletal canine for an opera based on

Bulgakov’s A Dog’s Heart. The process is similar to when creating our own material, it

just exists within a bigger process. Collaborations are a chance to use what we

know. Though with our own work there’s the luxury of getting into the room and

going I haven’t got a clue how we’re going to this but with other companies you

can’t do that. That said, the collaborations we tend to take are the jobs that we

can’t resist and the jobs we can’t resist are usually the ones were we have no idea

how we’re going to pull it off.

How would you describe The Table?

The Table sits somewhere between a funny play and a serious comedy. There are

elements of Pinter and Beckett in there, but it also has the feel of stand-up at times;

the character of Moses is funny, sharp and self-aware with the earthy charm and

slightly smutty sense of humour of an old school entertainer. There’s a dash of Tommy

Cooper in his delivery, and he has Eddie Izzard’s capacity for digression. The

Marketing Pack 2014

BLind SumMiT

challenge is keeping him in check. There's always a danger of the puppet taking

over - he's a monster!

How did Blind Summit start making work?

Blind Summit was formed in 1997 by myself and Nick Barnes. We specialise in

Bunraku-style puppetry, a traditional Japanese form of puppetry given a

contemporary twist. I trained as a doctor and then retrained as an actor at Central

before falling into puppetry by accident really. It wasn’t until I met Barnes and

collaborated on a piece called Mr China’s Son that it clicked. Together we devised

material using the five extraordinary puppets which Nick had made, and half a ton

of rice. Afterwards we continued to work with one another and we wrote manifestos

for the future of puppetry and made silly websites. Slowly it took over more and more

of our lives

The name comes from the signs on the road to the Edinburgh Fringe,’ says Barnes.

‘It’s a hill where you can’t see the top until you are on it, and then everything is

clear,’ he continues. ‘It seemed like a good metaphor for the creative process.

There seems to be more and more puppetry appearing in theatre now, what are

your thoughts on this?

It’s extraordinary. Even five or six years ago that was very different.

The challenge is whether puppetry can address more than the fact that it’s

puppetry. We’re familiar with the idea of the puppet as a Poor Theatre tool, but to

put the puppets front and centre, to put on a play would be more of a challenge. It

would be interesting to do a Noel Coward play or a kitchen sink drama or a

Chekhov – something set in a drawing room.

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