Bye!

Posted by Sara Green (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi)

Well, as this is my last day with Hoipolloi it also means that this is my last blog entry. I know, how sad!



As my placement with Hoipolloi is coming to an end, (I have been doing a 10 month internship with the company as part of my gap year) I thought it would be a good idea to sum up my time here and try and think of a highlight of the year. The problem is that there are so many, so I have tried to be brief...

Before I started at Hoipolloi I had never worked in an office before, and that showed! I would ask stupid questions and generally embarrass myself, particularly in regard to my knowledge of photocopiers. But after a year(ish) I can honestly say that I have learnt so much not only about touring theatre but also office life, and now if I am given a job I don’t automatically go into panic mode. Well not often anyway.

So that is one thing that this year has been good for. Another thing that was amazing about this placement was the fact that I was able to see the development of a show from scratch. I remember the meeting back in September discussing a possible set design for The Doubtful Guest. Then in November I got to watch rehearsals for the show before witnessing it progress into a fantastic piece of theatre which opened in Watford Palace. I feel privileged to have been a part of this process and it made watching the show just that little bit more special.

When I try and think of one event that has made my year I would probably go for the time I had to dress up as the Doubtful Guest and wander the Barbican having my photograph taken. You know, as you do! As an aspiring actor that was a pretty special experience, which, although made me look rather stupid, was extremely fun and unique.

But I can’t stop there.

There are so many times that stick in my mind, for example the first time I met Hugh Hughes, seeing Story of a Rabbit for the first time and crying, the opening night of The Doubtful Guest, the end of tour in Newcastle and getting slightly inebriated with the cast, going to rehearsals and being stunned by the talent of the company, building a rehearsal room with Richard and being the only girl in a room of men who knew what they were doing, listening to Hugh run the show at 10 times the speed and laughing in hysterics, having a joke with Simon that I found funny and he didn’t, getting an electric shock every time I touched the filing cabinet, falling asleep in the company car on countless occasions, betting Steffi I could fit inside a box then proving my point, actually enjoying the filing day when everyone else was bored, stunning Steffi with my detailed knowledge of Fedex, doing yoga and stretching with Louise on the office floor, making masks from scratch, finding out about the aliens that Hugh thinks are in everyone’s brains, having my lack of geographical knowledge as a laughing point on a daily basis, missing a meeting in Liverpool because I got on the wrong train and ended up in Waterbeach....I could go on.

But I think one of the best times for me has been the last week in the Barbican, which not only was my childhood home but it is also one of my favourite venues and watching the show on Friday night was one of the most emotional yet uplifting experiences I’ve had in a long time. I felt so proud to have been part of Hoipolloi and had such a lovely night celebrating with them that I actually don’t want to leave!

So I am now off to drama school to try and learn how to do that ‘acting’ thing and experience theatre from a more creative side, however I owe so much to Hoipolloi for giving me a complete all round experience of life in this industry and I feel so much more equipped with this year behind me.
So thank you for reading my ramblings over the year and I leave you in the very capable hands of David who will be taking over my job and no doubt the blog.

Just before I go however, I will do one last bit of marketing and urge you all to keep seeing Hoipolloi’s work; it just keeps getting better and better!

Goodbye!

The end of the Rabbit run...

Posted by Sara Green (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi)

After a crazy couple of months, the first tour of Hugh Hughes’ second hit Story of a Rabbit has come to an end. But what an ending it was! With a two week run at the Barbican’s Pit Theatre as part of bite08 the show went out with a bang, impressing audiences and critics alike and generating a fantastic response each night.

As well as being excited about performing in such a prestigious venue, Hugh and Aled were pleased to see so many old faces return to see the show as well as welcoming the new connections they made in London. It was definitely the perfect way to end a hugely successful tour and the ridiculously busy season we have had at Hoipolloi.

The show has really grown over the past few months, becoming increasingly funny and, believe it or not, more moving every time I see it. I think this was confirmed by the raucous laughter followed by thoughtful silences that I witnessed in the theatre last week and the queues of tearful women in the toilets afterwards, including me, hastily reapplying mascara proves my point.

One of our favourite responses to the show was posted at the Hugh Hughes Appreciation Society on Facebook

“Possibly the only show I have ever been to where my friend came out with tears of laughter and I came out with tears of sadness. Truly remarkable.”

But if now you are getting upset at the prospect of not seeing a Hoipolloi show again, fear not.

We are currently finalising the autumn tour of The Doubtful Guest, not to mention a host of international dates for Hugh Hughes that will be announced in the next few weeks. So put those hankies away and save them for Story of a Rabbit’s return, you’ll need ’em!

And for those who want an extra dose of Hugh, here's one of his videos to enjoy! To find more, why not visit our YouTube channel.

The perfect end to a lovely tour...

Posted by Sara Green (Marketing and Admin Assistant, Hoipolloi)


Hugh and Aled have certainly been busy this spring. Visiting venues in Cambridge, Norwich, Plymouth and many more it is hard to keep up with the cheeky duo. But as the first UK tour of Story of a Rabbit comes to an end we are delighted to return back to the Barbican Centre in London as part of Bite08 for the final two weeks of the tour!


Opening last night, Story of a Rabbit began a fortnight of performances in this prestigious venue, with a great response from audiences in the heart of the City of London. If you have missed the show on its first tour, or want a chance to see it again before it is off the road, now is your chance.



The show starts at 7.45pm and is on until Sat 21 June.
Tickets are only £12, to book simply call the box office on 0845 120 7556 or visit the website http://www.barbican.org.uk/bite


Looking forward to seeing you there, don’t miss out!