Some lovely comments and a new review...

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

It seems like yesterday that we all traipsed down to Watford for the opening of The Doubtful Guest. In fact, it doesn’t seem like it’s been a week since we were having vague meetings seven months ago discussing some set ideas for the show. But, yes, we are into our fourth week of touring and actually, at the end of this week the first tour of this Edward Gorey masterpiece will be over!

Although it has gone by at the speed of light, we haven’t missed the attention of some lovely audience members who have sent us great feedback on the show. We didn’t realize just how many closet Gorey fans existed, but they do, and it’s nice to know that there are people out there who share our love for this crazy misfit!

One of the nicest emails we received was from David from Qicksilver Theatre Company who wrote to tell us that “it was the best cross-age range show I’ve seen.” And that “its mix of humour and theatricality created an electrifying environment.”

As someone who has worked in children’s theatre for a long time, David’s opinion is really valued at Hoipolloi. This goes for all the people who sent in comments, they are always appreciated!

Someone else who enjoyed the show was Donald Hutera from The Times. We were ecstatic to read the fantastic review that he wrote us. Here is a sample of what he thought of the production:

“It functions on a smaller scale, but the Cambridge-based touring company Hoipolloi ranks with Kneehigh Theatre as a group with a genuine desire to connect with its audiences. Like its older Cornish counterpart, Hoipolloi offers work that is clever, accessible and engaging, as Shon Dale-Jones’s adaptation of Edward Gorey’s 1957 book, The Doubtful Guest, proves.” …."All in all, it’s a playful, accomplished piece of nonsense, and I mean that as a compliment.”

To read the rest of the review click here.

So, as we continue our tour in Newcastle we hope to receive more comments from people who enjoyed the show, from Gorey fans, and from people who want just want to say hello!
All is welcome.

4star review from The Guardian

Posted by Simon Bedford (Marketing & Touring Manager, Hoipolloi)

Waking up in Bogota this morning, I receive some fantastic news from the Hoipolloi base back in the UK. Thursday evening's performance was witnessed by Lyn Gardner, one of the Guardian's theatre critics, and here's just a taste of what she thought:

"The wonderful Hoipolloi is our leading purveyor of theatrical whimsy with shows such as Floating and Story of a Rabbit. This brief evening - childlike, but not childish and aimed at all ages - takes the 14 rhyming couplets of one of Gorey's best-known stories and transforms them into a piece of visual theatre that captures all the Victorian pastiche, fantastical imagination and ominous air of Gorey's original."

You can read the full 4star review here.

And for good measure, here's a few more production shots from the show!

Happy Easter!

(All photos by Geraint Lewis)

EXCLUSIVE - The Doubtful Guest production shots

Posted by Simon Bedford (Marketing & Touring Manager, Hoipolloi)

The internet is a fantastic thing! Here I am sat in my hotel room in Bogota, many thousand of miles from Watford and yet I'm still able to bring you an exclusive selection of production shots from The Doubtful Guest.

The internet also enables me to bring you the show's very first review from Hemel Hempstead Today which describes the show as "a chuckle-a-minute high quality piece that laughs in the face of 'serious' theatre". For the full review, click here.

And here, for your viewing pleasure, are the photos (taken by Geraint Lewis):

Greetings from Bogota

Posted by Simon Bedford (Hoipolloi's man in Colombia)

As my first full day in Colombia is coming to an end, I thought I'd pop a quick post here on the blog. Over the past few months we've been updating you mostly on the development of The Doubtful Guest but as we reach the exciting milestone on Thursday of having two shows performed in the same day but on different continents, here's a quick photo introduction to Story of a Rabbit's South American destination...

These shots were taken from a mountain that overlooks the Bogota and the view is spectacular.





Once Hugh and Aled arrive, I'll be reporting on their adventures in the city. In the meantime, I have to manage the get-in (despite never have done this before) and also face the Colombian press. So I'm sure they'll be an interesting story or two to tell tomorrow.

Until next time!

A trip to the theatre...

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

Tonight, the Hoipolloi members who didn’t fly out to Bogata at the weekend are off to sunny Watford to see The Doubtful Guest for the second time.

I am personally really looking forward to seeing how the show has changed since the opening night last Thursday. After several snapshot conversations with different members of the cast over the phone this week I have learnt that it is like a different show, having developed and improved massively over the last few days. This is very great news and given how much I enjoyed it last time I think we are definitely in for a treat tonight!

As well as being able to see the show again we are also lucky enough to get the opportunity to meet two of the trustees of the Gorey Estate who have made a special trip all the way from America especially to see the show! Probably the closest one can get to this remarkable author/illustrator, it will be an honour to meet them and I really hope they enjoy the performance.

So, with the show really and truly off the ground, the final plans being put in place for the tour, accommodation being booked and travel being organised it looks like we can all, slowly, start to relax and enjoy the fun that lies ahead…