OUTDOOR SUMMER SHOW

FUNNY BUSINESS

TOURING SCHOOLS FROM 9 to 20 JULY ONLY

Take one crazy clown, add dare-devil tricks, a rubber duck, and a singing caveman. Mix with loads of audience participation, music and eccentric dance, sprinkle on some magic and you have a recipe for guaranteed giggles.

After a glittering career in menswear, Fraser Hooper gave it all up to become one of the best dressed acts on the circuit. 16 years on his unique brand of physical comedy has delighted thousands of audiences world-wide. From sell out theatres across the UK to the comedy and street festivals of Europe and Australasia, this award winning show with a nod to the great silent clowns uses comedy, circus skills, mesmerizing mime and LOTS of audience participation.

"Our favourite, which kept us to the end, hiccuping with laughter was Fraser Hooper. His act consisted of getting children and adults to help him do some fairly simple tricks, but he had a wonderful knack of relating to, and sending up, his volunteers." Andrew Eames The Times

"A brilliant performer with outstanding theatrical style, inventiveness and sensitivity, he is very funny indeed and will win the hearts of children and adults." The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford

This fabulous opportunity is available for these two weeks only, so if you would like your school or PTA to host this fantastic, great value show get in touch as soon as you can with

Lynn Whitehead at The New Wolsey Theatre on 01473 261142 or lwhitehead@wolseytheatre.co.uk

All we need is a flat performing space approx 3m X 5m with access to the audience and a mains power supply.

REVIEWS OF PREVIOUS SUMMER SHOWS

THE EVENING STAR 26 JULY 2002
IPSWICH ADVERTISER 1 AUGUST 2002
THE EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES 5 AUGUST 2002


THE EVENING STAR 26 JULY 2002

Daisy pulls it off in sweet style

Comic book mayhem came to Ipswich when evil Dr Cabbagefinger arrived on a mission to take over the world.

But in front of the town hall, with a crowd of excited youngsters watching, the baddie's plans were quickly thwarted by clever Daisy Jones, a couple of jellybeans and an array of colourful characters.

Daisy Jones and the Jellybean Conspiracy, the New Wolsey's first outdoor touring production, was staged on the Cornhill with free admission.

For nearly an hour, dozens of children sat entranced.

Daisy Jones and the Jellybean Conspiracy is touring Suffolk and Essex until mid-Augusr. It can be seen for free at Hawke Road play area in Ipswich at 3pm on Thursday and in Christchurch Park at 3pm on Friday, August 2nd.

It will also be at Chelmondiston playing field at 6.30pm tomorrow and East House Gardens, George Street, Hadleigh on August 4th. Entry for these two shows costs between £1 and £3.

Joanne MacDonald

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IPSWICH ADVERTISER 1 AUGUST 2002

Having a jelly good time

Jellybean madness hit the Cornhill, Ipswich last week as the latest escapade from the New Wolsey Theatre enthralled hundreds of sweet-loving passers by.

Laughs were plentiful, and thankfully the sun shone, as children gathered to watch Daisy Jones and the Jellybean Conspiracy, performed by an energetic cast on Wednesday lunchtime.

The outdoor touring show, created by the New Wolsey's Mary Swan, follows the intrepid heroine Daisy Jones when she finds herself trapped inside a comic book after eating a packet of jellybeans taped to the front of it.

Daisy's only hope of escaping the surreal 'comicland' is to find an ending to each of the stories but evil Dr Cabbagefinger acts as the perfect nemesis to her quest.

The fast-moving, colourful and fun-packed show attracted a crows of hundreds in the town centre location and has children begging to be asked on to the stage to meet their jellybean heroes.

Daisy, with hairbands aptly flower shaped, was played by Lena Rae, and she gave a lively performance of the simply heroine. Alongside her were Saul Jaffe as Dr Cabbagedfinger and Magnet Boy and Denny James Smith as Daddy Long Legs Man and Davey Street with his Oversized Feet.

The play described as a "deliciously silly slice of summer fun", was accompanied by music written by Paul Wild and has an innovative stage with trapdoors, unfolding passages and the like.

Daisy Jones and the Jellybean Conspiracy will continue to tour outdoor venues until August 17th. This includes a free showing at Christchurch Park tomorrow, Friday 3rd August at 3pm.

Hazel Byford

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THE EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES 5 AUGUST 2002

Parents note: this is one for the kids

There are times when parents should be seen and not heard. An outdoor children's show is one of them.

About two or three hundred youngsters near the front on the grass outside Christchurch Mansion has a wonderful time. Further back, hundreds more lost track of what was going on because

thoughtless grown-ups amongst them drowned the words of the play in a constant clatter of personal chatter that ignored the fact that this was supposed to be a day for the kids.

The faces of the ones at the front were a joy to behold, mostly wreathed in laughter; occasionally held in a bit of a thrill because this was serious stuff - Dr Cabbagefinger had a plan to kidnap lots of children and hold the world to ransom and he had an entire vegetable army at his beck and call.

Daisy Jones was one of those he kidnapped but she was a feisty girl and was not going to knuckle down easily.

She found a packet of jellybeans attached to a comic in her uncle's attic.

They were magic and has been placed there by the evil doctor and, as she ate them she was sucked into the tales of the comic and there was only one way out - if she could complete the stories that had not yet been written.

There was lots of fun as Lena Rae, Saul Jaffe and Denny James Smith raced in and out of character as Magnet Boy, Daddy Long Lega Man and Davey Street With His Oversized Feet on a set full of surprises.

Lovely stuff from the Wolsey Summer Show actors, with some good sound and music.

David Henshall

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