Short Summary
'Helium' is the debut production of Grumble Pup, a theatre company founded in Reading and dedicated to putting on challenging new work. Originally intended for the Edinburgh Fringe 2020, the pandemic changed our plans, and we are now pleased to say that Helium is programmed for The Space's summer season 2021!
Helium is a story about regret, despair, and reconciliation. It is inspired by the story of Sharlotte Hydorn, a kindly old woman who began to sell suicide kits after the prolonged death of her husband. It aims to explore the fallout of tragedy, and how we can come together in spite of it.
We are looking to raise some money to ensure that we can cover the expenses of the talented mix of artists working on the project, and to allow us to get our work seen and our story heard!
What We Need & What You Get
- All the money will go towards helping us cover every expense of the cast and crew. Fringe theatre is a challenging industry, and we don't want to place a financial burden on the artists we work with (all those tube journeys can add up!).
- All of the funds from our stretch goals will be split between cast and crew for their time and talents.
- But, of course, we'd love to give back what we can. As well as exclusive content from the rehearsal room on our mailing list, donors will receive. . .
- £5: Thank you! Your name in the program, and our undying gratitude.
- £15: Super thank you! A lovely personalised thank you card, signed by the whole Helium team, plus all of the above..
- £25: Mega thank you! A personalised thank-you video from the writer, a video sneak peak behind the scenes, plus all of the above.
- £50: Helium insider! A full video compilation of Behind the Scenes footage from the production process, plus all of the above.
- £100: Party time! A limited edition PartyPlanet party bag, filled with custom goodies from the show, a special edition program, and all the above.
- £150: Swag bag! A Grumble Pup branded t-shirt or hat, tote-bag, and signed poster, plus all of the above.
- £250: Front row seats! Come along to a rehearsal, meet the writer and creative team, and all of the above.
The Impact
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the arts industry has been enormous. Several members of our team have been unable to work longterm because of social distancing guidelines, and we are adamant not to add to the financial burden faced by the artists we work with.
We are doing everything we can on our end to treat our collaborators fairly. We are operating an open financial book, sharing profits equally among company members, and offering a guaranteed minimum expenses contribution. Still, the financial realities of the theatre industry make it extremely difficult to do so without facing losing a lot of money.
Your donation will help us to put on challenging and important work, while ensuring that all our collaborators are treated fairly. Helium is the first step to developing our platform, and will allow all of our emerging artists to hone their craft in front of a demanding public audience, without needlessly increasing their stress day-to-day.
Risks & Challenges
As a show originally intended to debut in Summer 2020, we are confident that we will be able to overcome any obstacles we face in the process of making this play a reality. Still, there are a few things we are conscious of as we go forward:
- We want Helium to be experienced by as broad a demographic as possible, one representative of the community local to The Space in East London, but also the UK as a whole. To achieve this we are offering a livestream with low-income tickets at £5, and reaching out to local charities and community groups to ensure that we are keeping our work accessible.
- It can be hard marketing a show with so many other excellent shows out there. To do this, we have secured a number of trailers in-kind to contribute to our curated marketing campaign, as well as networking via our weekly #sofashows series on Twitter.
- Even though it looks like it's on the way out, coronavirus is still, of course, at the back of our minds. We will be doing everything we can to ensure safety at our rehearsals and performances, and should COVID decide to rear its ugly head all funds raised will go straight towards staging the show at a later, safer date.
Other Ways You Can Help
If you can't contribute to this campaign, don't sweat it! There are all sorts of other things that will help make Helium a reality:
- Come and see the show! Buy yourself a ticket for the live show or livestream at https://space.org.uk/whats-on/
- Use the IndieGoGo share tools to share this campaign!
- Follow us on our socials! Twitter: @agrumblypup Instagram: @grumblepuptheatre
- Tell everyone you think might be interested! Spread the Grumble Pup word.