Summary
Sascha & I (David) met at a writer's workshop at the Bush Theatre in 2012. After producing various plays on our own, we formed LAB RATS in 2016 and staged a work in progress run of Sascha's new play, TRASHED, at the Pleasance Theatre, London in April 2016.
TRASHED was extremely well received by audiences and the show sold out. But, due to the typically unprofitable nature of fringe theatre, despite selling out, LAB RATS actually lost £500 (and that's without paying anyone!)
After the success of the rough first outing of the show, we've been given the opportunity to take TRASHED to Edinburgh, where we'll be able to showcase it in the best possible environment with a daily slot at the prestigious UNDERBELLY VENUE:
TRASHED is the embodiment of our passion for and dedication to producing high-quality fringe theatre. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the perfect opportunity for us to showcase our work to the industry and the ideal launch pad for the LAB RATS brand. Our aim is to leave our stamp on the industry and our audiences; to tell exciting, evocative stories that are accessible to all, including first-time theatre goers.
Unfortunately, producing a show at the Fringe is notoriously expensive. But fortunately for us our aim is exposure, not profit. We’re aiming to break even and that's how we decided on our target for this campaign.
Here's what's happening at Edinburgh this year...
What We Need
Below is an outline of some of the costs associated with taking a show to Edinburgh. This campaign's goal is a realistic crowdfunding contribution towards our total fundraising target. We plan to raise money in other ways, as well as putting money in ourselves.
N.B: these are just some of the big costs. There are many, many more not listed!
Accommodation: approx. £4k
It’s a long way from home so we need somewhere to rest and keep warm during those long (and famously wet!) Scottish Summer nights. Your contributions will help us pay for a modest base for our team during the run.
Marketing and PR: approx. £4k
With over 3,000 other shows to compete with, marketing and PR are key to raising awareness and standing out from the crowd during the Fringe. The money you donate will go towards registration fees, advertising, posters and flyers helping us to build a strong presence.
Travel: £500
There are over 400 miles between London and Edinburgh, a little outside the remit of Dad’s Taxis! Money raised will help pay for the train fares of company members, as well as transportation for our set.
Rehearsal Space: £300
Since our initial scratch run, we have reworked and redeveloped the script and continue to make tweaks and amendments. We need space to hone and polish the performance, making it the very best version of itself.
SO, JUST THE BASICS (and without paying anyone): £9000.00
We are incredibly grateful for any donations received – however big or small – and have devised a rewards system to thank all of our contributors.
The Play
TRASHED tells an incredible working class story of love, loss and missed opportunity.
Set on a fly-tipping site in Yorkshire, TRASHED tells the story of Keith 'Goody' Goodman; a raucous antihero who has been working on the bins for nineteen years and whose career is, quite literally, rubbish.
But Goody is hiding from something, and as the play unfolds we learn about the recent death of his daughter, how much he's been drinking and the dark secrets he's hiding from.
Risks & Challenges
For any performer or company, regardless of size or budget, taking a show to Edinburgh is incredibly financially challenging. Even if we reach our fundraising target, this project is going to cost us a lot of money and any shortfall will be taken out of our own pockets.
But, the hard work doesn’t stop once we’ve made it to Edinburgh. We also want to make sure we’re engaging with as wide a range of audiences as possible and providing a truly unique story-telling experience. Lighting, sound design, set, costume; we want to make sure we’re not compromising on the quality of any aspect of our production, despite this being Fringe. Being a small team, each person involved in the project is committing a huge amount of time, energy and enthusiasm to making this happen.
Any help you can give, however big or small, is incredible and helps make the experience a little less of a struggle.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please help us spread the message by sharing this campaign with your friends and family.
Similarly, if you have any other resources that you feel could help, please get in touch. We need as much publicity, rehearsal space and other funding raising opportunities as possible.
Thank you so much for reading this and please do come to see the show. Tickets are on sale now at www.TrashedThePlay.com !
Much love,
David & Sascha
#TrashedinEdinburgh