PROMOTER INFORMATION
WATSON - SHELL SHOCK - WAITING FOR HAMLET - MENGELE
JACK'S ASHES
A highly adaptable solo performance as a team talk delivered to the audience
Full Tour Pack HERE
APPRAISAL
An annual work review gone wrong - a two handed corporate nightmare drama.
Page HERE
WATSON: The Final Problem
Trailer HERE
Full length audio version HERE
Watson is alone. His beloved wife Mary and the great Sherlock Holmes are both gone. But London seethes with false reports and rumour. It is time to set the record straight.
So Watson tells his tale... a tale of long buried secrets, betrayal and death. For there is a shadow in the gutters of London. A spider's web of poisonous intrigue lies across the city. Someone is playing a long game and Holmes and Watson face their greatest ever challenge. But as Watson unravels the story, is the game really over?
Based on the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 'Watson' is written with Bert Coules (BBC's The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Cadfael; Rebus) and performed by Tim Marriott (The Brittas Empire; Allo, Allo). Directed by Bert Coules with original music by Clive Whitburn.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Edinburgh Fringe 21 Reviews:
"Excellent one man show about Watson’s life with Holmes and the aftermath of his supposed death. Well considered and brilliantly acted."
"Utterly brilliant. A great story and wonderfully performed"
"5 Star Performance. Worthy addition to the interpretations"
"What a show! Even if you are not a Holmes fan, the performance was so beautifully nuanced... a deft balance of humanity and pathos carried us through the excitement of the narrative to the heartbreaking conclusion. Amazing. See this show while you can."
"Excellent one man show! Brilliant interpretation of the Holmes stories putting Watson front and centre. And it works splendidly. 5 STARS, MUST SEE"
"Utterly brilliant. A great story and wonderfully performed"
Suitable for GCSE ENGLISH LITERATURE AND LANGUAGE students, 'Watson' is inspired by two Sherlock Holmes adventures - The Sign of the Four and The Final Problem.
(Victorian Literature, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Sign of the Four)
SHELL SHOCK
Trailer HERE - Testimonials/introduction HERE
Content: A stage adaptation of an authentic ex-soldier’s diary by Neil Blower.
Story: Following a long career in the military, ‘Tommy’ attempts to fit in to civvy life. Commenting on the absurdities of the everyday is at first humorous but spirals down into anxiety, stress and beyond. Ending on a positive note, the play is ultimately a redemptive drama offering hope to those touched by mental health issues.
Style: Solo show. Engages through comedy that then descends into drama... and out the other side.
Created with support from multiple mental health and military charities such as Help for Heroes, Combat Stress and Stand Tall for PTS as a stigma reduction project. Commissioned following a grant funding from the Chancellor’s LIBOR fund. Performed by comedy veteran Tim Marriott (BBCTV’s The Brittas Empire)
5* reviews at EdFringe17 and Adelaide Fringe 18
FRINGE ENCORE WINNER to NY
SUNDAY MAIL BEST SOLO SHOW, Adelaide Fringe 18
"Astonishing and astounding" Fringe Review - OUTSTANDING SHOW
WAITING FOR HAMLET
All details at: www.waitingforhamlet.com
MENGELE
Trailer HERE
Content: The Auschwitz 'Angel of Death' meets the Angel of Death... A two handed psychological drama, set on the beach in Brazil where the notorious doctor drowned in 1979...
Story: An elderly man is washed ashore and made to face his past by the mysterious woman that he assumes has saved him. She flatters, provokes and cajoles him into attempting to justify the unjustifiable, ultimately only succeeding in condemning himself before she delivers a final cathartic denunciation.
Style: Naturalistic dialogue punctuated with historical projections to remind the audience of the context.
Themes: Making links between the rhetoric of the past and that of today, the play offers a warning from history of where buying into hatred and bigotry can lead to.
Inspired by the Philip Wharam novel ‘Right to Live’ and endorsed by the Amud Aish Holocaust Museum of New York.
5* star reviews and sell out audiences at EdFringe18, EdFringe19 and Adelaide Fringe 18.
FRINGE ENCORE WINNER to New York
LUSTRUM AWARD WINNER, EdFringe19
"Important today as much as ever, and it is brilliant" The Advertiser *****
THE COMPANY
Smokescreen Prods was founded by Tim Marriott, returning to the stage after a 17 year career break in education. The company was set up to produce issue based theatre. A 'Sell-Out' season at Edinburgh Festival in 2017 resulted in an invitation to Adelaide Fringe, where MENGELE was once again a Sell-Out show, including four extra performances, and SHELL SHOCK was awarded Best Solo Show (Sunday Mail). Further 'Sell-Out' festival seasons were achieved at Edinburgh 18 and 19, winning multiple 5* reviews and two Lustrum Awards.
Smokescreen Prods work with Smokescreen Visuals to create a cinematic style of naturalistic thematic theatre set against high quality audio and visual effects to create atmosphere and to inform the action. The intention is to also to offer experienced guidance and collaboration in working with and facilitating young artists to help create impactful, thinking theatre to combine a background in education and the arts. Tim Marriott is an associate producer at Printers Playhouse in Eastbourne, a creative hub promoting new work, theatre and music including live and online performances, workshops, classes and coaching. Smokescreen have created each new piece of work at PPH and mounted first readings and performances including Mengele, Shell Shock, All Change, Waiting for Hamlet and Watson.
MENGELE and SHELL SHOCK have already proved to be successful touring productions. All shows are practically simple to stage, with broad audience and proven box office potential. The objective is to identify possible partnerships to facilitate further touring and residencies but also further opportunities for the scripts to be performed by other companies world-wide.
SHELL SHOCK has also been professionally recorded in a four camera shoot at a live performance and subsequently shown at festivals in Australia and the USA, where over 3,400 people recently signed in to watch an online screening. A link to the recording can be supplied on request.
TOURING:
Watson, Shell Shock, Mengele & Waiting for Hamlet are currently available.
SPECIFICS
COMPANY:
Watson: 1 performer + 1 tech
Waiting for Hamlet: 2 performers +1 tech
Shell Shock, 1 performer +1 tech + PTSD counsellor
Mengele, 2 performers + 1 tech + counsellor
RUNNING TIMES:
Watson: 85 mins with interval (or 60 mins 'festival' version) + post show workshop or Q&A
Waiting for Hamlet: 55 mins + post show workshop or Q&A
Mengele: 65mins + post show workshop or Q&A
Shell Shock: 1hr 35mins with interval (or 70 mins 'festival' version), + 'fire circle' talkback led by a professional counsellor and anxiety specialist.
All shows have grown out of the fringe environment so are not difficult to stage. A minimum performance space of 4M x 3M, basic lighting and a sound system are all that is required. A facility to project is ideal but we travel our own equipment as necessary.
Link to full technical requirements HERE
AWARDS:
EdFringe: Sold-Out 17, 18, 19 & 21, Lustrum Award 18 & 19, Scotsman 'Fringe Favourite' 21
Fringe Encore SoHo Playhouse New York, 18
Adelaide Fringe 18, 19, 20: Sold-Out, Sunday Mail Award, Best Male Solo Show,
Amnesty International Certificate of Achievement, 18
INVICTUS GAMES tour of Australia Sept-Nov 18
Brighton Fringe 19, 20 Best New Play (Nominated)
Best Theatre Award (Jack's Ashes), Adelaide Fringe 23
#1 Best of the Best (Watson), CityMag, Adelaide 23
Link to reviews page HERE
Link to Education page HERE
CONTACT:
M: 07773 777521
E: TM@smokescreenprodscom
FB: @smokescreenEB
Tw: @guv47
You Tube Channel: Tim Marriott Smokescreen
RECENT FESTIVALS & SEASONS:
Jan 20, Mengele in Austria
Jan 20 Mengele and ShSk UK touring to Bridge House Theatre London, Chelmsford, Chatham
Feb 20 - Adelaide Festival Fringe, Australia.
March 20 - Tasmania, Australia (cancelled)
Nov 19 to April 20 - UK touring including Army Mental Health Roadshow
May 20 - Florida, USA (postponed)
Brighton Fringe 20 (postponed)
June 20 - Wels, Austria (postponed)
June-July 20 - Bristol, Bath, Petworth (cancelled)
Aug 20 - Edinburgh Fringe (cancelled)
October - TBC rescheduled Brighton Fringe
Jan 21 - Perth, WA (cancelled).
Feb -March 21 - Adelaide Fringe (postponed to '22)
March/April 21 - further Australia touring (cancelled)
May 21 - Florida (cancelled)
June 21 - Brighton Fringe
July 21 - Ludlow Fringe
July 21 - Hastings Fringe
July 21 - Bristol Shakespeare Festival
July 21 - Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea Arts Festival
Aug 21 - Goat, Manchester Shakespeare Festival
Aug 21 - Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Sept 21 - Petworth Fringe
Oct 21 - Hastings Festival
2022
24/25 Feb 22 - WATSON & SHELL SHOCK - Playhouse2, Oldham
26 Feb - WATSON - Waterside Arts Sale - SOLD OUT
4/5 March - WATSON - Lichfield Garrick - SOLD OUT
31 March-9 April - WATSON - Chelsea Theatre, London
24 April - WATSON - Trinity Arts, Tunbridge Wells
10-15 May - WATSON - Assembly Festival, Coventry
8 June - WAITING FOR HAMLET - Sudbury
11 June - SHELL SHOCK - Chatham
22 June - SHELL SHOCK - Ludlow
30 June - WATSON - Swan, Worcester
6 July - WATSON - Old Woollen, Pudsey
3-28 Aug - WATSON - Edinburgh Festival Fringe
6-26 Aug - WAITING FOR HAMLET - Edinburgh Festival Fringe
9-10 Sept - WATSON - Chatham
11 Sept - WATSON - Halifax
17 Sept - WATSON - Stafford
29 Sept - SHELL SHOCK - Petworth
2 Oct - London Marathon for Combat Stress
10-11 Oct - KNOCK ON THE DOOR - work in progress reading - VSC, London
15 Oct - WATSON - Barton Under Needwood
18 Oct - WATSON - Alnwick
21-22 Oct - WATSON - Cambridge
3 Nov - WATSON - Wigan
12 Nov - WATSON - Teignmouth
24 Nov - JACK'S ASHES - Petworth
25 Nov - WATSON - West Bromwich
28-30 Nov - WATSON - Ealing, London
6 Dec - depart for AUSTRALIA tour
2023
Jan/Feb/March - JACK'S ASHES - ACA/Cricket Australia Tour (inc. Bunbury, SCG, MCG, WACA, Gabba, ADL Oval)
24 Jan - WATSON - Bunbury, WA - SOLD OUT
Feb/March - WATSON - Adelaide Fringe Festival - SOLD OUT
6 April - WATSON - Theatre Clwyd - SOLD OUT
13 April - JACK'S ASHES - Ealing, Questors
20 April - JACK'S ASHES - Sudbury, Quay Theatre
21 April - WATSON - Bedford, Quarry
4 May - WATSON - Winchester, Theatre Royal
12 May - JACK'S ASHES - Tunbridge Wells, Trinity
16 May - WATSON - Bury St Edmunds, Theatre Royal
17 May - WATSON - Hornchurch, Queens
19 May - WATSON - Cranleigh Arts Centre
3 June - WATSON - Banbury, Mill Arts
7-14 July - WATSON - Cunard QM2, Transatlantic
22 July - WATSON - Sheffield, Playhouse
27 July - SHELL SHOCK - Rotherham, Civic
4-28 August - WATSON & APPRAISAL - Assembly Festival, Edinburgh Fringe
6 Oct - JACK'S ASHES - Lichfield, Garrick