Attachment: The Leech Show - EdFringe23

Aim: We're fundraising to bring ourselves and our show to the Edinburgh Fringe 2023!

WHO ARE WE?

We're Kitsch Theatre, an emerging theatre company who are transforming comedy theatre! This year we are trying to take our show 'Attachment: The Leech Show' to the famous Edinburgh Fringe for six nights from the 14th-19th August at Greenside @ Infirmary Street, only slight problem is we can't exactly afford it...

Want to help a group of teenagers put on a completely crazy comedy about a gigantic leech? I thought you might. 

ATTACHMENT: THE LEECH SHOW

Are all theatre critics bloodsucking parasites? This one is. Meet Bob the Leech. Join three actors as they desperately attempt to gain a five star review from the most distinguished (and slimy) theatre critic on the planet. Expect craziness and plenty of blood in this wacky satire about the journey to success in theatre.

'Attachment: The Leech Show' is a wacky satire on theatre criticism which forces the audience into the action, whether they like it or not! We like to call it 'Mischief Theatre' meets 'Punchdrunk'. Why tell this story now? In an era where theatre continues to become evermore financially inaccessible for artists, we asked ourselves "what's the point of doing this?" and more importantly "who are we doing this for?". This is exactly the same questions the characters in 'Attachment: The Leech Show' ask themselves. Are they doing this for their audience, or are they doing it to impress some gigantic leech? We all love a good laugh, but there's a deeper power within that laughter that this show explores which we feel we need to share at the Edinburgh Fringe, especially as the fight to be heard in theatre becomes an ever increasing struggle. 

We wrote this show when we were sixteen years-old in September 2021 and premiered the show at the International Anthony Burgess Foundation in Manchester to a sold-out audience in April 2022 before transferring for a limited run at theSpaceUK at Fringe 2022. Due to a limited budget, we only performed for three nights, but we received immense support from our audiences to return this year. Therefore, we have taken a huge risk and we're coming back to the Fringe for a longer run. We strongly believe that the show can have an important impact on audiences and, despite our tiny budget, we have a lot of ambition! 

Your donations would mean the absolute world to us. Unfortunately it feels like Edinburgh appears to be losing its 'Fringe spirit' and is no longer the place for new creatives to make an impact. Instead it seems that only those companies with large budgets and funders can make an impact at the Fringe now. Your support can have the power to change that and allow some young creatives with crazy ideas to have their voices heard!

Don't just take our word for it...

"Attachment is a play from a young company that articulates an impressive innocence: part meta-play that involves the audience in the company’s stratagem to impress a critic (a blood-sucking leech, of course). The caricatured personalities, both in their roles as actors and the play’s characters, are the perfect comic foils to each other and the puppet, the fast-paced action, the youthful charm and the willingness to satirise genres and the theatre industry makes this a winning production that augurs well for the future of the company." - Gareth K. Vile, Puppetry Platform 

Click here for more

AUDIENCE TWEETS

"Want some #edfringe recommendations that have 10/10 writing? I HIGHLY suggest: You’re Dead, Mate by @tresrascal

Candy by @RebootCompany

Attachment: The Leech Show by @KitschTheatre

They’re all 5 *s from me."

"Just witnessed the genius of @BobtheLeech by @KitschTheatre … if you have come to #edfringe and don’t see this show, you’ve wasted your time here. 100/100 would recommend if you're looking to belly laugh"

"Do you want to see one of the funniest theatre shows at #edfringe? You HAVE to see Attachment: The Leech Show. Our faces hurt from laughing - it was witty, jam-packed with gags and one of our favourite shows so far. It’s 5*s from us"

AUDIENCE REVIEWS ON FRINGE WEBSITE

"A great show! Caught the opening night: Dario Fo meets the act of coarse acting. Energy, humour and strong ensemble playing from this young, talented cast. Definitely worth going to see."

"This is what the Fringe is all about. Went on a whim and felt that I had inadvertently caught a show in which I had caught future stars at a very early stage in their careers. Well done to everyone involved. Hilarious show."

WHAT WILL YOUR MONEY GO TOWARDS?

Venue: £1320

Insurance: approx. £150

Flyers and marketing material: £100

Fringe registration: £295

Technician: approx. £180

Travel: approx. £200

A ton of fake blood: £30

TOTAL: £2275

We're only asking for £2000. That's only 100 people with £20!

Added to this, our accommodation for our cast and crew costs £1600. We would love to subsidise as many of our cast and crews accommodation slots so they can experience the fringe without the financial concern, so any amount over our target would be put towards funding this!

We want to be honest with what you're donating to, and the above is the absolute minimum we need in order to travel to Edinburgh (ok maybe not the fake blood...) Your donation would really count, and in order to say a huge thank you for your support we are offering a few extra crazy goodies as a token of our appreciation!

Help us take Bob the Leech to the Edinburgh Fringe!

Your humble theatre-makers,

James Allen / Margaret Saunderson / Ollie Painter

(Co-Artistic Directors of Kitsch Theatre)

This project successfully funded on 12th June 2023