Taking The Hero Light on tour

Aim

To book and promote a comprehensive tour for this epic solo storytelling show to audiences in the Spring of 2016

Project aim

To bring the unique experience of performance storytelling show The Hero Light to a wide audience in the Spring of 2016.

About the show

"Great style... gripping (and) satisfying. A rare event" Five-star review from The Cornishman

There is a boy.

He is the fiercest, the bravest, the most feared warrior in all Ireland. he has the blood of the royals rushing through his veins and the divine light of a hero across his brow. And his name is Cú Chulainn..

The Hero Light is a wild epic of Irish mythology in a one-man storytelling show. Created with Arts Council England Funding and five years in the making, it's a unique experience: over nearly three hours of solo performance, Dominic Kelly takes the audience on an immersive journey into the extraordinary stories of the Ulster Cycle. 

These ancient tales are startlingly contemporary: they explore themes we all know: love, loss, betrayal and belonging. They offer heartbreaking insights into the roots of conflict and the tragedy of war. And they are bursting with exuberant, irreverent humour.

The audience are swept along by the rhythmic drumming, the intoxicating drama of the story and the continually changing dynamics of the performance. From an empty stage Dominic conjures fallen kings and warrior queens; lovers and troublemakers; giants and demi-gods and beasts of legendary proportions, creating a living, breathing landscape before our eyes. Battles, bloodshed and epic feuds are interspersed with moments of laughter, romance and pure magic. 

About Dominic Kelly

"A master storyteller" BBC Radio

"Compelling" The Times

Dominic is a performance storyteller whose dynamic style, dry wit and superb composition have captivated audiences across the UK, Europe and around the world. His performances have toured to venues including The Barbican, National Theatre, British Museum, The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival, York Theatre Royal, Soho Theatre and on tour from India to the Arctic Circle.

What we're asking for:

"Totally brilliant... the scenery you paint, the metaphors, your timing, your presence, your wonderful use of language... the show so much deserves to become widespread." Audience member, Teater Pero, Stockholm

We want to allow audiences everywhere to experience this unique, epic and immersive performance - across the UK, Scandinavia and further afield in Europe. We need funds to hire a tour booker to sell the show to venues, raise its profile and bring it to as a wide an audience as possible in Spring 2016. We are asking for £1500 to enable this to happen.

Arts Council England funding helped the show to be created and supported a short initial development tour that included the Soho Theatre, Litfest, and Teater Pero in Stockholm. Now we plan to tour the show in earnest. This requires a significant investment of skilled, committed time. We need a tour booker to approach venues, sell the performance, liaise with bookers and put the tour together for Spring 2016.

How exactly will the money be spent?

£1500 will pay for 100 hours of a tour booker's time, to bring the show to a minimum audience of 1200 people in Spring 2016

The tour booker will:

• set up a tour of theatres, arts centres, festivals and heritage venues between February and April 2016 - a minimum of 15 performances across the UK and Europe, and a target of over 20.
• Promote the show, in collaboration with venues, to attract as large and diverse an audience as possible to each booked performance.

The tour booker will approach venues, secure bookings, negotiate terms and conditions, distribute promotional materials to venues and liaise with them over marketing strategies and about timings and the details of each event.

Who is involved?

The crowdfunded money will pay for Jo McGain to book and arrange the tour for Spring 2016. Jo works freelance in marketing and project management and has supported a range of organisations and artists including WildWise Events and Encounters Arts.

The show was created, and is performed, by Dominic Kelly

It was directed by Michael Harvey

Lighting design is by Brent Lees

This project closed unsuccessfully on 10th July 2015