Always on
This project successfully funded on 25th July 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
This project successfully funded on 25th July 2025, you can still support them with a donation.
We need to raise £8416 to: - Pay 5 ensemble members Equity rates - Pay for Props and Materials - Pay for Travel
The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager
BIG NEWS
Our show has just been announced as the winner of the Charlie Hartill fund for 2025!
The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager was picked from over a hundred applicants
13 shows then attended the Charlie try-out's at the end of Feb.
And we won.
WE ARE GOING TO EDINBURGH
...and we've been given 10k from Pleasance to help get us there. We can't wait to share it with new audiences across 24 shows.
If we've got 10k...why do we need to do a crowd funder?
Our budget for taking this show up to Edinburgh is over £26k
The 10k support the Pleasance are giving makes Edinburgh doable and reduces a bit of the financial risk, but with an ensemble show it is very hard to make it work financially without other revenue streams.
We now need to raise another £8416 to hit our fundraising target:
- pay the create team equity minimum rates
- pay for props and materials
- pay for ensemble travel
So please support however you can.
What's the Show About ?
Ben's eager to impress at his job interview, but on the big day he witnesses a mysterious death and picks up the victim's lanyard - just to keep it safe. What follows is an endless chain of promotions, but who does he work for and what does he actually do? A dark satire for anyone who's worked in an office, where 'gaining traction' means everything and nothing. Featuring surreal physical comedy, live music, and plenty of useless jargon. Think The Office, but David Lynch is your new boss.
Watch the Trailer here
Ben's journey so far...
The project began life in a room just outside Gatwick. At a performance lab between musicians and performers in Feb 2023. I was given a Arts Council DYCP grant to explore musicality in corporeal mime and how live improvisation between performer and musicians might lead to events, dramaturgy and eventually a performance.
We used the text of David Graeber's 'Bullsh*t Jobs' as material to begin our exploration. We all dressed up ready for our two-days at the office and we went to work.
Watch our process here
Having this many performers in a room is expensive, and so two days later, we all left Gatwick - sacked, resigned, retired.
Taking all of the material that came out of this process, I wrote a script. The name Ben Manager emerged from somewhere.
So far we've performed the show 8 times. 1 preview at the Rosemary Branch. 4 shows at Brighton Fringe. 3 shows at Camden Fringe
Reviews
'Simultaneously the most surreal and the most cuttingly perceptive show you are likely to see this Fringe' - Brighton Source
'Brilliantly capturing the sense of imposter syndrome’ - Reviews Hub
'The Office if David Lynch had directed it. My pick of the fringe’- Chris on Theatre
‘The Best thing I have seen this Fringe’ - Selena Mersey
Audience responses
'Captivating'
'Unique'
'Sensational'
'Physical theatre at its best'
‘Dazzled’
'Overworked, underpaid, under-appreciated. Would do it all again.'
'Everyone should see this'
'A phenomenal, thrilling piece of work'
'Incredible acting, brilliant idea'
‘Wow. Gripping, funny and thought provoking. Best thing I’ve seen at Fringe for some time. Great performances all round, with serious attention to detail, and fun twists and turns. Brilliant!
‘Hilarious, so well put together and really immerses you into this surreal world. Couldn’t recommend enough’
‘My pick of the fringe. Triggering, reassuring and absolutely 100% impressive.’
However you can support - we're really grateful.
Thank you from
Jack, Mike, Paulina, Adam, Jess, John and Teele
BUNKUM ENSEMBLE
Funding method
Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made