Heartichoke: Diverse Comedy Series
Donation protected
A comedy series about three lgbt band members looking for love in all the wrong places.
From the creators of the ‘My Genderation’ documentary project comes Heartichoke - a quirky, Brighton-based comedy series with a diverse cast, revolving around a three twenty-somethings in a band, who sing awful(ly) catchy songs about love troubles and life.
Pet (Alice Hannon) Wolf (Fox Fisher) Jay (Lewis Hancox)
Wolf and Jay are transgender dudes who are dealing with unusual dating dilemmas while Pet has been in a long-term lesbian relationship since high school that’s on the brink of a breakup.
Heartichoke explores LGBT issues in a authentic, awkward, silly and surreal manner which is non-sensationalised and based upon the writers own experiences making the show relatable to it’s target age range of 18-35. One thing for sure is that you don’t have to identify as LGBT to enjoy Heartichoke – dating, daydreaming, job-hunting, hitting your quarter-life crisis... these themes are universal.
The characters relationship situations are established in this fast paced episode. Pet and her O.C.D partner Lilly are having another domestic. Will pet be pushed over the edge? Jay is in the early stages of dating loud-mouthed Sophie who doesn’t yet know his trans status. Will he tell her? Wolf is reminiscing over his ex-girlfriend Macy, who he got with before he transitioned, and now has to cope with the fact that she’s dating another girl. If he were still a lady would Macy still be interested?
Wolf:
Wolf is Jay’s housemate, landlord and best bud. He set up the band ‘Heartichoke’. He’s cocky, stubborn and keeps his emotions boxed up (literally) but has a big heart and cares for his band-mates a great deal. He transitioned fairly recently and has a habit of fancying lesbians then getting frustrated that they don’t like him back. He runs a diverse dating website to help others in his situation but mostly just to help himself find 'the one'.
Jay:
Jay is neurotic, obsessive and always anxious. He transitioned 5 years ago and gets embarrassed when he has to disclose that he’s trans. All he’s ever wanted is a regular straight relationship but how easily will that be to find? He comes from a small northern town and moved to Brighton in the hope that he’ll feel more at ease. He works at a bar a couple nights a week to scrape by. He’s the least musically talented - he plays his smart phone in the band.
Pet:
Pet is sarcastic, outspoken and has a short fuse but is the most practical of the group. Pet (full first name Petunia, but shh, it’s a secret) lives on the outskirts of Brighton with her partner
Lilly. Typical lesbian family - 2 point 4 cats. Her restricting relationship is starting to grind her gears and her boring office job is driving her (even more) bonkers! She needs to get out more and start acting like a true twenteenager.
The Team
Never before has there been a comedy written about trans and LGB issues, by trans writers, starring trans and LGB actors.
Fox Fisher is a filmmaker, writer, actor and artist. He is director of Lucky Tooth Films and is set to co-present his own documentary ‘Transgender UK’ on Channel 4 in 2015. He starred in My Transsexual Summer in 2011 and since then has been an activist for the trans community, co- creating the My Genderation project, setting up Trans Pride Brighton, doing a TED Talk on gender and illustrating the first trans-themed children’s book.
Lewis Hancox is a filmmaker, writer and actor. He has worked with Hollyoaks directing and presenting backstage videos about the trans-themed storyline, available to watch on 4OD. He was a finalist in the Northern Writers Award 2015 and won a place on The Guardian’s Top 30 Young People in Digital Media. He writes his own sketches and shorts and recently played a supporting role in award winning writer Jake Graf’s short Chance that screened at BFI Flare.
Alice Hannon is an actor, writer and improv comic. She is part of the multi-award winning Brighton-based sketch comedy group Short And Girlie. She’s part of the LGBT committee at American Express and won the LGBT Network of the Year award at the British LGBT Awards.
-----
Fox & Lew created Heartichoke on a minimal budget.
To create future episodes, we need your help to repair equipment, have a web presence, make props and funding for travel.
Thanks for all your support with this project.
Any support at all is appreciated!
If you can donate over £20, you will be thanked in the credits.
If you can donate over £100, you will be offered a cameo in an episode.
From the creators of the ‘My Genderation’ documentary project comes Heartichoke - a quirky, Brighton-based comedy series with a diverse cast, revolving around a three twenty-somethings in a band, who sing awful(ly) catchy songs about love troubles and life.
Pet (Alice Hannon) Wolf (Fox Fisher) Jay (Lewis Hancox)
Wolf and Jay are transgender dudes who are dealing with unusual dating dilemmas while Pet has been in a long-term lesbian relationship since high school that’s on the brink of a breakup.
Heartichoke explores LGBT issues in a authentic, awkward, silly and surreal manner which is non-sensationalised and based upon the writers own experiences making the show relatable to it’s target age range of 18-35. One thing for sure is that you don’t have to identify as LGBT to enjoy Heartichoke – dating, daydreaming, job-hunting, hitting your quarter-life crisis... these themes are universal.
The characters relationship situations are established in this fast paced episode. Pet and her O.C.D partner Lilly are having another domestic. Will pet be pushed over the edge? Jay is in the early stages of dating loud-mouthed Sophie who doesn’t yet know his trans status. Will he tell her? Wolf is reminiscing over his ex-girlfriend Macy, who he got with before he transitioned, and now has to cope with the fact that she’s dating another girl. If he were still a lady would Macy still be interested?
Wolf:
Wolf is Jay’s housemate, landlord and best bud. He set up the band ‘Heartichoke’. He’s cocky, stubborn and keeps his emotions boxed up (literally) but has a big heart and cares for his band-mates a great deal. He transitioned fairly recently and has a habit of fancying lesbians then getting frustrated that they don’t like him back. He runs a diverse dating website to help others in his situation but mostly just to help himself find 'the one'.
Jay:
Jay is neurotic, obsessive and always anxious. He transitioned 5 years ago and gets embarrassed when he has to disclose that he’s trans. All he’s ever wanted is a regular straight relationship but how easily will that be to find? He comes from a small northern town and moved to Brighton in the hope that he’ll feel more at ease. He works at a bar a couple nights a week to scrape by. He’s the least musically talented - he plays his smart phone in the band.
Pet:
Pet is sarcastic, outspoken and has a short fuse but is the most practical of the group. Pet (full first name Petunia, but shh, it’s a secret) lives on the outskirts of Brighton with her partner
Lilly. Typical lesbian family - 2 point 4 cats. Her restricting relationship is starting to grind her gears and her boring office job is driving her (even more) bonkers! She needs to get out more and start acting like a true twenteenager.
The Team
Never before has there been a comedy written about trans and LGB issues, by trans writers, starring trans and LGB actors.
Fox Fisher is a filmmaker, writer, actor and artist. He is director of Lucky Tooth Films and is set to co-present his own documentary ‘Transgender UK’ on Channel 4 in 2015. He starred in My Transsexual Summer in 2011 and since then has been an activist for the trans community, co- creating the My Genderation project, setting up Trans Pride Brighton, doing a TED Talk on gender and illustrating the first trans-themed children’s book.
Lewis Hancox is a filmmaker, writer and actor. He has worked with Hollyoaks directing and presenting backstage videos about the trans-themed storyline, available to watch on 4OD. He was a finalist in the Northern Writers Award 2015 and won a place on The Guardian’s Top 30 Young People in Digital Media. He writes his own sketches and shorts and recently played a supporting role in award winning writer Jake Graf’s short Chance that screened at BFI Flare.
Alice Hannon is an actor, writer and improv comic. She is part of the multi-award winning Brighton-based sketch comedy group Short And Girlie. She’s part of the LGBT committee at American Express and won the LGBT Network of the Year award at the British LGBT Awards.
-----
Fox & Lew created Heartichoke on a minimal budget.
To create future episodes, we need your help to repair equipment, have a web presence, make props and funding for travel.
Thanks for all your support with this project.
Any support at all is appreciated!
If you can donate over £20, you will be thanked in the credits.
If you can donate over £100, you will be offered a cameo in an episode.
Organizer
Ralph Francis Fox
Organizer
