STOP PRESS:
Due to the generous donations of £240 recieved at the first preview at Holy Trinity Church, the total target has now dropped to £2955 from £3195

Hello!

A couple of years ago I began thinking about writing a one woman comedy show. A combination of fear and bad timing held me back but at the end of last year I decided that 2018 was the year. Since January I have written my first solo show. It is a character comedy show entitled 'Woman of the Year' where we meet the 5 nominees for the award through monologues, parody songs, and audience interaction. It has been a challenging but extremely rewarding experience and something I am very proud of. 

I currently have shows booked in at Holy Trinity in Newcastle (my very  supportive home church), Brighton Fringe (for 3 nights), London (4 nights in July) and the Edinburgh Fringe (the whole of August).

Unfortunately the way the arts world works is that there is no big central pot of money that is readily available to small ventures like mine. The Arts Council have very strict guidelines for funding and do not for example  fund the Edinburgh Fringe.

So why go to Edinburgh you may ask?
Well it is the largest international arts festival in the world, and therefore provides a global platform to anyone performing. Agents, casting directors and producers all flock there in August. If, therefore, as a performer you're going to invest in something, it's a good one to choose.

Since I've been in the industry for 6 years now I have gradually discovered that it is very difficult (surprise surprise!) and one can either become despondent or take positive action to make something happen. So rather than waiting for the phone to ring, I've written this show!

So what will it cost to present the show in Edinburgh? A lot!

Here is the breakdown of expenses:

Director rehearsal fees
£550

Fringe Registration (early bird rate)
£295

Festival service fee
£125

Venue rent (Half of the guarantee for Edinburgh venue)
£825

Technical operator *
£620 
1 op x 25 shows @ £15 per hour in Edinburgh
1 op x 3 hours tech time @ £15 per hour in Edinburgh
and
1 op x 4 shows @ £25 per hour in London
1 op x 4 hours tech time @ £25 per hour in London


Props and costume
£100
 
Marketing
£400

Edinburgh expenses (accommodation and travel)
£280
 
Total
£3,195

IMPORTANT
* My target has gone up slightly due to me not including tech time for my technical operators pay. Forgot you have to pay a technician to rehearse to do your show, not just operate your show!!

Any donation made over the target will go towards the second half of my venue rent (£825 payable after Edinburgh) and paying music rights (amount unknown as yet).

Doesn’t include: Music rights, the second half of the venue rent, Brighton expenses, Edinburgh daily expenses, paying my musician, or paying myself! 


Things to be thankful for! It also doesn't include these things I have been given for free or cheap, either through generosity or my negotiating! This has significantly decreased the amount I need!

 - James Cary. A lovely chap with whom I've worked previously. He is a professional writer for the BBC and has freely given me feedback on writing drafts I have submitted to him. His guidance has been invaluable!
- Bobby Goulder. My boyfriend is a musician, how convenient! And will be playing piano without charge in London, Brighton and Edinburgh. He has also made numerous backing tracks without charge.
- Holy Trinity. My home church in Newcastle, and many individuals have been very generous with the use of their time, space and resources to support my first preview.
- St Andrews in Hove. Our Brighton Fringe venue. They have covered the usual venue costs themselves, these are normally paid for by the performer.
- Washington Arts Centre. I have been able to rehearse without charge with my director in this excellent space. 
- Kathryn and Michael Poolman. My friend's parents offering Edinburgh accommodation for a fraction of the normal rate.
- My Mum and Dad. Have given so much! Too many things to list!
-Nathan Foakes. A very good friend who has designed my publicity image free of charge.
- Sophia Gravina. Another excellent friend who took all my publicity images free of charge.
- My lovely friends who have read drafts of scripts or have been to my London scratch nights. Free feedback from people whose views I respect.

As you can see I have received so much already. If you are able to join in and contribute to any extent towards the remaining expenses I would be deeply grateful.

If you donate:

£10 or over - you will receive my thanks and a big hug! 

£25 or over - thanks, hug, and a social media shout out.

£50 or over - thanks, hug, social media shout out and receive a personalised thank you card.

£100 or over - all of the above and you will be listed on my website as an official show 'backer', and a free ticket to my show.

£250 or over - all of the above and two free tickets to my show.

Love,
Anna