Hackman and Critical Stages Touring
Created by – Kip Chapman
Full creative team details coming soon
Fantastic Community Fun for the Whole Family
Telethon is a two hour interactive variety show with the last hour broadcast live on social media platforms. It’s the telethon of your 80’s dreams made live in your town, with your community on stage, to raise real money for a local cause.
Created by interactive entertainment maestro Kip Chapman, Telethon is about creating a fun and heartfelt work that turns your town into the heroes of the story. With guidance from cat and crew the audience will take over all the aspects of putting on the show – from hosting, to set-building, to changing the lights and playing in the band!
Unique moments from the community will sit alongside a planned structure and rehearsed scenes from the cast to create a wild whole-hearted theatrical event. Got a great local choir made up of farmers? How about a dog that does tricks? Can the mayor play a wobble board? We’ll find the magic in your town and put it in the show.
Engaging all ages of the community along with local businesses, sponsors and stakeholders, it’s a riotous night of fun all in the name of a good cause.
Available to Tour
2020
Artform
Theatre, Music, Special Event
Audience
Suitable for all ages
Duration
2 Hours Showtime
including interval
2 Days for workshops
and community creation
Venue Format
Theatre, Hall, Black Box Venue
Raised stage recommended
Selling Points and Audience
Whole-town, whole-community, whole-family appeal. The audience with the help of a musical director, director and a host run and star in a brand new telethon every night.
The show uses modern technology – apps, social media, streaming – but has the look and feel of an old-school telethon.
Deep engagement not just with community members but also local businesses, sponsors and stakeholders.
Raise money for real charities whilst at the same time making a hilarious, heartfelt and entertaining show.
Community Engagement
While the production is structured much like a traditional show with scripted dialogue and pre-rehearsed technical moments, within the show there are specific moments where individual or group audiences members are encouraged to participate.
- Your community selects the charity or cause closest to them and identifies local sponsors, businesses and pledges that can go directly to the cause.
- Telethon will engage the community for two days leading up to showtime with a series of workshops to create the show together and integrate local traditions, personalities and stories.
- During the Telethon the community will create and star in a funny and theatrical music video. The video will be available for the community to share after the event to promote the cause and showcase your town’s spirit.
About Kip Chapman
Kip Chapman is one of NZ’s most accomplished actor/writer/producers, with a decade of performance and creation at home and in Australia.
He is a New Zealand Arts Foundation New Generation Laureate for his work in interactive theatre. His first interactive production, APOLLO 13: Mission Control has been performed over 200 times in Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
His most recent immersive work, Hudson and Halls Live! won Production of the Year in both Wellington and Auckland, and has toured New Zealand with over 150 performances.
In 2017 Kip was the Creative Director of WOW – New Zealand’s biggest arena theatrical event seen by over 60,000 people. Kip is also the founder and coordinator of the Auckland Theatre Awards that has now been running for ten years.