Metamorphosing Pinocchio
Whilst selling in–show ads doesn't seem to have taken off, it has metamorphosed into a new venture for the company—after seeing their promotional theatrical advert, a business approached Pants on Fire to make them a viral advert.
"There have been two commissions with one film made and being edited and another in production". Jones is enthusiastic "Although the idea of selling theatrical ads in the show isn't scrapped yet, creating viral ads for businesses appears to be the more successful idea.
"This is very exciting for us as it has much more longevity. It can be running independently of projects, employing artists outside of our company too. It allows us to develop new skills, build relationships with companies, churn out lots of varied creative work, showcase our style—there are so many brilliant things it could do!"
In the meantime, the company is exploring other fundraising ideas including running workshops for theatre makers to raise revenue. Titled Adventures In Space, they are intensive courses based on the work of Jacques Lecoq focussing on ensemble-based physical theatre and visual storytelling.
And development work on Pinocchio continues—in returning to Edinburgh this year, they have their own big boots to fill…
Brit School and Rose Bruford College–trained Jess Mabel Jones came to Pants on Fire when company founder and Bruford lecturer Peter Bramley invited students to audition for a show that was to become Ovid’s Metamorphoses.
Strongly influenced by Bramley's own training at the Jacques Lecoq school in Paris and the wide–ranging actor–musicianship skills of the cast, the inventively adapted and staged show was a five–star hit at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Amongst the show's achievements were nominations and awards, not least carrying off The Carol Tambor Best of Edinburgh Award 2010 which saw the company take Ovid’s Metamorphoses to New York.
"We had just the most monumental success with it. It was extraordinary. We went over to New York with it, which was just a dream. We knew that we had a good show but," explains Jones. "Edinburgh had been a big gamble… we had not a penny in our pockets and it went ahead and it went very well. But it has been a struggle. There really is so little money."
Advertising of one kind of another may turn out to be the answer to that problem, after all "many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising" (Mark Twain)—Pants on Fire will find out this summer.
Pants on Fire’s Pinocchio is in development. There will be performances at Greenwich Theatre (15 and 16 July) and Kingston IYAF (23 and 25 July) before premièring the show at Mimetic Festival (26 and 27 July). It then plays King Dome Pleasance, Edinburgh (30 July to 26 August). Age suitability is 12 years and over.
Pants on Fire's own theatrical advert can be viewed at http://www.pantsonfiretheatre.com/Pants_on_Fire/SUPPORT_US.html