A heartwarming physical comedy sees a magical briefcase drag an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover, it’s what’s inside that counts?”
A Brief Case of Crazy, labelled a “hidden gem” by the FringeReview, tells the story of a remarkable and unconventional introvert, Thomas, who has a conventional office job. His days are punctuated by his fleeting encounters with equally shy, wide-eyed colleague, Daisy. Thomas’ quest for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon, his own excruciating insecurities, and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags him through an extraordinary series of events. Skedaddle tells this hilarious, heart-warming and deeply moving romantic physical comedy through the use of slick choreography, mime, clowning, puppetry and object manipulation. Will Thomas’ search for love come to a dead-end, or will he discover it’s what’s inside that counts?
Ahead of the show running at Riverside Studios in London from 8th - 20th April we chatted to writer, producer and director Rowan Armitt-Brewster to learn more.
What can you tell me about A Brief Case of Crazy?
A Brief Case of Crazy tells the story of the remarkable introvert, Thomas, and his quest for love. Thomas works an office job, with his days punctuated by his brief encounters with equally shy, wide-eyed colleague, Daisy. His journey for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon, his own excruciating insecurities, and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags him through an extraordinary series of events. Skedaddle tells this physical comedy using choreography, mime, clowning, puppetry and object manipulation. Will Thomas’ search for love come to a dead-end, or will he discover it’s what’s inside that counts?
A Brief Case of Crazy tells the story of the remarkable introvert, Thomas, and his quest for love. Thomas works an office job, with his days punctuated by his brief encounters with equally shy, wide-eyed colleague, Daisy. His journey for love must contend with a boisterous boss named Simon, his own excruciating insecurities, and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags him through an extraordinary series of events. Skedaddle tells this physical comedy using choreography, mime, clowning, puppetry and object manipulation. Will Thomas’ search for love come to a dead-end, or will he discover it’s what’s inside that counts?
This production shines a light on those who are “awkward” and “different”, celebrating their difference. Often the people who say the least have the most interesting stories to tell, and this show reflects that. We want our audience to experience an uplifting, hilarious and poignant story, which also encourages them to think about how they can work harder to accept those who feel on an outcast in society.
What inspired you to create this show?
I had many inspirations whilst creating and writing this show. I have always loved physical comedy because it is timeless and universally understood. Our influences at Skedaddle Theatre consist of physical comedy icons such as Charlie Chaplin, Mr Bean and Buster Keaton, drawing inspiration from their physicality and expression. However, although we take inspiration from these artists, we really do have a very unique style of our own that we are sharing with our audiences. I originally performed this piece as a seven-minute solo at drama school, as part of a third-year showcase, and I wanted to centre the piece around an individual on a quest for love, who is hilarious in behaviour, but wonderfully endearing in intent. I quickly fell in love with the concept and wanted to take the show to Edinburgh Fringe with Skedaddle, where we had a successful run. To develop the original performance into a full production, I wanted to create an amusing and thought-provoking show which focuses on the love story between two awkward and charming introverts, Thomas, and Daisy, whilst also presenting an important and heartfelt message.
How did you approach the development of this show?
A lot of time and thought was put into the development of this show. We strive for excellence and precision in our storytelling, which always takes time. Characterised choreography is one of the main devices we use in our shows, telling narrative through skilful movement and expression. We also incorporate mime, puppetry and object manipulation into our work alongside classic physical comedy and slapstick. The sheer amount of skill on display in our work takes hours of practice and attention, especially when focusing on how we can use these skills to tell a clear story.Although we use some text and dialogue in the show, physicality is always prioritised over speech, as we strive to create accessible work that is suitable for universal audiences and non-English speakers. Our aim is to have a completely diverse audience from all backgrounds and nationalities enjoy the same story in unison.
What inspired you to create this show?
I had many inspirations whilst creating and writing this show. I have always loved physical comedy because it is timeless and universally understood. Our influences at Skedaddle Theatre consist of physical comedy icons such as Charlie Chaplin, Mr Bean and Buster Keaton, drawing inspiration from their physicality and expression. However, although we take inspiration from these artists, we really do have a very unique style of our own that we are sharing with our audiences. I originally performed this piece as a seven-minute solo at drama school, as part of a third-year showcase, and I wanted to centre the piece around an individual on a quest for love, who is hilarious in behaviour, but wonderfully endearing in intent. I quickly fell in love with the concept and wanted to take the show to Edinburgh Fringe with Skedaddle, where we had a successful run. To develop the original performance into a full production, I wanted to create an amusing and thought-provoking show which focuses on the love story between two awkward and charming introverts, Thomas, and Daisy, whilst also presenting an important and heartfelt message.
How did you approach the development of this show?
A lot of time and thought was put into the development of this show. We strive for excellence and precision in our storytelling, which always takes time. Characterised choreography is one of the main devices we use in our shows, telling narrative through skilful movement and expression. We also incorporate mime, puppetry and object manipulation into our work alongside classic physical comedy and slapstick. The sheer amount of skill on display in our work takes hours of practice and attention, especially when focusing on how we can use these skills to tell a clear story.Although we use some text and dialogue in the show, physicality is always prioritised over speech, as we strive to create accessible work that is suitable for universal audiences and non-English speakers. Our aim is to have a completely diverse audience from all backgrounds and nationalities enjoy the same story in unison.
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| Rowan Armitt-Brewster |
How did you approach blending the themes discussed within the show with physical comedy?
Blending the themes presented in the show with physical comedy was one of the biggest challenges throughout the process. Thomas is such an awkward and bizarre character with many amusing mannerisms, which the audience love and enjoy. However, the challenge that was presented to me came in the form of making sure these mannerisms and behaviours were clearly framed in an endearing light, rather than appearing to be mockery towards those who are “awkward” and “different”. Once I found this balance, we were able to partner bodily mannerisms of all the characters with physical comedy quite naturally, as this genre traditionally relies on expressions of the physical body. In the show, we’ll build towards a joke, the joke will land, but then we’ll often close the joke with a moment of sweet, charming intimacy between Thomas and Daisy, or Thomas and the audience. This is the formula we use to create a comedy that also conveys the themes we want the audience to think about.
Having enjoyed success with the show in Edinburgh, do you approach the forthcoming run of the show any differently?
The Edinburgh Fringe was this show’s debut, and we thoroughly enjoyed the process. We learned from what we did well throughout the process, and from what we could have done better. After our very first performance in Edinburgh, I instantly knew what I would change in the show’s next iteration. Our preparation for Edinburgh presented a few difficulties, as we are all performers in our own right. I was performing at York Theatre Royal in Around the World in 80 Days…ish until a week before the Edinburgh festival, Lennie was performing in Flabbergast Theatre’s Romeo and Juliet, and Sam was touring in China with Lyngo Theatre. This created challenges for our rehearsal process, as we all had many other commitments whilst also wanting to put our all into A Brief Case of Crazy. This time around, all our focus in on this production at Riverside, and we have been very regimented in our rehearsing period. This time around the audience can expect even more precision, more focus on the comedic elements of the show, and creating more dynamic and exciting choreography that compliments the story we are telling. We are also working and collaborating with a great team for the show at Riverside, allowing us to focus more on the show itself. With Shoddy Theatre coming on board as associate producers, and also working with a very talented marketing team,videographers and asset designers. We are heading into our London debut with huge confidence, and we can’t wait to display the potential of A Brief Case of Crazy once again.
Do you ever reach the point with a show where it feels ‘complete’ or are you always looking at tweaks?
The beauty of theatre is that it can never be ‘perfect’ or ‘complete’, which for me is a challenge as I am a perfectionist. We have enormous ambitions for the show moving forward, which means the piece will continue to grow and develop over time. All we can do is be as prepared as we can for each iteration of the production, learning from what the audience enjoy and resonate with, whilst also further developing what hasn’t worked as well, which will give us clarity on how to continue improving the concept each time.
When did you know performing and writing was for you?
The first person who knew I was a born performer was my mum. I never strayed too far from my mum’s side until one day, at the age of three, we were watching Chitty Chitty Bang Bang together and I suddenly ran upstairs in the blink of an eye, my mum wondering where I was going. Then after sprinting back down the stairs, I reappear with a bamboo stick, and I started dancing along to “The Old Bamboo”. In that moment my mum realised that I was a performer, and that moment began my journey to full committing myself to becoming a performer and creative.
What was the first piece of theatre that inspired you?
I remember watching The Wizard of Oz in The West End when I was a young child. I was completely absorbed by the action and was inspired by the ability to tell stories and transport people into a different world. This helped inspire me to go on and do the same.
What gives you inspiration?
I am inspired by creating simple and meaningful stories excellently, with exceptional skill and precision. However, more importantly, I am inspired by the importance of my job. As a performer and storyteller, you can improve and change lives. I am blessed by the opportunity to transport people, to divert them from their stressful work life for an hour or so and to make them question their decisions moving forward. I enjoy nothing more than making people laugh and entertaining a united group of people.
What do you hope someone takes away from seeing the show?
The main thing I hope someone can take away from this show is that no matter how lonely you feel, or how you’re treated by others, your uniqueness really is beautiful. I hope someone who feels like an outcast can watch this show and resonate with Thomas, and leave the theatre feeling seen, represented, and appreciated. Making our audience feel uplifted and hopeful is the purpose of our show, and we want our audience feeling the need to spread love and acceptance to all who they encounter.
Where can people see the show?
People can see the show at Riverside Studios in London, Hammersmith between the 8th – 20th April 2025 (not 12th, 15th, 16th). You really don’t want to miss this….
Tickets are available from https://riversidestudios.co.uk/see-and-do/a-brief-case-of-crazy-156162/
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