house presents Greg Wohead with The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill Marketing pack

house presents Greg Wohead with The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill Marketing pack

Contents Contact Details Marketing Resources Tour Dates Background Information Selling Points and Target Audiences Brochure Copy Online Marketing Press Quotes Audience Responses Artist Q&A Template Press Release Template Mail Out Artist Bio 3 4 5 6 7 8 10 11 12 13 15 17 18

3 contact details Marketing contact: Sarah Wilson, house Marketing and Engagement Coordinator sarah@housetheatre.org.uk / 01252 745 419 Artist contact: Greg Wohead info@gregwohead.com / 07908 470 744

4 marketing resources PRINT This production is supported by posters and flyers as agreed by contract, which will be delivered directly to your venue. Please note, you will receive three different versions of the flyer, which match up to form one continuous image. These should be displayed side-by-side for a more eye catching front of house display. Please display as below: ONLINE Website links: gregwohead.com housetheatre.org.uk Vimeo links: http://vimeo.com/55719372 http://vimeo.com/78865555 Podcast interview with the artist (including music from the show): https://soundcloud.com/ditch-show/the-many-apologies-of-pecos Video documentation of the development of the show: http://vimeo.com/49085655 http://vimeo.com/49476083 http://vimeo.com/51714703 Blog posts on the development of the show (including images and writing about a research trip to the Texas desert: http://gregwohead.com/category/the-many-apologies-of-pecos-bill/ Twitter: @gregwohead @housetheatre Downloadable production images: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o1puo2enhcu4avc/rqtui1vd6o

Autumn 2014 tour dates 5

6 background information The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is a show about Texas, cowboys and wide open spaces, written and performed by Texan Greg Wohead with live music by non-texan Mat Martin. It s an investigation of tall tales, an evocation of big skies and Greg Wohead s attempt to find his way back to Texas using true storytelling, live music and a cassette player. Pecos Bill is a show about being far from home; an international piece about two Texans: Pecos Bill, who was raised by coyotes, used a rattlesnake as a lasso and grew up to be the greatest cowboy of all time, and Greg, who once passed out from exhaustion during a 3-mile hike. Pecos Bill is about how identity can be connected to a place and how that place (and identity) warps, stretches and grows as a result of distance and time. The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill was developed through residencies and work-in-progress showings at The Yard, The Basement and BAC. It was also developed through a residency with Waleslab, National Theatre Wales artist development initiative. As part of the process, the artist took a research trip to the West Texas desert, an account of which can be found here: http:// gregwohead.com/2012/11/27/pecos-bill-rides-again/

7 selling points & target audiences SELLING POINTS It s a warm, accessible show about being far from home; something most people can relate to. The show has had an emotional resonance for audiences. It s an international show by a Texan artist, and it s a piece with real Texas flavour; desert landscape, cowboys and banjo music. The show incorporates live music. It was developed in collaboration with musician Mat Martin, and original music as well as traditional campfire tunes and contemporary Americana songs are performed in the show. It s a show by a rising artist. Greg Wohead has recently won the Flying Solo International Commission to develop his next show with Contact Theatre, MC Amsterdam, Fuel and The Albany and that show will premiere in Amsterdam and Manchester in 2014. TARGET AUDIENCES Contemporary theatre audiences are a core audience, being familiar with performance work that plays with form. Music fans. Specifically those interested in Americana and bluegrass. The show was performed for a primarily live music audience at Performance in the Pub in Leicester (including some audience members who had never seen any contemporary theatre), and they reacted enthusiastically not only to the live music itself, but to the almost gig-like style of the performance. Storytelling fans. This show uses (and plays with) storytelling forms, both traditional and contemporary autobiographical styles. Americans in the UK. The show is about an American who lives far from home, something that will resonate particularly with Americans who are living abroad.

brochure copy 8 Company/Credit Show Title Long Copy (150 words) house presents Greg Wohead with The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill This is the true story of two Texans. One Texan falls in love with a cowgirl who rides on the back of a giant catfish. His name is Pecos Bill. He was raised by coyotes, used a rattlesnake as a lasso and grew up to be the greatest cowboy of all time. The other Texan once passed out from exhaustion on a 3-mile hike. His name is Greg. This is where Bill and Greg meet, merge and swap stories. The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is a show about being far away from home. Using true storytelling and live music by Mat Martin, Greg will attempt to reach backward across an ocean. made with (and with music by) Mat Martin A clever evocation of the ways in which we internalise and idealise the places we come from The Public Reviews Funny, smart and moving Everything Theatre Medium Copy (100 words) This is the true story of two Texans. One Texan falls in love with a cowgirl who rides on the back of a giant catfish. His name is Pecos Bill. He was raised by coyotes and grew up to be the greatest cowboy of all time. The other Texan once passed out from exhaustion on a 3-mile hike. His name is Greg. This is where Bill and Greg swap stories. The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is a show about being far from home. Using true storytelling and live music by Mat Martin, Greg will attempt to reach backward across an ocean.

9 Short Copy (50 words) This is the true story of two Texans: Pecos Bill, the greatest cowboy of all time, and Greg, who once passed out from exhaustion on a 3-mile hike. Using true storytelling and live music by Mat Martin, Greg will try to find his way back to Texas Photography credit (production images) Age Suitability Running Time Online Links Alex Brenner 13+ 65 minutes gregwohead.com @gregwohead #pecosbill @housetheatre housetheatre.org.uk

10 Online MArketing The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is a storytelling show with live music about Texas, cowboys and being far away from home. All these aspects of the show can be leveraged in online marketing. We would recommend a social media campaign using Twitter and Facebook and to post videos and images of the show as well as posting questions and provocations to followers around the idea of home, a universal theme. The longer lead in time to initiate the campaign, the more genuine this engagement will appear. It is also recommended that only 1 in 10 updates during the campaign should directly sell the show, the remaining 9 should be based on content sharing and periphery show/venue information. Twitter accounts: @gregwohead @housetheatre Performance hashtag: #pecosbill Campaign hashtag: #pecosbillvenuename Content provided: Messaging: production images Q&A with artist Links to development blog posts Links to development videos Show trailers Press quotes Audience quotes A flavour of Texas; the landscape, the food, the music An original, personal performance Storytelling with live music A funny, warm, friendly show about nostalgia

press quotes 11 Critical Responses: A great amalgamation of dialogue and sound. -The Londoneer A clever evocation of the ways in which we internalise and idealise the places we come from The Public Reviews Funny, smart and moving Everything Theatre Critical responses to other projects: A fearless lead performance by Greg Wohead The Stage on The Air Gap Gentle and richly evocative Total Theatre on...and other safe places

12 Audience responses A collection of audience responses via Twitter can be found at the following link: http://storify.com/gregwohead/the-many-apologies-of-pecos-bill Loved @gregwohead s Pecos Bill show @YardTheatre last night, lovely stories evoking Texas and distance from home. See if u can. -Brian Logan, Camden People s Theatre Fascinated by and a little bit in love with Pecos Bill and @gregwohead. A beautiful piece of theatre that will stick with me for awhile. -Christina Handke @gregwohead s show @ YardTheatre is a piece to fall in love with/fall in love to. Go see. -Vera Chok @gregwohead s new show, Pecos Bill, is wonderful: exquisitely structured, surprisingly poignant. London folk, go see this week! -Catriona James

13 Artist Q&A Greg Wohead brings his storytelling performance, The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill to <VENUE> on <DATE>. We caught up with the artist and talked about Texas, home and tall tales of the Wild West. This performance is an autobiographical show. How did it develop and why did you make it? I started thinking about making this piece around the beginning of 2012. I m originally from Dallas, Texas, but at that time I had been living in the UK for around 7 years or so. During that time, whenever I met new people and told them I was from Texas, that always came with a set of assumptions--some good some bad-- and I started thinking about how I identified myself and what that had to do with the place I was from. I was also thinking a lot about the idea of distance through physical geography, since I had been living across an ocean from the place I grew up, but also distance through time. It had been 7 years since I had lived in Texas. So many things change in that time, both in a place and in yourself, and it s both these ideas of distance that are at the heart of the performance, for me. There s a strong musical element in the show, can you tell us about that? From the beginning, I knew I wanted there to be a strong musical presence in the show because it has so much to do with memory and nostalgia; how a certain tune or type of music can take you right back. There s also a certain type of music that is associate with the idea of Texas, both in reality and stereotypically, and I was interested in playing with that idea. I worked with Mat Martin, who is a wonderful composer and multi-instrumentalist, to develop the musical aspect of the show. He has worked on the piece from near the beginning of development and he now plays live in the show. The musical element is something that s really important to how you can feel your way through the show, and it s something that everyone seems to enjoy. The title of your show is The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill. Who is Pecos Bill? This is a great question! I love Pecos Bill. He s a mythical cowboy; part of the genre of American Tall Tales, like Paul Bunyan and John Henry. It s a story that s told in many forms, but basically, Pecos Bill is the greatest cowboy of all time. He used a rattlesnake as a lasso and he hogtied tornadoes, or so the story goes. I was interested in playing with the idea of exaggeration and tall tales as it relates to autobiography, and how the stories you tell other people about who you are and where your from can get distorted or exaggerated as time goes on. In the show, my own story and the story of Pecos Bill get mixed up and confused.

14 Your work often deals with autobiography or begins from an autobiographical story. Can you tell us about that? One of the first theatre shows I made actually started out as a 10-minute true story I told at a few cabaret nights. Before that even, it was a story I always pulled out at the pub for fun. I like that idea of connection; of telling people something about yourself in the hope that they will recognise something in it and feel connected. Earlier on, my performances were basically funny true stories that took place in Texas. There s still an element of that in The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill, but there s also a more fantastical streak there. What has your experience of performing the show been like so far? I ve loved it. It s such a fun show for me to do because it s so relaxed. I m just talking straight to the audience the whole time, and there s a comfort in the directness, I think. I don t put anyone on the spot, but I do like to look at people. In that way (and because there is live music throughout), the show has some things in common with a music gig. We have even performed the piece in a few cafe bars with candlelit tables, and that has added a nice atmosphere. gregwohead.com

15 Template Press Release house presents Greg Wohead with The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill Release date <VENUE> are excited to welcome international artist to <PLACE> in <MONTH> through South East touring scheme house. Texan writer and performer Greg Wohead collaborates with musician Mat Martin to consider identity and a shifting sense of place in a charming autobiographical show The performance will take place <where> <what time> A true story with a healthy amount of exaggeration, The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill explores the universal topic of home and leaving it Using true storytelling accompanied by banjo and guitar music, Texan Greg Wohead creates a compelling performance about being far away from home: about how identity can be connected to a place, and how that place (and identity) warps, stretches and grows over distance and time. The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is made up of interweaving Texas tales told to the audience by Greg. As the lines between truth and exaggeration begin to blur, banjo and guitar music, by turns gentle and exuberant, provides a pathway through the confusion; sometimes in the background painting a picture of the desert landscape, other times punctuating the story with old-time songs sung by Greg and Mat. Greg Wohead said: for me, this is a very personal show. It s about the idea of home and being far away from a place to which your identity is linked. I started making the show when I had spent enough time away from home to forget a lot of things about it and to make up a lot of things about it. I loved that, so I made a show that s basically a tall tale about real life This is the story of two Texans. One Texan falls in love with a cowgirl who rides on the back of a giant catfish. His name is Pecos Bill. He was raised by coyotes, used a rattlesnake as a lasso, and grew up to be the greatest cowboy of all time. The other Texan once passed out from exhaustion on a 3-mile hike. His name is Greg. This is where Bill and Greg meet, merge and swap stories. Event listings: Date Time Venue Running Time: 60 minutes Suitable for ages 13+ ENDS Notes to editors: Greg Wohead is a London-based writer and performer originally from Texas. His work so far has been strongly rooted in autobiography and usually takes the form of hybrid pieces of theatre, live art and storytelling, sometimes involving drawings, pico projectors or cassette tapes. Greg has shown original work at BAC, Ovalhouse, Wales Millennium Centre, The Basement and The Yard, where he is an Artistic Associate. The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill was developed at Battersea Arts Centre, with support from The Yard, The Basement and public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England. Developed in part through Waleslab, National Theatre Wales artist development initiative. Written and performed by Greg Wohead Created by Greg Wohead with Mat Martin

16 house is an initiative supported by Arts Council England to improve the range, quality and scale of theatre presented across south east of England. gregwohead.com @gregwohead housetheatre.org.uk @housetheatre Further Information: Please contact INSERT NAME, JOB TITLE, COMPANY NAME, ADDRESS Telephone: INSERT TELEPHONE NUMBER Email: INSERT EMAIL ADDRESS

17 Template mail out Dear theatregoer, Re: The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill by Greg Wohead The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill is storytelling show with live music about Texas, tall tales and cowboys. This personal show invites you to consider the experience of being far away from home in a fun, inviting atmosphere. With live music by Mat Martin and a journey through deserts, roller coasters and state fairs, The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill brings the sights and sounds of Texas to <THEATRE>. A clever evocation of the ways in which we internalise and idealise the places we come from The Public Reviews Performed and written by Greg Wohead with Mat Martin, we re excited to welcome this critically acclaimed artist on <DATE>. This show has already been performed in London, Cardiff, Exeter, Bracknell and Margate, and received rave reviews from critics and audiences alike: A beautiful piece of theatre that will stick with me for awhile. Audience Member Really touching and well crafted performance Audience Member Funny, smart and moving Everything Theatre The Many Apologies of Pecos Bill will come to <VENUE> on <DATE> <TIMES> and tickets are <PRICE>. We hope that you re able to join us for this special performance in our venue. You can book tickets by calling our box office on <NUMBER> or visiting <WEBSITE>. Thank you for your time and we look forward to welcoming you to <venue name> soon. With warmest regards, <Director name & signature>

18 artist bio Greg Wohead is a London-based writer and performer originally from Texas. His work is strongly rooted in autobiography and usually takes the form of hybrid pieces of theatre, live art and storytelling, sometimes involving drawings, pico projectors or cassette tapes. His performances are charming, disarming and spontaneous, and have a strong sense of place, playfully evoking his personal Texan mythology. Prevailing themes so far have been home, the passing of time, distance, nostalgia, American-ness, Texas and masculinity; always explored with a sense of fun and a DIY visual style that is at once endearing and loaded. He s curious about how we remember things, realness and fakery, and inspired by the power of simplicity. Greg has shown original work at BAC, Ovalhouse, Wales Millennium Centre, The Basement and The Yard, where he is an Artistic Associate. He is also this year s winner of the Flying Solo International Commission by Contact Theatre, MC Amsterdam, Fuel and The Albany.