Hackman and Critical Stages Touring
Co-Creator & Director – Kip Chapman
Co-Creator & Host – Adriane Daff
Co-Creator & Musical Director – Luke Di Somma
Fantastic Community Fun for the Whole Family
Telethon is an interactive theatrical event where members of the community star in a telethon, live-on-stage, raising money and awareness for a local cause.
The 2-hour live show combines traditional elements of an old school telethon with modern games and technology to create a hilarious, heartfelt, and entertaining show that celebrates the community.
The event is presented with Kip Chapman’s signature interactive style, bringing the audience right into the action and making them the heroes. Telethon is hosted by “Queenie Duncan” (Adriane Daff), television and stage personality, nine-time Logie award winner, co-host of the Brisbane Commonwealth Games opening ceremony and former Miss Perth 1973 and is joined by musical director “Luke Lighting” (Luke Di Somma).
Queenie invites audience members to be part of the telethon and part of the show. Audience members are needed to build a bridge out of cardboard, do a jazzercise work-out, join the audience choir, or work the phone bank. Along the way our host teases out quirky facts about the town and its people, building their personalities into the heart of the work. The show ends with an all-in celebratory musical number that is filmed and shared with the whole community.
A highly structured show with a feeling of chaos, the actors and crew are constantly improvising with the audience making each Telethon a wildly unique event.
Available to Tour
2021/2022
Artform
Theatre, Comedy, Music, Special Event
Audience
Suitable for all ages. Telethon works best with a broad audience demographic.
Duration
2 hours
Venue Format
Hall or theatre with a raised stage set up cabaret-style, or standard theatre seating
Touring Party
Director, musical director, host, technical manager, and stage manager. Presenter to organise a 2-piece band (drummer and guitarist). Sheet music provided with 1 rehearsal required the day before performance.
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.
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
The Cause
Consulting with the community, the presenter chooses the cause their telethon will support. The cause could be a charity, but it must be directly linked to the town of presentation. It could be drought relief, supporting volunteer firefighters, a community health program, an environmental cause – let us know what is most pressing in your community. Any sponsorship, pledges and in-kind support the community organises will go directly to the chosen cause.
The show is structured to raise $5000 for the chosen cause. It’s best if the cause can identify what the $5000 will support, as this will be woven into the ‘story’ of the show. For example: Perhaps the cause is raising money for the school pool. The funds are needed for the new pool covering. The show is then built around that need.
Sponsorship
We need someone on the ground in each community to find sponsors. The sponsorship target is $3500 from at least 8 businesses. The minimum sponsorship amount should be $300. For example: 4 sponsors @ $300, 4 sponsors @ $500, 1 sponsor @ $800.
Sponsors are recognised throughout the show and their sponsorship is linked to an audience interactive game. Sponsorship proposal templates will be provided in the presenter pack and Critical Stages will support the person in this role.
Fundraising Target $5000
Sponsorship: $3500
Ticket Sales: $750 (e.g. 150 tickets at $20 each. $5 donated from every ticket. Larger capacity venues would have a higher fundraising target)
Show auction: $200
Phone bank: $250
Other: $300
The goal is for each show to exceed the fundraising target by approximately $300
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.