Exeter’s very own fools to debut Dick Tracy on April Fool’s Day – no joke!
Published October 24, 2014
Exeter’s very own award-winning physical comedy theatre company, Le Navet Bete, have been successful in securing Arts Council England funding (£56,849) to support the creation and national tour of over 40 dates of their brand new show, Dick Tracy, debuting at the Exeter Phoenix on April Fool’s Day 2015.
The show, a co-production with Exeter Phoenix and supported by Exeter City Council, will transport audiences into a physical comedy based on the world-famous comic book detective which sees Tracy come up against a number of adversaries and, of course, the femme fatale. Will he be able to save the day, get the girl and get to the bottom of who’s causing the mayhem spreading across the city? Or perhaps the truth is closer than he thinks…
With their work rooted in the ridiculous, Le Navet Bete’s Dick Tracy will incorporate fooling, original live music, plenty of audience interaction, lightning quick character changes, incredibly authentic accents spattered with mystery, malice and mischief. Having wowed audiences across the globe since 2007 with their inimitable, tightly-honed style of comedy performance, they are teaming up once again with one of the UK’s most exciting comedy directors John Nicholson of acclaimed theatre company Peepolykus. Dick Tracy promises to have the bad guys in handcuffs and the audience in stitches!
Nick Bunt, co-artistic director of Le Navet Bete, said “We’re absolutely thrilled to have been awarded this grant from the Arts Council to create and tour Dick Tracy. It reaffirms their commitment to us as a company and that support is greatly received. The flourishing partnerships we have with the Exeter Phoenix and Exeter City Council, who both supported our most recent street show ‘Rumpus’ and our involvement in this year’s Unexpected Festival, are also a huge benefit to us allowing us to further embed our cultural mark on the city as well as the rest of the UK. We can’t wait to present what we believe will be our most exciting show yet!”
Val Wilson, Arts & Events Manager at Exeter City Council, said “Exeter City Council is delighted to be able to support Le Navet Bete. They bring so much joy and laughter to audiences whether at a street festival or in a black box environment. The company is one of the city’s fast rising stars not only in the South West but nationally and one that the city is proud to call its own.”