Hocus Pocus Theatre prescribes you a dose of funny business this week at their Laughter Matters - Fun Clinic where the challenge is to find your joy in a maze of amazing rooms, connecting with an array of comic characters along the way. Another immersive, whole venue-take-over experience from the veterans of fun as they ram the theatre full of surprises to delight you at every turn. Lifting your spirits to a higher plane and lighting the way with surreal comedy, puppetry, music, dancing, mayhem and their trademark touch of magic. The show runs at Norwich Puppet Theatre this Thursday 26th through to Saturday 28th September.
The show is an absurdist and comedic exploration by Hocus Pocus Theatre’s Artistic Director, Lucy Enskat, looking at societal attitudes towards mental health and offers a progressive approach to prevention through community, connection, play and laughter. Drawing on her experience as a Clown Doctor working in hospitals Lucy understands the therapeutic and healing benefits of laughter. The show is driven by a desire to combine the person centred approach of healthcare clowning with theatre-making to see if it can have a wider impact on audience who are always at the heart of the experience for Hocus Pocus Theatre.
The project is being funded by Arts Council England and has been made in an intensive eight day residency at Norwich Puppet Theatre. The company has worked with visiting director and renowned Clown and Drama Therapist, Holly Stoppit. Holly spent two days at the start of the project working with the company and introducing a daily meditation practice into the work which has been hugely important to the process. Running alongside the show is an integrated wellbeing programme for artists which prioritises self-care in creativity to actively prevent burn-out in the arts.
With Mental Health affecting 1 in 4 people the show and project gives a platform to address it openly and find positive, effective and lasting solutions. Audiences are also invited to attend an optional free workshop following their visit to the FUN CLINIC on either Saturday 28 September, 11am-12.30pm or Monday 30 September, 6-7.30pm. They can join in games and therapeutic exercises as the company share their findings on improving wellbeing through the arts. There will be a Q&A with the performers from the show and a detailed look at the thinking behind the show.
The company look forward to welcoming audiences to the Laughter Matters – FUN CLINIC show this week which promises to take them on a transformative journey, packed full of surprises, laughter and loads of fun. The show will run for approx. 90 mins followed by live music in the bar and a chance to kick back after.