In one of the most talked about sell-out shows of this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe, RICHARD HERRING - creator of previous hits Christ on a Bike, Talking Cock and last year’s critically acclaimed The Headmaster’s Son - attempts to reclaim the Hitler ‘tache for comedy. HERRING will take Hitler Moustache on a 57-date tour during 2010, from 29th January until 22nd April, including ten dates at London’s Leicester Square Theatre during the first two weeks of February.
The toothbrush moustache seems now forever associated with Adolf Hitler. Yet Charlie Chaplin had one first. The only place the Hitler ‘tache is now acceptable is carved into a woman’s pubic hair. Why has this innocent and amusing square inch of hair seemingly taken the blame for the crimes of the Nazi regime?
Like many men, in the privacy of his own bathroom, HERRING has shaven his beard down to see how he looks with “the Hitler”. But unlike most men he has decided to venture out onto the streets with it still under his nose. How will people respond? Will they understand what he is doing or just assume he’s mentally ill or a fascist or both? And by judging him by the way he looks, aren’t they being just as fascistic as him? Was it the toothbrush moustache that was evil? Will he become evil if he has one? Or might it actually make him massively popular, as it seemed to do for Adolf, taking him from the tiny beer cellars he currently plays to stadium gigs with thousands of adoring fans chanting his name?
Along the way HERRING aims to find out: whether racism has anything going for it and if woolly liberals actually see people as less equal than the idiots in the BNP; whether God is racist and if He responds to prayer on volume, rather than merit; following the rule of “I was here first”, whether that means Europe actually belongs to the Neanderthals, and that all the homo sapiens should just fuck off back to Africa where they belong; and if drawing cocks on your ballot paper could become an effective way to stop the rise of the BNP.
It’s a show that examines iconography, the way we judge and are judged, the dangers of political apathy, the point where comedy and madness touch and the very ethics of such a comedy stunt. Is it worth HERRING upsetting strangers, risking physical and psychological damage and ruining his parent’s Golden Wedding photos for the sake of a stand-up show? As his Jewish friend Dan observed, “You’re right that the moustache shouldn’t have the associations that it does, but the thing is it does have those associations. You can’t change it and it’s offensive to try.”
For more information please contact Ben Nolan or Dan Lloyd on: 020 7598 7222 / benn@avalonuk.com or danl@avalonuk.com
WHAT THE PRESS SAID ABOUT HITLER MOUSTACHE IN EDINBURGH
“A really excellent comedy show: a playful, pointed and often bitterly funny attack on racism … stimulating, passionate, and thoroughly entertaining.”
Dominic Maxwell, The Times
“An absolute Fringe must-see.”
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
“Superbly constructed and wickedly clever.”
Stephanie Merritt, The Observer
“The most talked about show on the fringe.”
Dominic Cavendish, Daily Telegraph
“A funny and often challenging look at liberal hubris, the intent of ‘offensive’ gags, and a condemnation of the bigots. Vote with your feet, and see it.”
Steve Bennett, Chortle
“Surely his most passionate Fringe hour to date... a master of his form.”
Brian Donaldson, The List
“Political comedy at its most effective and questioning, and should be a defining show of this year's Fringe.”
Louise Ridley, Time Out
“A beautifully crafted and thought-provoking show.”
Veronica Lee, The Sunday Telegraph
“Another hit for his solid back catalogue.”
Julian Hall, The Independent
“One of the greatest stand-up routines I have seen.”
Joe Daniels, Scotsgay
“Such a strong show, impassioned, emotive and clever. One of the shows that this year’s Fringe will be remembered for.”
Ian Phillips, The National Student
“Herring continues to grow as a comic and is fast carving himself a niche in British stand-up that has already become a Fringe highlight and will likely see him soon as a household name.”
Graeme Strachan, The British Theatre Guide
“A very powerful, extremely funny show.”
Paul Fleckney, London is Funny
“An intelligent, brave and brilliant show.”
Ariadne Cass-Maran, The Skinny
TOUR DATES
JANUARY
Friday 29th - FOLKESTONE Quarter House - 01303 858500
Saturday 30th - NOTTINGHAM Playhouse - 01159 419419
Sunday 31st - YORK Hyena Club - 0870 7583219
FEBRUARY
Tuesday 2nd - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Wednesday 3rd - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Thursday 4th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Friday 5th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Saturday 6th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Tuesday 9th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Wednesday 10th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Thursday 11th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Friday 12th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Saturday 13th - LONDON Leicester Square Theatre - 0844 847 2475
Sunday 14th - WARWICK Arts Centre - 02476 524524
Wednesday 17th - LUTON The Library - 01582 547474
Thursday 18th - BATH Komedia - 0845 293 8480
Friday 19th - PETERBOROUGH Radius - 01733 560231
Saturday 20th - WINDSOR Firestation Arts - 01753 866865
Sunday 21st - BRISTOL Tobacco Factory - 0117 9020344
Monday 22nd - HEREFORD The Courtyard - 01432 340555
Tuesday 23rd - RHYL New Pavilion Theatre - 01745 330000
Wednesday 24th - BIRMINGHAM Glee - 0871 472 0400
Thursday 25th - LEAMINGTON SPA Royal Spa Centre - 01926 334418
Friday 26th - STAMFORD Arts Centre - 01780 763203
Saturday 27th - HASTINGS White Rock Theatre - 01424 462288
MARCH
Monday 1st - HARROGATE Theatre - 01423 502 116
Wednesday 3rd - GWENT Blackwood Miner's Institute - 01495 227206
Thursday 4th - CARDIFF Glee - 0871 472 0400
Friday 5th - READING South Street Arts - 0118 960 6060
Saturday 6th - ANDOVER The Lights - 01264 368368
Sunday 7th - MANCHESTER Frog and Bucket - 01612 369805
Tuesday 9th - CHELTENHAM Town Hall - 0844 576 2210
Wednesday 10th - LINCOLN Performing Arts Centre - 0844 888 8766
Thursday 11th - SHEFFIELD City Hall Memorial Hall - 0114 2789789
Friday 12th - BERWICK-UPON-TWEED Maltings - 01289330999
Saturday 13th - GLASGOW Comedy Festival: The Garage - 0844 395 4005
Sunday 14th - EDINBURGH The Stand - 0131 558 7272
Monday 15th - PERTH Red Rooms - 01738 621 031
Tuesday 16th - CHORLEY Little Theatre - 01257 264362
Wednesday 17th - KENDAL Brewery Arts Centre - 01539 725133
Thursday 18th - ALDERSHOT West End Centre - 01252 330040
Friday 19th - FAREHAM Ashcroft Arts Centre - 01329 223100
Saturday 20th - WOLVERHAMPTON Little Civic - 08703207000
Wednesday 24th - BRIGHTON Komedia - 0871 22 117 29
Thursday 25th - COLCHESTER Arts Centre - 01206 500900
Friday 26th - CAMBRIDGE The Junction - 01223 511511
Saturday 27th - SOUTHSEA The Kings Theatre - 023 9282 8282
Sunday 28th - EXETER Phoenix - 01392 667080
Wednesday 31st - TAUNTON Brewhouse - 01823 283244
APRIL
Thursday 1st - PENZANCE St. John’s Hall: Acorn Arts - 01736 365520
Saturday 3rd - NORWICH Playhouse - 01603 598 598
Monday 5th - LEEDS Library - 01132 440794
Tuesday 6th - LEEDS Library - 01132 440794
Saturday 10th - BRIDPORT Electric Palace - 01308 428354
Saturday 17th - WHITBY Hilarity Bites - 01325 362364
Sunday 18th - DARLINGTON Hilarity Bites - 01325 362364
Thursday 22nd - STOCKTON-ON-TEES ARC - 01642 525199
RICHARD HERRING
In the 1990s RICHARD HERRING was in the prodigious double act LEE & HERRING, who created the cult hit BBC TWO shows Fist of Fun and This Morning With Richard Not Judy. He was one of the team behind the award-winning BBC Radio 4 series On The Hour. More recently he has written and starred in ITV1’s hit comedy drama You Can Choose Your Friends, and BBC Radio 2’s That Was Then, This Is Now. A busy year has seen RICHARD: sell-out his Edinburgh run of Hitler Moustache, one of the most-talked about shows at this year’s Fringe; debut his revolutionary new internet sketch show As It Occurs To Me in a 10-show run at London’s Leicester Square Theatre; take his critically acclaimed, Chortle Award nominated show The Headmaster’s Son on a hugely successful national tour and two-week London run; present a new documentary series Bad Habits on BBC Radio 4; continue to host the Collings and Herrin podcast with broadcaster and writer ANDREW COLLINS, which entered the iTunes top 20 podcast chart when released; and appear as a panellist on BBC TWO’s Never Mind the Buzzcocks. His previous hit live shows include: Ra Ra Rasputin, Punk’s Not Dead, Excavating Rita, Christ on a Bike, Talking Cock, Someone Likes Yoghurt, ménage à un, Oh Fuck, I’m 40! and The Headmaster’s Son.
AVALON PROMOTIONS
Avalon Promotions Limited is one of the leading promoters of live comedy in the UK. Productions include: NEWMAN & BADDIEL in the first comedy show ever to be staged at Wembley Arena; FRANK SKINNER’s record-breaking performance to an audience of 6,000 at the Battersea Power Station; Jerry Springer - The Opera at the National Theatre, at the Cambridge Theatre in London’s West End, on national tour and at New York’s Carnegie Hall; HARRY HILL at the Palace and Dominion Theatres in London; and Dave Gorman’s Googlewhack Adventure at the Sydney Opera House, at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, on national tour and at the Village Theatre, New York (nominated for Drama Desk Award 2004).
The last 12 months has seen Avalon Promotions: present multi-award winning comics JENNY ECLAIR, RICHARD HERRING, RUSSELL HOWARD and FRANK SKINNER on sell-out runs; produce AL MURRAY, THE PUB LANDLORD live at the O2 and RUSSELL HOWARD at Wembley Arena; introduce some of the fastest-rising stars in comedy such as RUSSELL KANE, KRISTEN SCHAAL & KURT BRAUNOHLER and ISY SUTTIE; produce stage shows, such as Frank Skinner’s Credit Crunch Cabaret and Grumpy Old Women Live, which has toured the UK three times and performed a highly successful run in Australia; and present 23 acts at the Edinburgh Festival, where it has promoted a total of five Perrier Award winners and 17 Perrier Award/if.comedy Award nominees in just 20 years.
