British actor Darren Smith is bringing something special home after 11 years living in Berlin, Germany. ‘The Great Pemberton’s A to Z of Amazing’ will tour Cumbria, the Isle of Man and appear at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
More than a madcap one-man show full of fairy tales, myths and ghost stories, it is a travelling wonder in itself. The show will be performed from“The Stuffed Crocodile Story Wagon”, Smith’s own portable horse drawn theatre. He hopes to delight and enchant children and families, young and old, wherever he stops .
The Stuffed Crocodile will also provide the backdrop to Smith’s daily webcasts, as he shares his Quixotic adventure with the whole world. “I’m very excited to be living my dream but also nervous, I must confess, driving a horse is still very new to me, as is life on the road. You might call this A Fool’s Journey!” he says. Fitting then that he plans to set off on 1 April!
The cost of building his dream wagon, with its hundred curious props, costumes and a horse called Bob, will be financed through Crowdfunding site www.indiegogo.com
Smith needs to raise €35,000 by 10th February when his campaign ends. He seems determined.
“I didn’t have the money to pay for my drama school training either. I wrote a one man show and performed it, outside the National Theatre in London, on the hour every hour for 12 hours, mostly in the pouring rain. I wrote to lots of famous actors to sponsor the event. Sir Anthony Hopkins and Dame Judi Dench among many others sponsored me. I couldn’t have trained without their kindness and generosity.”
Donations are starting to come in from all over the world including a very generous offer to bring The Stuffed Crocodile to a Llama farm in Colorado. Smith is delighted,
“Performing in a field to an audience of Llamas? I could not be happier.”
Smith still has a long way to go to meet his target but perhaps his quest will have a fairytale ending?
‘The Stuffed Crocodile Story Wagon’ crowdfunding campaign will run until 10th February at www.indiegogo.com. Backers can donate from as little as €5 or much as they wish, with €10 the suggested amount to book a VIP “virtual seat” aboard Smith’s fantastical wonder wagon.
