Potted Potter: The hit Harry Potter parody returns to Houston by popular demand
PRESS RELEASE
HOUSTON – Starvox Entertainment and Potted Productions announced that Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience – A parody by Dan and Jeff, created by two-time Olivier Award-nominated and BBC actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, returns to the Hobby Center, December 11 – 30. Potted Potter is perfect for ages six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed).
Playing to sold out houses all over the world, Potted Potter takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real-life game of Quidditch) into 70 hilarious minutes.
Potted Potter has been updated with a refreshed set design, upgraded illusions, and all the latest hilarious insights into the wonderful world of all thing Hogwarts. It includes all your favorite characters, a special appearance from a fire-breathing dragon, endless costumes, jokes, brilliant songs, ridiculous props and a generous helping of Hogwarts magic plus lots of mayhem!
Whether you camped outside a bookstore for three days awaiting the release of the Deathly Hallows, or you don’t know the difference between a Horcrux and a Hufflepuff, the comedy, magic and mayhem of Potted Potter makes for a fun, and funny, visit to the theatre.
Here’s what the critics have said about Potted Potter…
“This gloriously irreverent show will have you in stitches.” – Houston Press
“CRITICS’ PICK! Breathless and HILARIOUS! The duo casts the perfect spell over the audience” – New York Times.
“A Zany Hoot!” – New York Post
“A fabulously funny parody. Will tickle the funny bone of every age group.” – The London Daily Telegraph.
“You’re gonna love this show!”
“****The single funniest thing I’ve seen in ages. You’re gonna love this show.” – Toronto Star
Creative Team
Daniel Clarkson, Writer and Creator
Daniel is a “British comedy actor, playwright and director with two Olivier nominations and a Blue Peter Badge.” Graduating from Bretton Hall, Daniel is probably best known for being one half of the comedy double act “Dan and Jeff”, renowned across the globe for their “Potted” stage shows, as well as an 18-month residence in the CBBC office as their in-house presenters.
With four shows now under his belt (Potted Potter, Potted Pirates, Potted Panto and the latest Potted Sherlock, which Daniel co-wrote with his brother Tom), he has received both audience and critical acclaim, having had sell-out seasons in both London’s West End and New York, and completed several successful international tours. Potted Potter was even translated into Spanish, which Daniel then directed in Mexico City.
In 2015, Daniel joined the Edinburgh smash hit One Man Breaking Bad as director, also writing additional material. The show went on to have successful tours in the UK, Australia, North America and concluded with a sell-out run in India. Last year Daniel premiered his latest creation, King Kong (a comedy), at the Vaults in London, enjoying a successful 10-week run and nominated for 3 “Offies”, including Best Production.
Daniel has had regular appearances on BBC, ITV and Channel 4 – writing, performing and directing his unique brand of condensed comedy, and was fortunate enough to spend six months in LA training and working with The Upright Citizens Brigade. He was also in the British soap opera Coronation Street a couple of times … (he didn’t know how to fit that in but his mum said “he really should”.)
Jefferson Turner, Writer & Creator
Since 2005, Jeff has been messing about with Dan both on stage and screen. He has appeared on TV with the tall one on such shows as Blue Peter (BBC), Richard & Judy (C4), The Slammer (BBC) & Big Brother’s Little Brother (C4) amongst others, as well as residing in the ‘CBBC Office’ where he presented with Dan for all of 2009 and a little of 2010. On stage Jeff has co-written and starred in Potted Pirates, Potted Panto, Potted Sherlock, and Potted Potter, with Dan. This has led to years of UK & US touring, critical acclaim, Olivier nominations for Potted Potter in 2012 and Potted Panto in 2011, and sell-out West End and Off-Broadway runs. Jeff thinks he did other work before he met Dan, but Dan says anything Jeff did without him doesn’t matter anymore.
Production Team:
Richard Hurst, Director
Daniel Clarkson, Associate Director
Simon Scullion, Set Design
Tim Mascall, Lighting Design
Phil Innes, Music
About Starvox Entertainment:
Founded in 2005 by Corey Ross, Starvox Entertainment has ranked on Profit Magazine’s list of Canada’s top growth companies for four years running – the only live entertainment company ever to place on the list.
Starvox is the producer of the North American Premiere of The Art of Banksy in association with Live Nation, as well as the hugely successful Wow Variety Spectacular, currently in residence at Caesars Entertainment’s Rio Casino, and recently produced the Mexican tour for rock star Bryan Adams. Starvox will be producing the Broadway bound Bend It Like Beckham the Musical.
In 2015, Starvox produced a national tour of a new adaptation of Sherlock Holmes starring David Arquette and, in Toronto, the Canadian premiere of Dee Snider’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Christmas Tale, amongst other productions. Starvox has presented two productions written and directed by Woody Harrelson; presented John Malkovich in Giacomo Variations, and nationally-broadcast concerts for the Stephen Lewis Foundation, featuring Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox and Harry Belafonte, among others. Starvox recently produced the multi-million-dollar reboot of the classic Las Vegas revue show Jubilee for Caesars Entertainment, with pop mega-star Beyonce’s creative team at the helm.
Mr. Ross was a producer on the Canadian production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s CATS and produces an annual tour of Evil Dead – The Musical to record-breaking sales in Canada and the United States. Since 2012, Starvox produces the touring west-end hit show Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience. Starvox is the producer of Trey Parker’s Cannibal! The Musical and Faulty Towers Live! The Dining Experience in Toronto.
Potted Productions (Producer)
The company was founded in 2006 by James Seabright to produce the work of Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner. It has since produced Potted Potter in the UK, Australasia and North America, including two West End and two off-Broadway seasons. It has also commissioned and produced the new shows Potted Pirates (Edinburgh, UK tours), Potted Panto (Edinburgh, Vaudeville, London, and UK tour; Olivier Award Nomination for Best Entertainment 2011) and Potted Sherlock.
The Hobby Center for the Performing Arts is operated by the Hobby Center Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Its mission is to expand Houston’s reputation as a world-class cultural center by providing a premier performing arts facility, fostering accessibility to the performing arts and promoting arts education, with an emphasis on musical theater. The complex houses two performance chambers, an on-site restaurant, Diana American Grill, and an 800-car capacity on-premise parking garage. Please visit TheHobbyCenter.org.
For more information on Potted Potter log on to: www.pottedpotter.com
Potted Potter cast members performing in Houston
SCOTT HOATSON, Performer
Scott’s recent theatre credits include: Out Of This World (Dance Touring Partnership), The Man Who Followed His Legs (Wee Stories), Woman In Mind (Birmingham/Dundee Rep), The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe (Royal Lyceum), The Wall, The Choooky Brae (Borderline Theatre), Recovery Position, Self Contained, Oedipus (National Theatre Scotland), Kidnapped, A Christmas Carol (Cumbernauld Theatre), Aladdin (Brunton Theatre). Recent screen and radio: Rocket in Bluestone42 (BBC), Outlander (Starz), Case Histories (BBC), Taggart (ITV), The Wicker Tree (Tressrock Films), The Leaving of Barra, Secrets and Lattes, The boy who ran away from the circus (BBC4). He is delighted to be appearing in Potted Potter again!
@scottwhoatson
BRENDAN MURPHY, Performer
Brendan attended drama school at Arts Ed London before going on to train in improvisation with Second City and iO alumni David Shore, and The Free Association.
Recent theatre includes: Potted Potter (US & Canada), King Kong: A Comedy (The Vaults) Twelfth Night (Orange Tree Theatre), The Adventure (The Royal Exchange), Lost Property (Soho Theatre), Accomplice: London (Menier Chocolate Factory). TV and film includes: Broadchurch (ITV), Doctors (BBC), Comedy Shorts (Sky Arts). Brendan is co-founder of improvised theatre company The One Hour Plays and a member of the award-winning short-form group BattleActs! (as heard on BBC Radio One). He has written and performed two solo comedy shows: Bagman (2015) and Enter The Bagman (2016) and will be bringing his latest offering, The Crooners, to Edinburgh Fringe 2018.
@notmurphy
For more information and to purchase tickets, head to www.thehobbycenter.org.
Also published on Medium.
