Hijinx Theatre's MEET FRED Tours Wales

Meet Fred, a lovable puppet with an authentic British accent who just wants to get a job, meet a girl, and live a normal life like everyone else. Too bad the world wasn't built with Fred in mind. When a trip to the Unemployment Office goes awry, things begin to spiral out of control. Will Fred have to fire one of his puppeteers? Will he meet an untimely end? Is there really no one out there who can help!?!

Hijinx Theatre's production of Meet Fred caused quite the stir when it was revealed at the 2016 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. This darkly comedic show, created by one of the world's leading inclusive theater companies, is a biting satire of the bureaucratic and social hurdles commonly faced by people with disabilities.

Based in Cardiff, Wales, Hijinx has hit a nerve with Meet Fred, which received the Best Ensemble nod at the 2017 Wales Theatre Awards, prompting an in-demand touring schedule throughout Europe and into China.

Now audiences across the pond will also have the opportunity to engage with Fred. The UK's totaltheatre.org.uk declared that "Fred's time has come," that Meet Fred is a must see "for humans and puppets everywhere."

[Parental advisory: some material in Meet Fred may be inappropriate for children under 13. Contains strong language.]

Hijinx Theatre is one of the UK's leading inclusive theater companies. From their base in Cardiff, Wales, they create professional, internationally-touring, award-winning shows with casts that always include actors with and without learning disabilities. The cast of Meet Fred includes two actors with Aspergers and one with Down Syndrome. The company also organizes professional training academies for actors with disabilities and hosts an international "Unity Festival" of inclusive theater. Meet Fred was created in collaboration with Blind Summit, one of the UK's leading contemporary puppetry troupes.

Fred is a table-top style puppet, skillfully animated by a team of 3 actor/puppeteers. The show explores the many parallels between the life of a puppet and the lives of the artists with disabilities who were part of the devising process. The interdependence that exists between Fred and his puppeteers mirrors the situation that many people who utilize social benefits and support services face in their everyday lives. The show walks a masterful line between witty entertainment and moving social commentary. Audiences around the world have fallen in love with the irascible Fred and his team of puppeteers. The show provokes laughter, rage, and empathy. Hijinx guarantees that one will never look at disability the same way again.

This is the first time Hijinx Theatre appears in the United States. During their time in Boston, they will also meet with local arts organizations dedicated to arts education for people of all abilities. As part of a New England Tour, Hijinx will also be presented by Sandglass Theater / Puppets in the Green Mountains (VT) and Flock Theatre, partnering with Mitchell College (CT).
www.hijinx.org.uk

Puppet Showplace Theater is dedicated to presenting outstanding professional puppetry to diverse audiences through performances, workshops, and community outreach activities. Meet Fred is presented as part of Puppet Showplace Theater's Puppets at Night series for adults and teens. The theater's 45th anniversary season, "Puppets for the People," harnesses the power of puppetry to advocate for marginalized humans, including people with disabilities, African Americans, women, and refugees.

Meet Fred is funded in part by the Expeditions program of the New England Foundation for the Arts, made possible with funding from the National Endowment for the arts, with additional support from the six New England state arts agencies.
www.puppetshowplace.org