botallack o'clock
by eddie elks
time out critics' choice ★★★★★
"surprising, profound and very very funny"
the stage ★★★★
“A mournfully funny, evocatively dream-like production”
whatsonstage ★★★★
“compulsive, crazy and clever... an atmospheric, engrossing production”
exeunt magazine: editor's pick ★★★★
“Botallack O'Clock is a powerful success."
plays to see ★★★★★
"This piece is incredibly strong; meticulously brought
to life on every level by a talented team, and equally
funny and thoughtful throughout."
edfringe review: editor's pick ★★★★★
“A fantastic offering from Third Man Theatre.""
"Bonkers... in a good way!" Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Everyone else is asleep. Not me. Not you. Not yet...No, not yet.”
Botallack O'Clock is a funny, moving and thought-provoking journey into the creative mind of one of the most unique voices in postwar British art, Roger Hilton CBE.
Having premiered at the Half Moon, Herne Hill in 2011, Botallack O'Clock transferred to the Edinburgh Festival 2012 and then on to the 59E59 Theaters, New York as part of the Brits Off Broadway Festival 2013. Botallack O'Clock returned to London by popular demand in 2016 for a sell-out 4 week run at the Old Red Lion Theatre, Islington.
Reviews
TIME OUT CRITIC'S CHOICE ★★★★★
"Dazzlingly eloquent yet always just beyond sense... Botallack O'Clock is a stunning miniature; surprising, profound and very very funny...
a phenomenal and uncompromising performance by Dan Frost”. Matt Trueman, Time Out
NOMINATED: BEST FRINGE PLAY 2011
THE STAGE ★★★★
“A mournfully funny, evocatively dream-like production”
WHATSONSTAGE ★★★★
“Compulsive, clever, funny... an atmospheric, engrossing production. This is acting of the highest order: detailed, unsentimental but completely engaging.”
PLAYS TO SEE ★★★★★
"This piece is incredibly strong; meticulously brought to life on every level by a talented team, and equally funny and thoughtful throughout."
Everything Theatre ★★★★
"Eddie Elks' brilliant play has succeeded in devising a theatrical experience that doesn’t just showcase the material, but actually creates the universe."
LondonTheatre1 ★★★★
"Dan Frost is captivating... almost impossible to look away."
EdFringe Review: EDITOR'S PICK ★★★★★
“A fantastic offering from Third Man Theatre: comic, insightful and unmissable!”
Exeunt Magazine: EDITOR'S PICK ★★★★
“Botallack O’Clock is a powerful success.”
One4Review ★★★★
Broadway Baby ★★★★
In 1965, having just represented Britain at the Venice Biennale, Roger Hilton moved with his family to the Cornish coastal village of Botallack, where his working routine began to break down, mainly as a result of his increasing addiction to alcohol. For the last two years of his life, Hilton took permanently to his bed, where he continued to work, painting over the side of his bed on sheets of paper laid on the floor. A small downstairs room in his cottage became his bedroom, living space and studio, where Hilton would work through the night with only his thoughts, his imaginings and a temperamental radio for company.
Botallack O’Clock is a suspended hour of the night where Roger’s past and present combine with his vivid imagination and his tenacious personality, giving a humorous and intriguing insight into the mind of a true artist.
The award-winning Third Man Theatre return to The Old Red Lion following their highly acclaimed run of Mugs' Arrows by Eddie Elks.
“Eddie Elks is one of the most distinctive voices around.” Matt Trueman, WhatsOnStage
Produced by Tom Hackney and Third Man Theatre
Cast
Dan Frost
George Haynes / Rhys King / Mark Knightley
Creatives
Writer/ Director Eddie Elks
Producer Tom Hackney
Assistant Director Jessica Burrage
Lighting Design Chistopher Nairne
Set Design Ken McClymont
Sound Design Liam Welton
Stage Manager Edwina Allen
Previous Shows
2016
12th Jan - 6th Feb Old Red Lion Theatre, London
2013
20th May - 8th June 59E59 Theaters, New York
28th March Factory 7, Shoreditch
23rd - 24th Feb Advanced Graphics, London
2012
17th Sept - 6th Oct Bike Shed Theatre, Exeter
15th Sept St. Ives Arts Club, Cornwall
1st - 27th Aug Gilded Balloon, Edinburgh Festival
16th - 17th July Theatre 503, London
2011
11th - 15th Oct Co-Exist, Bristol
13th - 14th Sept St. Ives Arts Club, Cornwall
11th - 27th Aug Half Moon Theatre, London