‘A talented young company.’ – EDP

Hocus Pocus Theatre was set up in 2008 by Artistic Director, Lucy Enskat. The company is an ensemble of professional actors  and numerous other creative collaborators. The company’s cross-discipline performance style uses strong visual elements and vintage asthetic, surreal and larger than life characters and colourful bespoke costumes. They speicalise in cabaret, walkabout performance and outdoor theatre. They have a unique interactive style that blends together grotesque characters, black comedy, absurdist theatre, burlesque, music and movement.  Hocus Pocus Theatre create unique theatrical happenings of the magical kind for everyone to enjoy.

The company’s first show Nightmare Café debuted at the Norwich Arts Centre on 7th April 2008 to sell out audiences. The company was selected for the Escalator talent support scheme 2008-2009 and received funding from the Arts Council England for research and development of the show.

“Pushing at the boundaries of experimental and crossing into the bizarre. They do it superbly well this fresh young company, never taking themselves too seriously and mixing genres, fusing styles and lampooning horror with happy abandon.”

– David Porter, Eastern Daily Press Apr 2008

Hocus Pocus Theatre have been hailed as the also host their own highly successful event, the ‘No Strings’ Burlesque & Cabaret Club in Norwich at the Norwich Puppet Theatre. “A very extraordinary evening” – Future Radio, Platform Show 2009.

The company has a second strand of work in walkabout performance and tongue in cheek cabaret acts. As resident performers for Salon Rouge, the acclaimed burlesque themed club night at the Junction in Cambridge and creating bespoke performances for vintage club nights in the Eastern region.

 

  Hocus Pocus Theatre have performed at:

• Madame Jojos, London

• Proud Cabaret, London

• London Burlesque Week 2010, Bush Hall, London

• The Lowry, Salford Quays

•  Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Mat Fraser’s ‘Burlesque in the Garden of Evil’

• Norwich Puppet Theatre, Hocus Pocus Theatre’s ‘No Strings’ Burlesque & Cabaret Club

• London Burlesque Festival, Battle Royale, Scala, London

• Salon Rouge, The Junction Cambridge (Resident performers)

• The Junction, An Evening with Hocus Pocus Theatre

• ‘OUT THERE’ International Festival, Seachange Arts, Great Yarmouth

•  Bo Nanafana Social Club, The Talk, Norwich

• The Speigel Tent, Bo Nanafana Social Club, Speigel Lates

• PULSE Festival, Regent Theatre, Ipswich

• Beat Herder Festival, Lancashire

• Camp Bestival, Dorset

 ”A talented Young Company” – David Porter, EDP

“The story was brilliantly brought to life by the actors. Had the audience sitting on the edge of their seats” -Nightmare Cafe review, Eastern Daily Press

“A very Extraordinary evening!” – Stash Kirkbride, Future Radio, Platform show, review of  ’No Strings’
“A real blast” / “A fantastic night” / “Awesome” -  ‘No Strings’ audience members.

“The company are ‘Artists in Residence’ at Salon Rouge, The Junction’s monthly sell-out burlesque club, and bring a high level of theatricality, skill and innovation to each event.  Their regular presence at Salon Rouge as walkabout characters, successfully blurring the boundary between ‘performer and audience,’ and main stage artists, is an integral part of the clubs success.  The company hold their own alongside established artists such as Roxy Velvet, Empress Stah, Bearlesque and Miss Behave paving the way for an accomplished and successful future on the burlesque and cabaret circuit.” - Kate Madden, Artistic Development Officer. The Junction, Cambridge.

“Hot Boppin’ Girls are highly recommended.” – Eddie Barcan, Salon Rouge.

 London Burlesque Festival Prize Winners 2009