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Update July 2010

Piff-tacular 2: Get Rich or Die Trying - Edinburgh 2010

Lock up your princesses! Piff's back with brand new tricks and a magic performing Chihuahua...
This time he means business. Supported by award-winning magician John van der Put, creator of the magic for Heston Blumenthal's Fat Duck, come and see why Piff is the hottest act in town.
'Unbelievable' (BBC1); 'Cute, inspired and very funny' (Time Out); 'Gloriously grumpy' (Chortle.co.uk); 'A superb hour’s entertainment... standing room only' **** (BroadwayBaby.com); 'The last of his species: a card trickster who is funny' (Skinny); **** (ThreeWeeks); **** (AllTheFestivals.com).

Piff will be performing at the Just the Tonic Caves, 253 Cowgate, Edinburgh
5th-29th August 2010 (not on the 17th)
Box Office: 0131 556 5375

*****

Update March 2010

The Remains of the Day - Listings Release:

Simon James Collier in association with Fallen Angel Theatre and Ben David Productions
presents

The Remains of the Day
Based on the Novel ‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro
Music, Book & Lyrics by Alex Loveless
Directed by Chris Loveless
Movement by Omar F. Okai
Instrumental Arrangements by Rowland Lee

Synopsis:       
            Darlington Hall lies dormant, its prior distinction a passing memory. In the twilight of his life, Stevens, long-standing
and devoted butler to the late Lord Darlington struggles to meet the needs of its new owner.

Convinced he requires more staff in order to remedy his professional woes, Stevens sets out to meet his one-time housekeeper
and bring her back to Darlington Hall. But as his journey progresses, Stevens begins to question his former employer’s
convictions and to wonder whether he has lost much more than simply a housekeeper.

            The Remains of the Day examines the nature of dignity and the intellectual and emotional servitude of blind devotion.

Music:
            Alex Loveless’ evocative score combines the immediacy of musical theatre with classical and folk traditions of the early 20th Century to form a compelling through-composed musical drama.

The Union Theatre
204 Union Street, London, SE1 0LX
Box Office: 020 7261 9876. www.uniontheatre.biz

Tickets can also be booked online at

Weds 1 Sep - Sat 25 Sept 2010
Tues - Sat at 7:30pm. Sat & Sun Matinees at 2:30pm
Tickets: £15.50 / £12.50
www.theremainsoftheday.com

*****

Update September 2009

Edinburgh 2009 Reviews

The Falsetto & The Fingers - with Martin Milnes and Michael Baxter @ George Square

***** (5 stars) Three Weeks
“This show deserves a cult following…you’ll probably never see anyone like Milnes again”
***** (5 stars) Remote Goat
“Book a baby sitter, an absolute must for anyone who wants to be truly entertained”
***** (5 stars) All the Festivals
“Undeniably gifted… destined for something magical”
**** (4 stars) Broadway Baby
“Catch Martin this early in his career, you’ll want to follow him all the way through”
**** (4 stars) One4Review
"The vocal range of this man has to be witnessed to be believed"
WhatsonStage.com
“Blistering performances… The audience is dazzled by his phenomenal vocal range”

Piff-Tacular - Piff the Magic Dragon/John van der Put and Mr. Piffles @ The Hive

WINNER - BEST COMEDY BUXTON FRINGE 2009

****(4 stars) Three Weeks
"A guilty pleasure...deadpan humour and impressive magic tricks...raucous applause"
****(4 stars) BroadwayBaby
"A superb hours entertainment - presumably word has spread - over 100 people and standing room only"
**** (4 stars) All the Festivals
"It doesn’t usually do to describe another man as cute but there really is no better way of explaining the slightly stroppy, charming dragon suited fellow who appears amidst the array of magic props."
**** (4 stars) The New Current
"A show you simply have to see"

The PR for both Edinburgh productions was kindly supported by Shell Livewire.

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Ben David Productions was formed in January 2009.

Ben David trained at The Royal Ballet School, graduating in 2000 and was the recipient of the Ursula Moreton, James Monahan and Ninette de Valois Awards for Choreography. As a Choreographer, Ben David created five professional works including Siren Song for the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House (“considerable promise” the Observer) , Faithful Gelert for the Peacock Theatre (Critics Choice Time Out), and Gabriel’s Poem for Birmingham Royal Ballet. In 2002 Ben David won the Deutsche Bank Pyramid Award for Entrepreneurs and began producing dance works for Ballet Central’s National Tour in 2003 as well as producing works at The Place and The Space (Docklands) for the dance company Neophilia (“Hugely Entertaining” Keith Watson - Metro).  In 2005, Ben David stopped working as a Choreographer and focused on Production.

Ben David was Associate Producer on the All Male Mikado at the Union Theatre (Time Out 5*, Critics Choice the Times, 4* Evening Standard) and Co-producer of the sell out ‘Magic to Cry For’ season at the Canal Café Theatre August 2008, featuring StandnotAmazed, Fay Presto, Scott Penrose, Paul Foot and Piff the Magic Dragon. Ben David also produced 'A Day of Magic' at the Arcola Theatre in November '08 staring John Archer and Paul Kieve. In November 2008 Ben David produced Sweeney Todd for the Union Theatre directed by Sasha Regan (Time Out Critics Choice 4*, Sunday Express Critics Choice 5*, Evening Standard Critics Choice 4*). In 2009 Ben David produced Piff the Magic Dragon's solo show 'Piff-tacular' which was performed at the Canal Cafe Theatre, RVT, Tristan Bates Theatre, Buxton Fringe Festival and Edinburgh Fringe. Piff-tacular won 'Best Comedy' at Buxton Fringe 2009 and broke the record for the highest grossing 'FREE' show at Edinburgh 2009. Ben David also produced The Falsetto and The Fingers, with Martin Milnes and Michael Baxter in 2009 - performed at Stratford Civic Hall, Union Theatre and the Kings Head as well as at Edinburgh Fringe 2009 (5* Three Weeks, 5* All the Festivals, 4* Broadway Baby).

As well as producing the above, Ben David has worked in the following roles: Development Account Manager (Rambert) Development Officer (Birmingham Hippodrome) . Between 2007- 2009 Ben David worked for the Production Team at Ambassador Theatre Group and while there worked on Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker, Guys and Dolls (UK and Australia), Rocky Horror Show (UK, Europe and Australia), Elling, Fat Pig, West Side Story (London and UK tour), The Lover The Collection, Noises Off (UK tour), Riflemind, RENT, A Night in November and Sunset Boulevard. Ben David worked for various different companies in 2009 including the Bush Theatre, SOLT/TMA, The Corner Shop PR and Sweet Pea Productions (The Misanthrope).

In December 2008 Ben David was awarded the Stage One New Producer's Bursary and in May 2009 awarded a Shell Livewire 'Grand Ideas' award.

In 2010 Ben David will be co-producing the premier of the new musical adaptation of 'The Remains of the Day' written by Alex Loveless based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. Piff-Tacular will also return to Edinburgh. Ben David will also be joining Sweet Pea Productions as Assistant Producer.

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"Not to be missed...if you can get a ticket, that is"
Sunday Express - Sweeney Todd at the Union Theatre

“Overall, this is great fun… delivered quite, quite brilliantly”
Time Out - The Mikado at the Union Theatre

"This production team is going places"
Evening Standard - The Mikado at the Union Theatre

"Hugely Entertaining"
Metro - Neophilia's Woman

“It's a commercial approach that works”
Ballet.co.uk - Neophilia

"Puts its peers and better-funded rivals to shame"
Evening Standard - Sweeney Todd at the Union Theatre

"Inspired and gloriously grumpy"
Chortle on Piff the Magic Dragon

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The Remains of the Day
www.theremainsoftheday.com

The Union Theatre
www.uniontheatre.org

The Falsetto
www.thefalsetto.com

Piff the Magic Dragon
ww.piffthemagicdragon.com

Sweeny Todd at the Union Theatre
www.sweeneyiscoming.com

Ballet.co.uk
www.ballet.co.uk

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