MaD Theatre Company has been with us for over 12 years, making them one of our oldest clients. MaD is one on the most original and ground-breaking theatre companies in the North West with an astonishing record of sell-out shows and brilliant audience-building projects and partnerships. Together we have forged relationships with black pudding manufacturers (Les Puddings Noir), Drag nights (She's Just Nipped Out for Fags), stage schools (Bunny Lamar) and historical experts/societies (Angels with Manky Faces) - each adding an extra dimension to the performance as well as bringing in new audiences. We love working with MaD - they run with our ideas as well as generating plenty of their own. With over 50 original plays under their belt - MaD is certainly one to watch
MaD has moved from its early beginnings as a community theatre group to a professional organisation with paid actors, writers and work shop facilitators. We started out doing their PR and quickly felt at home with their imaginative, can-do approach. Never knowingly undersold - MaD will go anywhere to get an audience. We've been with them to Bury market, old people's homes, bus companies, railway stations and football matches. MaD actors come in full costume - acting out scenes and engaging the public at every turn, while we make sure the press is there to capture it.
We recently worked with MaD on:
The Secret Millionaire: MaD was on the Channel 4 programme, receiving cash, as well as a lot of helpful contacts and advice from benefactor and theatrical impresario Matthew Newbury, generating a massive surge of interest in the company
Dovetail Pop Ups: We bought MaD into an empty shop in South Manchester to do drama workshops to promote their new play, they had a hugely successful response
Gin and Chronic Arthritis at 3MT (3 Minute Theatre): Tickets are nearly sold out for the Manchester City centre run of this new show - along with vintage themed evenings including costumes, drink and a specially themed dinner
Company rebrand: Including offer, logo design, market position, strapline and new website (with partner organisation Reason Digital)
We are currently planning a national tour of Gin and Chronic Arthritis, with accompanying audience-build workshops for theatre staff and local theatre companies
Rob Lees, MaD's Artistic Director, says: “MaD Theatre Company has been working with Frankie and Julia from Dovetail Together for years and their support and guidance in that time have helped to make us one of the most innovative Theatre Companies in the North West. Dovetail's imaginative approach to marketing has helped us gain audiences from places we would never have dreamed of. Dovetail likes to think outside the box so instead of just listing our play' "She's Just Nipped Out For Fags" in the paper they used images from the show to create a photographic exhibition as part of Manchester's Gay Pride event. For our play , "Les Puddings Noir", Dovetail united us with Chadwicks, makers of Bury's world famous Black Puddings who promoted and endorsed the production to their vast amount of customers."
“MaD prides itself on producing theatre for people who don't normally go to the theatre so the fact that Dovetail have helped us advertise all our plays on North Manchester's leading bus company, Bluebird (free of charge) give us access to a large number of ordinary Mancunians.
We have recently worked with Dovetail on re-branding ourselves to appeal to wider audiences and potential funders as well as aiming to tour our plays nationally. As we grow from strength to strength our marketing and presentation needs to reflect this. We are sure that Dovetail Together will help MaD achieve our goals in unusual and exciting ways. “
We have generated numerous press cuttings, online coverage, radio and TV. MaD has consistently sold out at a number of venues - particularly with their annual summer show at Manchester Library Theatre. At a recent performance at The Met, Bury - audience were warned about the tight seating squeeze - too many people wanted to see the performance !
Partners include: Bury black pudding manufacturers, East Lancs Steam Railway; Manchester gay village; Bluebird buses; a number of Manchester bands and FC United.
MaD has also been the subject of several academic papers.
Images by: Paul Cliff and Rosie Phillips
