Edinburgh Festival Fringe – The Hat, The Cane, The Moustache

HCM

The Hat, The Cane, The Moustache, C Venues – C too, Venue 4, 1 to 26 August 5:55pm, £11.50/9.50 (£9.50/7.50/5.50 concessions)

Mixing live theatre with multimedia, The Hat, The Cane, The Moustache is a unique and playful look at one of the world’s most famous film stars ever – and how he continues to inspire today.

Performed by Clive Elkington, the show explores the life and career of Charlie Chaplin through the eyes of a young actor in the moments before he goes on stage to recreate his idol. Written by the Chaplin historian JeTamme Derouet especially for Clive and approved by Chaplin’s estate in France, the one-man show is a visual, funny and extraordinary story of two performers.

The story of the Little Tramp is told in words, visual and physical theatre – from his misfitting costume of bowler hat, baggy trousers and cane to his eloquence without uttering a word – all with a great big toothy grin and the inspiration of a legend to draw on. Almost a hundred years since the release of Chaplin’s first film, the highs and lows of his life resonate today as strongly as they did then in the persona of the Little Tramp.

Clive says of the role “There’s an enormous amount we learn about Chaplin in the show – his early life, his break in America and how, in the end, the country he loved turned its back on him – but it isn’t a straight biography. The Chaplin in the show is there, now – in the thoughts and musings of a young actor today.” He adds, “It makes the show more of a two-hander!” On working with the Texas-based writer, Clive says, “JeTamme is passionate about all things Chaplin. We couldn’t meet in person but we would chat online for hours (working around the seven-hour time difference!), coming up with ideas together and creating the perfect path for the show to take.”

The Hat, The Cane, The Moustache was written by Jetamme Derouet and adapted by David Wembridge. Directed by Luke Burton and produced by LivelyWood Pictures in association with South Hill Park. LivelyWood Pictures was set up in 2011 to create a range of multimedia work, having so far produced music videos for world music artistes and magazines, promotional films for touring productions, as well as short films. South Hill Park is a leading and vibrant arts centre located in Bracknell in southeast England.