Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s awkward office worker Thomas in Skedaddle Theatre’s A Brief Case Of Crazy
INSPIRED by the comic genius of Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Rowan Atkinson’s Mr Bean, Skedaddle Theatre’s silent love story A Brief Case Of Crazy plays York Theatre Royal Studio from Thursday to Saturday.
This physical comedy with a very loud heart will be staged with slick choreography, mime, clowning and puppetry by writer-performers Rowan Armitt-Brewster, Lennie Longworth and Samuel Cunningham.
Meet Armitt-Brewster’s Thomas, an awkward, introverted office worker with a quiet crush on his equally shy colleague, Longworth’s Daisy. His quest for love must contend with Cunningham’s boisterous boss Simon and a rather bothersome briefcase that drags an awkward introvert into extraordinary events. Will his quest for love fail? Or will he discover how what lies on the inside counts most?
Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s Inspector Fix, right, in Around The World In 80 Days-ish at York Theatre Royal in July 2024
Actor, dancer, singer and physical comedian Armitt-Brewster will be returning to the Theatre Royal stage after parading his dextrous comedic skills as the Knife Thrower and Inspector Fox in Around The World In 80 Days-ish in July 2024 and as pantomime buffoon PC World in Aladdin that winter.
“I really enjoyed the panto,” he says. “It was my first time of doing it, and it’s such a brilliant form of theatre, a staple in so many parts of the world, that’s great for getting young people into the theatre as often it’s the first show they see.”
A Brief Case Of Crazy will find Armitt-Brewster putting the motion into commotion once more over its hour-long span. “I love movement and how choreography can create an image or an emotion with physicality,” he says. “Why I’m really fascinated by it is that I reckon you could perform it to a group of aliens and they would enjoy it.”
“It’s the sweatiest, stinkiest show in the world, and the level of performance has to be incredible: the refinement, the speed of it,” says Rowan. Picture: Mitch Donald
Both of Rowan’s parents are professors of English Literature – his mother now retired, his father still tutoring in Lincolnshire for a couple more years – so he has always been surrounded by stories and the power of language.
“My parents were keen on me using good grammar and knowing how to formulate sentences, so I’ve always loved text, performing in plays, but I also acquired a love of physical comedy – object manipulation, clowning, mime, puppetry – because there are no language barriers.
“We want to unite people with our work, with its positivity that appeals to people of all backgrounds, letting them all enjoy the story.”
Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s introverted Thomas and Lennie Longworth’s Daisy, his equally shy colleague in A Brief Case Of Crazy. Picture: Mitch Donald
For all its comedy, A Brief Case Of Crazy has “deep-rooted themes” too, says Rowan. “It looks at grief, romance, belonging and differences within people, and it’s very pro the underdog. One of the things that’s happening is that almost always we have an adult audience, though it’s appropriate for children too.
“We try to cater for the children with the fun and the energy, but with the story, we’re trying to connect with adults. It’s a fine balance, and we’ve worked really hard at that since we first did the show two years ago.”
Rowan recalls how that creative process overlapped with his commitments to Around The World In 80 Days-ish. “I was rehearsing or performing in York for six days a week, then having to go down to Essex to rehearse on Sundays after a night’s sleep on the bus, then coming back to York late on Sundays to do ‘Around The World’ again the next week, and we opened at the Edinburgh Fringe a week after the York run finished!” he says.
Rowan Armitt-Brewster’s Thomas with his bothersome briefcase in A Brief Case Of Crazy. Picture: Mitch Donald
“We began Skedaddle as a cohort of very young creatives, when luckily we were able to rehearse at the studios at East 15 [Acting School], where we’d all trained on the physical theatre course.
“The show has developed massively since then. It’s still small-scale but our plan is to scale it up, working with a producer, Mitch Donaldson of Shoddy Theatre.”
Armitt-Brewster is sporting a dapper moustache for his latest role. “It’s more for the show than a personal preference, but it’s certainly a different look,” he says. “I’m going to have it until October 23, so I’ll just have to get used to it!”
Rowan Armitt-Brewster in York Theatre Royal’s announcement photo for his pantomime debut in Aladdin in December 2024
What should this week’s audiences expect from the performance behind that facial topiary? “It’s an hour of constant energy,” he says. “It’s the sweatiest, stinkiest show in the world, and the level of performance has to be incredible: the refinement, the speed of it.
“It takes weeks to make it really detailed, and as a company of course we believe that perfection doesn’t exist, but we aim for the one below that, whatever that is!”
Skedaddle Theatre & Shoddy Theatre present A Brief Case Of Crazy, York Theatre Royal Studio, Thursday to Saturday, 7pm plus 2pm Saturday matinee. Box office: 01904 623568 or yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. Age guidance: Five upwards.