Potted Pirates
 The new show from Potted Potter's Dan and Jeff, premiered at Edinburgh fringe 2008, then touring internationally in 2009/10.
Written and performed by Dan and Jeff - Directed and co-written by Richard Hurst
After the hilarious success of Potted Potter, delightful double act Dan and Jeff return with this new compressed caper. In search of talking parrots and mysterious buried treasure, they’re swapping
wizards for walking the plank and trading Hogwarts for the high seas.
On the way they’ll be telling tall tales of the seven seas, from Long John Silver to Blackbeard, plus a couple of notorious lady pirates. They also promise a full-scale re-enactment of the Spanish Armada, featuring thirty actors in full costume.
Will Dan persuade Jeff to let him play Jack Sparrow? And how will Jeff keep things ship-shape with that scallywag Dan aboard? Shanties aside, Potted Pirates hits all the delightful notes you’d expect from this superbly shambolic duo. A show for everyone – even those who don’t know their skull and crossbones from their pieces of eight. (Age guidance 6+)
The slick production of Potted Pirates from popular Fringe veterans Dan and Jeff is bound to raise a chuckle from mum and dad as well as the wee ones. Sticking to the personalities honed from previous Fringe blockbuster Potted Potter, Dan and Jeff proceed to entertain and educate the crowd with their winning mixture of fact and whimsy. Jeff, playing the pedant, begins to lecture the crowd on piratical history. Dan butts in with anachronistic and childish suggestions, playing the fool to perfection. Jeff soldiers on with histories on actual pirates, while Dan appeals to the audience with his spirited insistence on including more contemporary villains. Many laughs ensue. The schtick is practised, the jokes fast and furious and the whole play a great swashbuckling trip. **** The Herald
'Hilarity on the high seas. This straightman/foil approach works brilliantly in Dan and Jeff's Potted Pirates. Fresh from their raucous parody of the Harry Potter franchise, their show is pitched at just the right level to keep children entertained and adults unsuccessfully trying to hide their grins. Protracted bouts of audience participation ensure everyone's attention is held. In particular, a chaotic re-enactment of the defeat of the Spanish Armada has the audience hurling scores of plastic 'cannonballs' at a stoic Jeff who, by this point, has resigned himself to the wilful tomfoolery of Dan's celebrity pirate fixation. This, along with an adapted musical number, proves a fittingly energetic climax. Never afraid to send up their own improvised props and limited cast, the talented duo cover most facets of pirate pop culture, and in doing so, spin a solid hour of genuinely funny farce for kids both big and small.' ***** The List
'Yarragh! Practice this phrase in a suitable pirate accent before you see this wickedly funny production. Brought to the stage by the same team who gave us Potted Potter, this is a barrel of fun. Dan Clarkson and Jeff Turner guide the audience both young and old through a series of pirate stories. Although the basic facts are there, you have never seen these tales done this way before. A simple set design, a few well chosen props, clever costumes and a great deal of talent propel the audience at breakneck speed through tales of William Dampier, Treasure Island, Anne Bonney and Mary Read, Sir Francis Drake, Henry Morgan and Blackbeard, with some Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean thrown in for good measure, me hearties! I have to admit to having never seen the history of the British Naval defeat of the Spanish Armada in quite that way – and will probably never be able to take it seriously again. A tremendously funny script, written by the pair, along with their director Richard Hurst, is enhanced by the obvious enjoyment of the performers and their willingness to ad-lib as they go. With dramatic music by Phil Innes and effective lighting by James Mathews, the two cast members skilfully handle the lightning-speed changes of subject, moving between acting, comedy and singing with swashbuckling ease. The younger members of the audience are held captivated throughout, with very few pauses inbetween the giggles and hearty laughter. Slapstick comedy appeals to both children and adults, and the gently suggestive asides mean that us oldies can laugh at the odd double entendre on our own! But underneath it all, the core of factual information will encourage both children and adults to find out more about the pirates that are parodied so well here. Go and relish the opportunity to join in with your kids for an hour. A must-sea, Captain!' ***** Whatsonstage.com
Potted Potter
The Unauthorised Harry Experience - A Parody by Dan and Jeff
Directed by Richard Hurst. Original direction by Dominic Knutton.
Fully booked until end of 2008 on UK tour (not available thereafter).
Buy Potted Potter tickets for the Christmas London run at Trafalgar Studios here.
 All
seven Potter books in seventy minutes? Watch Dan and Jeff, the comic storytelling
duo, take on the ultimate challenge.
This brilliantly funny parody features
all your favourite characters, making ideal entertainment
for the whole family.
“Gets the muggles chuckling”
Evening Standard – 4 stars
“An incredibly funny and deft deconstruction of the
story so far”
The Guardian
“With all six books in sixty muggle minutes, this has something for everyone,
and works wonders” Three Weeks
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