Created by neuro diverse partners, Shoddy founders Mitch Donaldson and Becky Bartram are passionate about bringing laughter to a world full of misery and believe in making theatre accessible to all, especially those who don't have the finances, accessibility or inclination, for big prices.

So much so that their policies include a commitment to making theatre accessible to all, by targeting low socio-economic and rural areas,  in an effort to allow everyone the opportunity to experience theatre and the arts. In 2022 they were awarded Arts Council funding for this very reason.

Shoddy Theatre are also keen advocates of supporting mental health issues, using comedy to lift people's spirits; sometimes, laughter is the best medicine. They partnered with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to help those suffering in silence and continue with their goal of giving people a reason to smile. 

As Mitch explains: "We are a working class, neuro diverse couple from ordinary backgrounds, facing the same challenges as the audiences in the towns we visit. We describe ourselves as "political about not being political" because when it boils down to it, people just want to escape reality for a couple of hours and have a good laugh."

Whilst in the final term at East 15 drama school/University of Essex, they devised their own piece of theatre and a show, taking inspiration from the classics of British comedy, such as Fawlty Towers, The Two Ronnies and Only Fools and Horses.

It received such an incredible response that,  impressed by their work, the university awarded them development funding which has allowed them to grow in popularity, so much so that they recently sold out at Edinburgh Fringe and Camden Fringe. 

Not ones to be daunted by a little thing like a pandemic, Shoddy also achieved total sell-out shows at the New Normal Festival, one of the first major outdoor, socially distanced events created to keep performance alive during Covid-restrictions. They also produced social sketches and posts intended for their followers, but which gained over 100k views from people across the world!

Inspired by the classics of British comedy, full of laughs and quick-fire farce, Shoddy will be making a whistle stop into Frome on Saturday April 29.

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"Witty, endearing, and good clean fun" The Reviews Hub

A bumbling detective is called upon to uncover the mystery of a priceless stolen painting, but when he cannot solve it himself he is forced to enlist the help of an old nemesis.  Together, the pair must interrogate the many characterful suspects that reside at the manor, in order to catch the conniving culprit and solve the crime of the century.

Full details of the show, suitable for ages 12+ can be found at merlintheatre.co.uk