What we do

Told by an Idiot explores the human condition through theatre that is ‘bigger than life’. We acknowledge the artifice of performance and make no attempt to put reality on stage, but we inhabit the space between laughter and pain which exists in the real world.

Our work is rooted in the live event and thrives on a sense of spontaneity and risk, celebrating the unpredictability of performance. Through playful collaborative writing, anarchic physicality and a comedic sensibility we create genuinely spontaneous experiences for audiences.

We consistently experiment with what art can be and who can be involved and, in doing so, our work blurs the lines between artist, participant and audience. Our commitment to accessibility informs the entwined relationship between our productions and our participation work. Through our work on stage, and through our Taught by an Idiot Programme, we foster a sense of openness, curiosity and the desire to play.

We take creative risks, we tell universal stories and we include everyone.

Company Quotes

‘No one else is making theatre as creatively and ambitiously as Told by an Idiot. They are a unique phenomenon – intelligent, ingenious and genuinely popular.’ Simon Armitage, Poet Laureate

'A company with a gift for inventive physicality' Evening Standard

'Wonderfully nutty and inventive' Times

'Artfully controlled chaos' Stage

'Theatre about as inventive, imaginative and fantastical as it gets' Time Out

'Their work is never less than sublime' Independent

'So I rang up a local building firm, I said "I want a skip outside my house." He said "I'm not stopping you."'

Tommy Cooper

Latest

A Conspiracy of Boredom

A collection of musings on theatre from our Artistic Director, Paul Hunter
Idiot Show Archive

your opportunity to see a different Idiot show each week
Idiots in Isolation

As we all live through these extraordinary times of constraint we have put together an exciting programme of activity that responds to our current sense of isolation and allows people to continue to engage with our work digitally.
Top 10 Films that inspire the Idiots

Film has always been a seminal influence on our work, we are fascinated by movies but we’ve never sought to imitate them. Over the past twenty seven years we have created performances that explore the ways in which film uses visual storytelling, rhythm, music, editing, and ambiguity. Here are ten movies that have left their mark on Told by an Idiot, and which we think are worth having a look at during these days of quarantine.

Idiot Show Archive

your opportunity to see a different Idiot show each week
Amalia Vitale on being an actor that doesn’t speak…much. At least not in a normal way.

Amalia Vitale shares her interest in working with linguistic restrictions, voicing Lula in the new Shaun the Sheep film Farmageddon, and the joys of playing Charlie Chaplin in 'The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel'.
Idiots in Isolation

As we all live through these extraordinary times of constraint we have put together an exciting programme of activity that responds to our current sense of isolation and allows people to continue to engage with our work digitally.
Week 3: The role of the designer

Ioana Curelea shares her thoughts and process behind designing the set for 'The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel'. Including why, at one point in the process, she considered moving to Nepal...
Week 2: The past interrupts the present, reality turns into fantasy, fantasy turns into reality

Andrea Cabrera Luna, Assistant Director for 'The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel' gives us a sneak peek into week two of rehearsals...
The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel

Touring across the UK and in Luxembourg from November 2019 - March 2020.
What we do

Told by an Idiot explores the human condition through theatre that is bigger than life. We take creative risks, we tell universal stories & we include everyone.
Week 1: Rehearsals begin!

Andrea Cabrera Luna, Assistant Director for 'The Strange Tale of Charlie Chaplin and Stan Laurel' gives us a sneak peek into week one of rehearsals...
Week 4: Taking risks and not tiring, even up to the final minute

'Every actor in the cast is a brilliant improvisor and they complement each other in a unique dynamism. I notice they are “yes and” actors. I watch them trying different options and taking risks throughout the day, not tiring even up to the final minute.' Welcome to week 4 of rehearsals...
Top 10 Films that inspire the Idiots

Film has always been a seminal influence on our work, we are fascinated by movies but we’ve never sought to imitate them. Over the past twenty seven years we have created performances that explore the ways in which film uses visual storytelling, rhythm, music, editing, and ambiguity. Here are ten movies that have left their mark on Told by an Idiot, and which we think are worth having a look at during these days of quarantine.