Fire Donkey Productions present Church of Phil

Award-winning alternative comedy from Pembrokeshire. Fire Donkey Productions blur the lines between fiction and reality in this genre-bending cult recruitment seminar thinly disguised as a caravan holiday park presentation.

“Gleeful absurdity...it has to be seen” Buzz Magazine

Fire Donkey Productions bring you an absurd multimedia comedy experience about a cult that lives on a caravan park in Wales. Church of Phil is an anarchic Spam and Smash-fuelled presentation in the same vein as The Mighty Boosh and The Play That Goes Wrong, delivered in the style of a recruitment seminar for a new-age cult that worship the former child star of a 90's pharmaceutical advert.

On the face of it the Church is offering a fresh start for broken minds to heal in a loving community in the quaint Welsh countryside, but beneath the perma-grinning surface there is a dark truth that, like any powerful institution, they'd rather was kept secret.

Polly and Liam appear to have got themselves caught up in this “cultural spiritual movement” and lead the audience on an immersive and surreal journey of enlightenment, featuring dances, retro slide show presentations, puppetry, appearances from an eclectic cast of guest speakers, and just enough blood sacrifice to keep it on the right side of tasteful.

Awards

Winner of Best Original Piece – Swindon Fringe Festival 2017

Reviews

“The Church of Phil Recruitment Seminar was...unlike anything I had ever seen. From the dated PowerPoint presentation with its garish word art titles, sound effects and ‘accidental’ subliminal messages, to the welcome song sung by two perma-grinning recruiters, through to the special guest speakers who have been saved by Phil, this was a show full of gleeful absurdity and unabashed silliness...I’ll be honest, my words can’t do this show justice. It has to be seen. It is fringe entertainment at its purest, with a very DIY feel that makes it feel far more real than if it had had the polish of a larger theatre company. If you like to laugh, this is for you.” - Buzz Magazine ****

“...As for the play itself? God almighty, I don’t know. I know it happened, but I’m still not sure what happened. I’m not entirely sure I can offer a coherent synopsis. You’d probably think I’d suffered a head injury or been out in the woods, under the influence of a full moon, eating magical mushrooms straight from the loam...

Would you believe that this was a recruitment seminar for “progressive spiritual movement” (definitely not a death cult, 300 members worldwide, only three blood sacrifices to date) built around Phil, the youthful face of Kool ’n’ Sooth, a popular migraine treatment towel of the early 80’s?

See? I told you it would sound insane! And that’s me glossing over a psychotic monkey, a talking banana and ‘Barry the Beast’ who gets speared to death by members of the audience.” The Swindonian