Life with Oscar is a darkly comic confessional rollercoaster ride through Hollywood.
Nick flies to Sunset Boulevard, staying with an Oscar winner promising to get Nick nominated…If he follows instructions…
Actor/Filmmaker Nick Cohen relives his desperate Hollywood years – a tragicomic true-life ‘Sunset Boulevard’, living as a permanent guest on Sunset with a double Oscar-winner; a man who worked regularly with Orson Welles, promising to get Nick’s film nominated. Life with Oscar upends La La Land in a confessional rollercoaster ride through its dark, twisted underbelly.
A frenetically physical retelling, featuring 29 different characters, from the man who modelled the Oscar trophy itself to the psychopathic producer’s daughter destined to be Nick’s ‘mystic bride,’ we go from Edgware rd. to Hollywood and back again. Accompanied by fragments of films past and present, scored with layered compositions by Jon Ouin and the cinematic direction of Nicholas Pitt, this show is a hilarious and moving confession.
A Faustian tale of pre #MeToo Hollywood, where predators and victims are sometimes hard to distinguish, or one and the same. A deepening spiral of desperation, delusion and debt littered with metaphorical, and occasionally, real, corpses.
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Running time
70 minutes -
Age guidance
15+ -
Content warnings
“Cohen is a theatrical and comedic genius.. A One-man army... This is a must-see”
“Will keep you laughing 60 minutes...Physical theatre in its pure form: energetic, intimate and powerful”
“Cohen knows exactly how to pitch the script and holds the audience from the start to the redemptive finish. He turns nightmare situations into rich comedy”
Rehearsal photos
The Company
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Nicholas Cohen
Nicholas Cohen
Nick was first a stage actor and director, playing major roles for David Farr at the Gate Theatre, Suzi Wilson for the Clod Ensemble at BAC and understudying Tim Supple’s RSC World Tour of ‘Comedy of Errors.’
‘Nick Cohen is a theatrical and comedic genius… a one-man army.’ (Broadway Baby on ‘Life with Oscar’) 5-star review
He trained with Theatre de Complicite, Philippe Gaulier, John Wright. Nick was a Staff Director at the Royal National Theatre with Trevor Nunn, Literary Manager of the Gate for David Farr, and a workshop leader for the Young Vic.
‘Nick Cohen’s direction bears all the hallmarks of a Theatre de Complicite graduate.. the choice of work is daring, the imagery striking, the acting understated yet bold.’ (Time Out on ‘The Power and The Glory)
As Founder/Artistic Director or Strange Fish Theatre Nick directed ‘The Power and the Glory’ (Etcetera Theatre), ‘Good Bones’ (Southwark Playhouse) and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ co-director with David Bridel (Bloomsbury Theatre and International Tour) as well as producing ‘Blood Knot’ (Gate Theatre) and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream (International Tour.)
Later, Nick trained on the BBC Drama Director’s Academy directing screen works including feature films ‘London Unplugged,’ ‘The Reeds,’ ‘Beginners Luck,’ TV episodes of ‘Eastenders,’ ‘Doctors,’ Channel Four documentary ‘Firing Line,’ a number of short fiction films as well as nonprofit films for the Refugee Council and Migrant Resource Centre.
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Nicholas Cohen
Writer
Nicholas Cohen
Writer
Nick was first a stage actor and director, playing major roles for David Farr at the Gate Theatre, Suzi Wilson for the Clod Ensemble at BAC and understudying Tim Supple’s RSC World Tour of ‘Comedy of Errors.’
‘Nick Cohen is a theatrical and comedic genius… a one-man army.’ (Broadway Baby on ‘Life with Oscar’) 5-star review
He trained with Theatre de Complicite, Philippe Gaulier, John Wright. Nick was a Staff Director at the Royal National Theatre with Trevor Nunn, Literary Manager of the Gate for David Farr, and a workshop leader for the Young Vic.
‘Nick Cohen’s direction bears all the hallmarks of a Theatre de Complicite graduate.. the choice of work is daring, the imagery striking, the acting understated yet bold.’ (Time Out on ‘The Power and The Glory)
As Founder/Artistic Director or Strange Fish Theatre Nick directed ‘The Power and the Glory’ (Etcetera Theatre), ‘Good Bones’ (Southwark Playhouse) and ‘The Taming of the Shrew’ co-director with David Bridel (Bloomsbury Theatre and International Tour) as well as producing ‘Blood Knot’ (Gate Theatre) and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream (International Tour.)
Later, Nick trained on the BBC Drama Director’s Academy directing screen works including feature films ‘London Unplugged,’ ‘The Reeds,’ ‘Beginners Luck,’ TV episodes of ‘Eastenders,’ ‘Doctors,’ Channel Four documentary ‘Firing Line,’ a number of short fiction films as well as nonprofit films for the Refugee Council and Migrant Resource Centre.
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Nicholas Pitt
Director/Dramaturg
Nicholas Pitt
Director/Dramaturg
Nicholas Pitt is a director specialising in new work with a strong historical, political and
performance focus.
He is Artistic Director and co-founder of No Stone Theatre.
No Stone’s audio drama Seeds, starring Nina Sosyana, was released in 2020 in response to the Pandemic to critical acclaim and then adapted into a full theatre production in 2022 at The Pleasance London and will tour nationally in 2024.
His production of Dario Fo’s seminal work Mistero Buffo for Rhum and Clay won The Stage award for Outstanding Performance in 2018 and subsequently toured internationally to huge critical acclaim.
Nicholas was resident director at the Birmingham Rep Theatre from 2014 to 2015, and was Associate Director for the national tour of ‘Of Mice and Men,’ in 2016.
He was previously Creative Associate of Fringe favourites and international touring ensemble Idle Motion and other recent directing credits include Don’t Look Away by NOAVE Theatre. -
Cressida Brown
Director for Arcola Theatre
Cressida Brown
Director for Arcola Theatre
Cressida Brown was resident director at the National Theatre Studio from 2007 – 2008. Though she has directed classical work nationally & internationally – including for the Globe, RSC and British Council – new writing is her passion. Since 2006 she has commissioned, developed and directed premieres with over 50 emerging and established playwrights. She is probably best known for: Amphibians by Steve Waters inspired from interviews with former Olympic swimmers and staged in the hidden pool under the Bridewell Theatre stage; Walking the Tightrope by writers including Caryl Churchill, April DeAngelis, Timberlake Wertenbaker and Mark Ravenhill about freedom of expression; Ed Edward’s award-winning The Political History of Smack and Crack at Paines Plough’s Roundabout, Soho Theatre and UK tour; and the UK premiere of Obie Award winner Chris Chen’s Caught. More recently ‘England & Son,’ at the Arcola starring political comedian Mark Thomas which won 6 Awards including a Scotman’s Fringe First and Adelaide Fringe Festival Award.
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Jon Ouin
Sound Designer
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Richard Williamson
Lighting Designer
Richard Williamson
Lighting Designer
Previous work as lighting designer includes: The Olivier-award winning Rotterdam (West End/Off-Broadway/UK National Tour); Dogs of Europe (Belarus Free Theatre at Barbican Theatre and international tour); Richard III, An Arab Tragedy (RSC Swan Theatre/International tour); Sampled and Danse Élargie (Sadler’s Wells); Great Expectations (UK tour); Little Miss Sunshine (Arcola Theatre and UK Tour); New Nigerians, Drones Baby Drones, Shrapnel, Mare Rider, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, THE MISTAKE (Arcola Theatre and UK tour.)
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Emma Castagno
Associate Producer
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Jamie Ryecroft
Producer
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Tom Shortland
Assistant Producer
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Norma Loria
Digital Marketing Manager