First blog entry for theatre maker, Chance Dean.
My theatre company and I hit (or probably lightly-tapped) the streets of Brighton to promote our Brighton Fringe show TOAST: Stories From the End of the World. I was desperately hoping that I wasn’t going to annoy everyone in the city, ruin my theatre company’s reputation, waste the time of my whole Witwerks team and throw the best part of £50 down the drain
(Spoiler: None of these things happened).
The central idea of TOAST is this: Two apocalypse survivors find the last beer on earth and have a choice: Drink it? Share it? Or Save it?
We went all in. We had double-sided signs reading DRINK IT? SHARE IT? SAVE IT?, GIVE US YOUR APOCALYPSE SURVIVAL TIPS, WIN PRIZES and a very large tally where we polled the people of Brighton on which choice they would make. The crowning glory was a huge spinner with different sections reading PUB SNACKS, MYSTERY PRIZE, ANSWER A QUESTION, SPIN AGAIN where participants could spin for prizes after talking to us. We wanted to make sure everyone left with a prize and left feeling good.
But first we had to make them stop and talk to three strangers holding signs, with dirt on their faces.
What would you do with the last beer on Earth?
This simple question helped us end the day with 37 votes on the tally, 12 interviews and just two packets of Bacon Fries remaining.
Here’s what I learned, and what worked for us:
1. Build your hook around mass appeal
There is a lot going on in TOAST. Two actors play all the roles. It’s about friendship, hope, nostalgia, loss. Peppa Pig and Idris Elba are also discussed. But the central question is a simple one: What would you do with the very last beer on earth? Drink it and enjoy the fleeting break from reality? Share it with someone special? Save it for a better time that may never come? “Last beer on Earth” works because everyone understands it, and it makes people curious.
In Summary:
Find the universal version of your idea.
What part of this can anyone have an opinion on?
2. Your hook has to work in one sentence
“Oh…Oh hi! Excuse me, hi, sorry. We are promoting this show and it’s really good and…”
No one would give us the time of day with this. We used as few words as possible and people got our schtick right away. “Last beer on earth: What would you do?” or, for the verbose: “What would you do with the last beer on earth?” worked with around 60% hit rate for responses, even just in passing. Once they warmed up to us with this question, most people would stop for a chat. The question just got our foot in the door.
Basically:
Keep it short, sweet and clear to get people to stop.
3. Ask a question that makes people choose something or spark debate*
Many said they’d never thought about this beer scenario before, and we often heard people discussing it as they walked by, even those who didn’t stop. Decisions drive engagement and, especially when groups stopped to chat, the debates got lively and fun. This then becomes the perfect time to chat about your show and show them your handy-dandy printed QR code that links to your instagram/ticket link/Only Fans (delete as appropriate).
*If the subject of debate is too controversial, this obviously can backfire, so pick wisely!
Action:
Make the decision interesting
Make it easy to answer instantly.
4. Get clear, explicit permission before using anything on social media
Have a short, practiced sentence to say to people. When someone was clearly comfortable coming to talk to us, we’d say “Is it okay if we film this for our socials?”
If yes, great. If they seem unsure about being filmed:
“We can always just film us, if you’d like to come and chat anyway?”
This worked 90% of the time, and everyone felt comfortable. We never made anyone do or say anything embarrassing, and never asked again when they said no.
So:
If in any doubt about consent, don’t use the footage.
Don’t embarrass anyone.
5. Accept that you’ll feel “cringe” and do it anyway
The worst part of all this was right before we spoke to our first person. It all felt a bit weird and I wasn’t convinced anyone would agree to talk to us. I worried it was a bit “much” and we’d put people off. Far from it!
After our first chat, it got much easier and we realised we actually had something good that not only worked, but that people actually enjoyed.
PR stunts like this aren’t about being perfect; being polite, kind and fun forgive any little errors or clunky logistical moments you may worry about. Most people are nice and will leave the interaction with a fun story and a few nice moments to look back on (Also Scampi Fries).
Remember:
Don’t wait – just get the first chat out the way ASAP.
Have fun!
So basically, show up, relax, be concise, don’t get discouraged and you’ve got a fun way to promote your next fringe show while making great content for your socials.
If you’ve got an opinion on the last beer on Earth (and it turns out most people do), you can tell us at TOAST: Stories From the End of the World, Brighton Fringe 2026:
Caxton Arms – 1 & 2 May – 6pm
Squeak @ Regency Square – 21 & 22 May – 6:45pm
See you then, for one last drink!
