Welcome to Black Bat Productions.
Black Bat Productions has been creating theatre since 2017, and has been behind a broad range of sharp, stylish pieces of theatre since.
From 1950s jazz noir (Mack The Knife) to Twilight-Zone-inspired mystery (Technicolor) to razor-sharp political satire (Chagos 1971), heist thriller (Fear of Roses), 1960s fashion-industry caper (Nines), and contemporary comedy-drama (The Kindness of Strangers), the company has maintained a curious, incisive, and acclaimed approach to original storytelling.
Black Bat Productions has also seen two of its pieces published: 1970s-set play-with-songs In Everglade Studio and Hitchcock-esque noir thriller Port City Signature, both published by Methuen Drama in 2024.
The company strives to create work that can thrill, surprise, entertain, and start conversations on the themes and perspectives at hand. What’s a good play without a good think afterwards?
Follow us everywhere at @BlackBatUK.
Press
by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Black Bat Productions' signature piece.
Press returns 17 June - 5 July 2025 - running this summer at The Jack Studio Theatre.
Get tickets here.
★★★★★ "Genius" - Broadway Baby★★★★★ "Fringe theatre does not get much better than this." - The Violet Curtain
It’s the big day. The announcement is in a few hours’ time, and film producers David and Kate anticipate their prestigious Civil War epic Catch Me Some Freedom will be nominated for plenty of Goldies. Until, however, they learn that the film’s heroic lead role, played by a white actor, was in real life actually Black. Fearing an intense and career-jeopardizing backlash, David and Kate frantically try to keep the film from getting any attention whatsoever.
Press had a sold-out premiere run at the 2021 Edinburgh Fringe, described as “genius” with “a masterclass of a twist” (★★★★★ - Broadway Baby) and “a wonderful set-up” that “delivers in every manner” (★★★★★ - The Violet Curtain). The play featured in the Old Red Lion's FreshFest 2022, has been staged at the OSO Arts Centre and Sands Film Studio, was re-staged at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2022, and returned to the Old Red Lion in 2023.
Written & Directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
★★★★½ "Some of the loudest laughs of this year’s Fringe.” - Theatre Scotland
★★★★ "A timely piece of satire if there ever was one.” - The Wee Review
★★★★ “Incisive and entertaining… contains as many genuine laughs as anything you will see this year” - AllEdinburgh Theatre
★★★★ “Press belongs to Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller who is fantastic as the duplicitous David. Brimmer-Beller is a rising young talent" - LondonTheatre1
An award-winning character
As part of Screenshot 2023, Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller developed a brand-new ten-minute monologue for David Fring, the lead character of Press, about his future endeavours founding The Nomineers.
Nathaniel performed this monologue at the Royal Court for a panel of industry judges, including Olivia Colman, who remarked that Nathaniel is "a f**king great actor."
Brimmer-Beller was awarded a Bursary Prize for his work, and The Nomineers has been discussed as a future televison series.
This tense, thrilling seaside noir reopened The Hope Theatre - the first play of their new era - with an edge-of-your seat four-hander crime story written by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller.
"Know where you are?"
"No. But I know where the train will be."
PORT CITY SIGNATURE ran at The Hope Theatre from 26 September - 14 October 2024.
A newcomer has missed her train. She waits for the next one in a quiet pub nearby. Soon a regular proposes a deal to her, involving a gun, a hefty payout, and fleeing on the approaching train...
Published alongside the premiere by Methuen Drama, PORT CITY SIGNATURE recalls the potboiler thrills of Hitchcock and macabre storytelling of the Coen Brothers, as four characters navigate shifting alliances in the middle of the night in a seaside pub...
Starring Meg Clarke, Paddy Echlin, Katherine Lea, and David Carter.
Directed by Phoebe Rowell John and Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller - returning to The Hope Theatre after their acclaimed run of IN EVERGLADE STUDIO earlier that year.
Get your Methuen Drama playtext HERE.
★ ★ ★ ★
"A timeless, tense and tenacious tale"
- Broadway World
★ ★ ★ ★
"A brilliant homage to Hitchcock and the film noir genre"
- RatedReviewed
★ ★ ★ ★
"Original and very exciting"
- The Deskbound Dramatic
★ ★ ★ ★
"Oodles of tension right from the start"
- London Pub Theatres
★ ★ ★ ★
"Incredibly well acted, casual and convincing"
- A Shiny Life for Me
PORT CITY SIGNATURE
Meg Clarke is Newcomer
Paddy Echlin is Regular
“Mercy isn’t generosity.”
“It’s better than what most of them get.”
PORT CITY SIGNATURE
Katherine Lea is Lady
Paddy Echlin is Regular
Meg Clarke is Newcomer
"They keep outdoing each other."
PORT CITY SIGNATURE
Paddy Echlin is Regular
David Carter is Sheriff
"Nowhere else to wait that's safer."
PORT CITY SIGNATURE
Paddy Echlin is Regular
Meg Clarke is Newcomer
"It's a curious encounter, what we have here."
ran at
The Hope Theatre
Islington, London
16 April - 4 May 2024
Directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller and Phoebe Rowell John
Written by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Music by Aveev Isaacson and Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Longlisted for the BBC Writersoom's Popcorn Award for Best New Writing
In 1974 London, three musicians and their manager seal themselves inside an underground recording studio to complete an Americana album, unaware that materials in the walls are driving them to the brink of insanity. As artistic and social tensions flare, the atmosphere grows thornier, the music grows stranger, and Everglade Studio’s mixture of creativity and claustrophobia demands its pound of flesh.
★★★★★
"An intelligently constructed masterpiece."
- The Student
Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller's script has been published by Methuen Drama/Bloomsbury Publishing.
This extended version of the play features seven original songs with music by Aveev Isaacson and lyrics by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller.
★★★★
“tuneful, tense and entertaining… Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s most impressive piece to date" - AllEdinburgh Theatre
★★★★
A “well-written and well-acted thriller... that truly earns its claim to the genre” - Flora Gosling
★★★★★
“Fierce and intense” - Butterwort
★★★★★
“Not a moment is wasted” - Lothian Life
★★★★
“Smart and distinctly sinister” - Theatre & Tonic
The Kindness of Strangers
Played at London's VAULT Festival - 21st & 23rd February 2023
Black Bat Productions presents another biting satire of the contemporary entertainment world.
An ambitious new production of A Streetcar Named Desire runs into calamitous trouble when the show’s mixed-race casting falls out of favour.
★★★★ "A mischievous sense of humour permeates this thoughtful play, with engaging performances from a committed cast."
- Chris Omawang, LondonTheatre1 - on the Canal Café Theatre run of The Kindness of Strangers, 2-4 Feb
Following critically acclaimed runs of the Edinburgh Fringe sell-out show Press (★★★★★ “Genius” – Broadway Baby), and the premiere of the elegantly twisty new play Nines last year, writer Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller returns to the Canal Café Theatre with The Kindness of Strangers, a three-hander about what it takes to stay relevant in our modern theatre landscape.At a prestigious London theatre, the stage is set for an ambitious reimagining of Tennessee Williams’ classic A Streetcar Named Desire – rising star director Pierce Mitchell has dug into the racial undertones of the original to craft an incisive new vision. However, the theatre’s board have instructed Candie Woodley, the Artistic Director who made it all possible, to force Pierce in a new direction that better suits the topics they think audiences care about. Caught in the middle, Candie must enlist the help of her number-two, Lea Celeste, and concoct a solution at the last minute.
Brimmer-Beller’s Streetcar-themed play premiered in 2022 as a double-bill with Press (★★★★★ “Fringe theatre does not get much better than this” – The Violet Curtain), and returns this year with more relevance than ever.
Writer: Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Directors: Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller & Michael Zwiauer
Performers: Esmée Cook, Andrea Gatchalian, Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Run Time: Approx. 55 Minutes
Contains language and discussions of adult themes.
Praise for Previous Work
★★★★★ “Genius... pleasurably wicked… it is a joy to spend an hour watching Press.” – Broadway Baby
★★★★★ “A wonderful set-up and it delivers in every manner… if you have any interest in the arts and the politics involved – then this is the one for you" - The Violet Curtain
★★★★½ “Quick paced, hilarious, laced with tongue in cheek political undertones and is thoroughly engaging from start to finish… some of the loudest laughs of this year’s Fringe.” – Theatre Scotland
★★★★★ “The most intelligent piece of theatre I have seen at the Fringe… I would give it more stars if I could... full of zingers, and far more quotable lines than I can put down here.” - EdFringe Review
★★★★★ “Captivating, shocking and brutal in its honesty… an utter triumph… a masterpiece of theatre that I wanted to go back and watch immediately after it was over.” - EdFringe Review
★★★★ “A masterclass in character development.” - The Violet Curtain
★★★★ ”Anyone who has seen one of their previous productions will recognise several of the elements on display – a noirish sheen, taut and snappy dialogue, a clever script with well engineered twists, an almost miraculous cool.” - AllEdinburgh Theatre
The real show happens behind the catwalk...
Nines, a brand-new play from Black Bat Productions.
We proudly premiered this twisty new show with the beloved Canal Café Theatre in November 2022.Backstage at an upscale fashion show in 1966, an ambitious young model begins to suspect her two stylists are hiding a scandalous secret….
Starring
Amy Wallace as Penelope White
Rosie Hart as Trace Marquand
Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller as Nestor Howell
Written by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Produced by Maddy Chisholm-Scott
Directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller & Michael Zwiauer
Edinburgh Fringe Festivals
For seven years in a row, Black Bat Productions has brought work to the Edinburgh Fringe every year of the festival since 2017.
2023: In Everglade Studio
Longlisted for the BBC Writersroom Popcorn Award for Best New Writing
★★★★★
"An intelligently constructed masterpiece."
- The Student
★★★★★
"Fierce and intense."
- Butterwort
★★★★
"Tuneful, tense and entertaining... Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s most impressive piece to date.”
"Fizzes with astute observation, a knowing eye for both social structure and the absurd; wry humour and downright nastiness."
“Black Bat have certainly got another hit on their hands.”
Some audience feedback:
“Amazing.”
“Terrific.”
“Powerful.”
“Intelligently constructed and delightfully dark, with some wonderful comic moments too.”
“Thoroughly engaging show, featuring one of the best singing voices of the Fringe.”
“The music was beautiful and the acting was phenomenal. Well-written and well performed. Would absolutely recommend!”
2022: Press
Welcome back to Smack Wave
Press returned for a second year, with a reimagined cast and packed Pleasance audiences.
This "comedic yet poignant" play played for 11 performances at the Pleasance Below, with actors Kaia Hickson and Alexandra Clare delivering "dynamic performances that are extremely relatable" during this "fresh, witty, and all too real" satire.
In her write up for Theatre Travels, Carly Fisher added "the standout though is Brimmer-Beller’s writing. He writes with a sense of naturalism and urgency that makes these characters authentic representations of professional women in our time," and further "it’s shows like this that make the fringe such a great place to come to see new work."
🎬🏆🤳📺💥
Written & Directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller
Starring Kaia Hickson and Alexandra Clare
2021: Press
Black Bat Productions brought not one but two original plays...
2021: Fear of Roses
Black Bat Productions brought not one but two original plays...
Further Projects
We do a lot!
Turner & Turner
"The readers would like to know, which Turner is which?"
Radio Play
Chicago, 1933. Two publishing giants are interviewed on their great legacy. But an age-old score has yet to be settled... A radio play by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller.
Starring Ben Schofield, Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, James Strahan, and Lucy Davidson. Produced by Lucy Evans, on FreshAir.org.uk. Originally aired 22 March 2017.
Evening Plans
The small story of a big night.
Short Film
Nominated for Best Short Film in Official Competition at the Edinburgh International Film Festival's New Visions selection.
Nora gets ready for a great party, for the first time in a year. Something we can all relate to. A monochrome project written, directed, filmed, and edited in January 2021.
The Arbitrator
A digital ensemble.
Comedy Film
"The most effective dramatic use of Zoom that I have seen."
A Black Bat comedy very much set in 2021.
Playing Favorites
My guest tonight...
More than 50 episodes to discover.
Available everywhere podcasts are found.
Further Productions
est. 2017
Chagos 1971
Welcome to the dog days of empire.
A comedic dark comedy about a very real event.
Take a darkly funny trip into the dog days of Empire. In a Parliament building in April 1971, five government reps were tasked with a surreal mission: find a way to clear 2,000 indigenous people off an archipelago in the far corner of the Indian Ocean. What they decided is so grotesque you may not believe it, but this here is a true story. Written and directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller.
Five-star, sold out run at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe. Performed in London's Katzpace Theatre, September 2019, and as part of Bedlam Festival 2019, to a sold-out audience.
****
"★★★★★"
"The most intelligent piece of theatre I have seen at the Fringe... I would give it more stars if I could."
- Annabel Jackson, Edfringe Review
"★★★★★"
"Captivating, shocking and brutal in its honesty... an utter triumph of theatre."
- Hannah Goldswain, Edfringe Review
"★★★★★"
"A show of unprecedented professionalism, delivered with clarity and sensitivity. Absolutely one to watch."
"Theatrical wonderstuff."
"A perfect mix of wit, politics, and satire."
"★★★★"
"Pitch perfect satire in the Windrush scandal era."
- Edinburgh Festivals Magazine
"★★★★"
Audience reviews:
- "Really good, and funny... the writing was brilliant and the acting was great."
- "Both hilarious and shocking... a thoroughly enjoyable play."
- "An excellent play on a very interesting topic. The acting was phenomenal and the inter-character dynamics made the play immersive and engaging... Five stars, no doubt."
Technicolor
The summer of love. With visitors.
1967, New Mexico. In a tiny town during the Summer of Love, three FBI agents investigate uncanny local reports of strange, possibly extraterrestrial activity. Have they discovered something truly surreal? Black Bat Productions returns after the acclaimed ‘Mack The Knife’ with a brand new story full of psychedelic music, humour, twists, and style.
"★★★★"
"A freewheeling exercise in both nostalgia and modernity that is highly recommended."
"Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s script and direction crackle with fun and an apparently effortless cool."
"An object lesson in how a drama – even one with a science fiction theme – can take place in one room without losing anything in imagination or verve."
"A remarkably enjoyable piece of theatre."
Mack The Knife
Oh the shark has, pretty teeth dear, and he shows them, pearly white
A pitch-black noir comedy. Premiered during Bedlam Festival, at Bedlam Theatre; January 25th-27th 2017.
"★★★★"
"Proves just how comprehensive the talent is under Bedlam’s roof”
“It is fair to say that, had it not been revealed, the audience would have assumed that it were written by an individual much further into their career”
“For a debut performance, Mack the Knife offered a great deal and shone a spotlight on the exciting future of Bedlam’s original writing”
“a clever and applaudable conceit”
Mack The Knife - Fringe
What kind of a name is Lady?
The full-house Fringe run of Mack The Knife.
"★★★★"
- Edinburgh University TV
"Brimmer-Beller’s direction is imaginative and expansive."
"An accomplished piece of theatre."
Arthur Savile's Crime
Who would you kill if you knew you had to?
Based on Oscar Wilde's Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, a new, Edinburgh-set update on the soothsayer intrigue, with plenty more comedy.
Premiered at Bedlam Theatre; November 25th, 2015.
"★★★★"
“Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller’s play was a joyous romp through the world of dark comedy.”
“Comic relief from the somewhat more intense scenes are a hallmark of the play and it is credit to Brimmer-Beller that he has managed within the tight constraints of a half an hour play to strike the balance brilliantly between high drama and raucous comedy.”
“the script both pithy and the lines delivered well.”
“Without reserve, Arthur Saville’s Crime was a thoroughly enjoyable play.”
Press & Interviews
We talk to the world!
On Chagos 1971 with The Student
22 August, 2019
“‘Some may come for the comedy and find matters of interest in the political detail; others might come to hear more about this obscure yet vital story and stay for the humour.”’
Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, writer and director, promises a spiking witty and epically political piece of theatre in this interview on his Fringe show Chagos 1971.
Available here.
On Chagos 1971 with University of Edinburgh Festivals Office
2 August, 2019
"Following shows such as Mack The Knife in 2017 and last year's Technicolor, Black Bat Productions are back at the Festival Fringe with a new show. Chagos 1971 is a biting political comedy surrounding an unbelievable decision made in the Foreign Office in April 1971. Written and directed by recently graduated student Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, and starring University students past and present, the show will be performed throughout August at the ZOO Playground in the University's High School Yards. We spoke to Nathaniel about his latest production."
Available here.
On Chagos 1971 with FreshAir Radio
15 August, 2019
"Fresh Fringe's Jelena Sofronijevic sits down with Black Bat Productions' Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller (writer/director, Chagos 1971), Sophie Boyle (Gretchen Specter), and Michael Zwiauer (Sir Bruce Greatbatch)."
Available here.
On Technicolor with University of Edinburgh Festivals Office
8 August, 2018
"Nathaniel Brimmer -Beller is about to enter his 4th year as a student of International Relations at the University of Edinburgh. He founded Black Bat Productions in 2016 when he put on Mack The Knife at Bedlam Theatre and since then some fabulous people with unique talents and insights have come aboard to create a well-oiled team who are producing great works."
Available here.
Gallery
Photos from our ventures.
Posters
Made special, by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller.
Mack The Knife
Original design.
Some Gilda, some Touch of Evil, some influence from jazz records of yesteryear. Available in monochrome, sepia (above), and hazy blue.
Lady & The Blue Notes
A take on Lee Morgan's "Lee-Way."
A little promotional material, for setting the scene.
Technicolor - Character Posters
One for everyone.
To evoke the feel of a real roll-out.
Mack The Knife - Character Posters
No small parts.
Drum up that team energy.
Film
Sometimes lights. Always camera. Usually action.
Completed
Finished & out there.
- B-Roll (2024)
- The Arbitrator (2021)
- Evening Plans (2021)
- The Teenagers (2018)
- Ah, Hi There (2016)
- Four Jews (2015)
- Uniform (2014)
- Happy Birthday (2014)
- 'I Love You' (2014)
- Everyday Afternoon Coffee (2013)
