Take Doughboys to the Fringe!

Aim

Producing a 60-minute World War 1 farce with five actors, full of chaotic slapstick, rapid-fire wit, and heartfelt character.

What it’s about

In 1917, near the end of The Great War, three women arrive at No Man’s Land, disguised as men, each with their own self-assigned secret mission. As long as their British sergeant believes they belong in his boys’ club, they’re safe… But when a corporal threatens to expose them, the trio must negotiate, outwit, and improvise their way through the night — because tomorrow morning, ready or not, the battle begins.

Why this story now

Doughboys is a ridiculous comedy about misfits, belonging, and the distance between the role you are handed and the person you are. Set against the backdrop of the First World War, a time when old regimes were collapsing and expectations of gender and sexuality were rigidly enforced, Doughboys asks how people can survive without losing themselves. As we grapple with similar challenges in 2026, it helps to look back and see how we faced these demons once before.

Who it’s for

• Classic British comedy fans who love farce, historical fiction, good accents (British), bad accents (American), and actors in a trench.
• Queer theatre seekers who want stories that tackle assumptions about gender, identity, and drag.

Why we’ll reach them

We have a comprehensive plan, launching now, to drive momentum and press interest in New York this summer, and then execute a strong ground game in Edinburgh. We will drive demand through paid media and press to make sure we fill the house every night, and our publicist has deep experience building demand for shows in New York and at the Fringe. With her, we are building partnerships with other shows, artists, and organizations to put our show top of mind for every Fringe attendee.

Why Back Us?

You’re backing a show with demonstrated demand after a sold out run in NYC, a clear marketing plan for the Fringe, and a team that knows how to make art audiences love. This campaign helps us bring Doughboys to Edinburgh and put the show in front of the people most likely to love it.

What is the money for?

Primarily, fundamentals we need to get Doughboys onstage in Edinburgh:

• About 50% of our budget will be for Travel and Lodging. Unfortunately we couldn’t find a trench (we tried).
• Costumes for the cast to wear, so that audiences believe that they are soldiers in WW1, especially when they run around Edinburgh to enlist audience members.
• Props for the cast to hold and do things with to move the plot forward
• A Venue with a stage so audiences know who to look at during the play

Marketing. The Fringe is a madhouse and we will need to do lots of work to stand out including:

• Posters and Flyers around Edinburgh
• Advertising on news websites and social media

Boring Important Things: Insurance, equipment rentals, licenses.

Who we are

The Drunk Jester Players are a diverse team of artists who make laugh-out-loud theater with uncompromised storytelling. Our credits include Off-Broadway productions (La MaMa, Playwrights Horizons, SoHo Playhouse, Atlantic Theater Company) and training at NYU-Tisch and William Esper Studio. We are: a sketch comedian, a recovering child actor, a classically-trained dancer, an informally-trained dancer, a fiction podcaster, Will, a New York Times worker, a voice actor, and a Broadway costumer.

This mélange of talented creatives has united once again to bring Doughboys to life.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made