Winner of the Charlie Hartill Theatre Fund 2025, The Unstoppable Rise of Ben Manager is an absurdist dark satire around office culture. Created by Bunkum Ensemble, the show uses physical comedy, live music and plenty of useless jargon to explore the psychological impact of ‘b*llshit jobs’ and our search for meaning through work.
The story follows office worker Ben Weaver, a naïve everyman who, one day, picks up a lanyard and is transformed into Ben Manager. Through a series of live-scored musical PowerPoint presentations, Ben is relentlessly promoted and climbs the ranks, before transforming into something monstrous.
Reflecting on hustle culture and the importance of reconnecting with one’s inner child, this show is for anyone who’s ever questioned what they’re doing at work and wants to laugh along the way. Nominated for an OFF-Fest award at Brighton Fringe 2024, it promises a surreal and hilarious ride.
The cast includes writer Jack Parris (Dangling Man, Born and Bread), Paulina Krzeczkowska (The Tragedy of Macbeth, Women in the Attic), and Teele Uustanti (Famous Puppet Death Scenes, Zoe’s Peculiar Journey Through Time). Ben’s groundbreaking PowerPoint presentations are brought to life by musicians Adam Boothroyd, Jess PorterLangsom, and Mike Coxhead.
Writer and performer Jack Parris describes the show as “excellent physical theatre, PowerPoint songs, a big ant, and a puppet of a tiny child.” At its heart, it’s a celebration of the strangeness within us all—the part that might have been dulled by work and the relentless pursuit of success.
