Snazzy, a new play written and produced by British actor-producer Joe Staton and presented by RiffRaff NYC, will premiere this summer at the New York Theatre Festival, bringing a remarkable true story of family, legacy, and entrepreneurship to the stage at LATEA Theatre.

Rooted in Staton’s own family history, the 90-minute play explores how a small creative idea grew into one of the world’s most recognisable face-painting brands, while examining the love and loss that shaped it.

With three performances scheduled on Tuesday, July 21, at 9:00 PM, Wednesday, July 22, at 6:30 PM, and Saturday, July 25, at 4:30 PM at LATEA Theatre, Snazzy is poised to be a standout entry in this year’s festival lineup. Audiences will encounter a story that travels from a Butlins holiday centre in Somerset, England, to a global marketplace, and ultimately back to the intimate, personal core of a family learning to build something out of nothing.

From Holiday Centre To Global Brand

Snazzy is based on A Snazzy Tale, the memoir of Staton’s mother, Lauren, and tells the true story behind the creation of Snazaroo, one of the world’s most recognisable face-painting brands. In the 1980s, Lauren and Paul Staton began developing their own face-paints while working at a Butlins holiday centre in Minehead, Somerset. What started as a resourceful, hands-on experiment soon evolved into a distinctive product with the potential to reach far beyond the holiday camp.

As demand for their face-paints grew, the couple’s small creative endeavour developed into Snazaroo, a brand that has since brought colour and joy to generations of children around the world. The play traces this evolution with humour and heart, capturing not just the milestones of building a company, but the everyday graft, uncertainty, and ingenuity that go into turning a spark of inspiration into a sustainable business.

“At its heart, Snazzy is a story about building something from nothing,” says Staton. “It’s about the imagination and resilience it takes to turn a kitchen-table idea into something that can touch people’s lives across continents.”

Through scenes that move between early experiments, pivotal business decisions, and intimate family moments, Snazzy paints a vivid picture of a couple whose creativity was born from necessity, and whose legacy continues to resonate far beyond their original workspace.

A Story Of Love, Loss, And Legacy

While the play offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the creation of a beloved brand, Snazzy is ultimately driven by its emotional core. It is a story of love, loss, entrepreneurship, and perseverance, focusing on the relationship between Lauren and Paul and the family they were building together as they built their company.

Millions of people recognise Snazaroo products, but very few know the personal story behind them: a story that encompasses early grief, financial risk, creative problem-solving, and a determination to keep going in the face of uncertainty. Staton, the son of Lauren and Paul, developed the play both as a tribute to his parents and as a deeply personal exploration of his own history.

“My mum wrote A Snazzy Tale, and it was deeply moving to me,” Staton explains. “My dad passed away when I was two, and reading her book—and writing this play—has been a way to get to know him better. I want people to know my mum’s story because it’s incredibly inspiring. It’s a story about teamwork, and about the love and graft behind the brand.”

Snazzy gives audiences a front-row seat to a relationship forged through shared ambition and mutual support. As the play unfolds, the creation of the company and the evolution of the marriage become inseparable, showing how personal and professional lives intertwine when a family business is being built in real time.

A 90-Minute Dramedy With Global Reach

Snazzy is structured as a 90-minute dramedy, blending humour and pathos in a way that reflects the highs and lows of entrepreneurial life. The script embraces the comedic potential of trial-and-error product development, early sales efforts, and the unexpected situations that arise when a small operation suddenly begins to grow. At the same time, it takes the emotional landscape of grief, responsibility, and legacy.

The story spans continents, echoing Staton’s own international upbringing. From its origins in Minehead, Somerset, the narrative extends to the wider global impact of Snazaroo and the enduring legacy of the Staton family’s work. Staton grew up in the UK, France, and Spain, and the production acknowledges this international journey, mirroring the way a local idea can take on worldwide resonance.

“Snazzy is about my family, but it’s also about anyone who has ever taken a risk on their own creativity,” says Staton. “We wanted to show how a very specific story—one holiday centre, one couple, one product—can echo for people in all kinds of places and situations.”

This global perspective is also reflected in the play’s future ambitions, with plans to bring Snazzy to audiences beyond New York.

Casting An International Ensemble

Casting for Snazzy is underway, with a mix of established and emerging international performers attached to the project. Ross Mason is confirmed to play Paul, bringing depth and nuance to a character whose story is both romantically hopeful and grounded in the practical realities of building a business. Brenna Peerbolt is in talks to lead as Lauren, tasked with embodying the resilience, creativity, and emotional complexity at the centre of the narrative.

British actors Truman Gaudoin, Ronan Spierenburg, and Madeleine Doré will form part of the ensemble, portraying multiple roles throughout the story. This ensemble approach allows the production to populate Lauren and Paul’s world with a wide variety of characters—friends, customers, colleagues, and community members—without sacrificing the intimacy of a tightly focused cast.

Additional casting will be announced as the project continues development, with the creative team aiming to reflect the story's international scope through the performers' onstage backgrounds and experiences.

Longtime Collaborators At The Helm

Behind the scenes, Snazzy is being shaped by a creative partnership with a strong track record. British actress and director Chloe Champken is currently in talks to direct the production. Champken and Staton are longtime collaborators, having worked together across multiple productions in both acting and directing capacities, including RiffRaff NYC’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and The Rainmaker at Court Square Theatre.

Their shared history promises a cohesive vision for Snazzy, blending Staton’s personal connection to the material with Champken’s directorial eye for character detail and emotional pacing.

“Chloe has been there for so many important steps in my creative life,” Staton notes. “Having her on board for Snazzy feels like the natural next step. She understands the heart of this story and the balance of humour and heartbreak we’re aiming for.”

Both Champken and Staton are company members of the Ensemble Shakespeare Company, bringing a classical grounding and ensemble sensibility to this contemporary, true-to-life story.

Rooted In Community, Looking To The Future

The story of Snazzy does not end with the founding of a brand. It continues through the communities that have shaped Staton’s life and the philanthropic work his family now undertakes. Lauren currently resides in the village of Jalón, in Spain’s Costa Blanca region, where she runs the Daadi Clothes Swapping foundation—a project that reflects the same spirit of creativity, resourcefulness, and community-mindedness that sparked Snazaroo in the first place.

The production honours this wider journey, connecting the early days in Minehead to the ongoing legacy abroad. As Snazzy prepares for its New York premiere, the team is already looking ahead to plans, including hopes for a run at the Regal Theatre in Minehead, the hometown of Snazaroo and a place of deep personal significance for the Staton family.

“Bringing Snazzy back to Minehead would be incredibly meaningful,” says Staton. “It’s where so much of this story began. To share the play with that community feels like bringing things full circle.”

Performance Details And Tickets

Snazzy will be presented at LATEA Theatre as part of the New York Theatre Festival, with three performances scheduled:

  • Tuesday, July 21, 2026 – 9:00 PM
  • Wednesday, July 22, 2026 – 6:30 PM
  • Saturday, July 25, 2026 – 4:30 PM

Venue: LATEA Theater
Festival: New York Theatre Festival
Runtime: 90 minutes

Tickets are available via Innovation Tickets at:
https://innovationtickets.com/product/snazzy/

Due to the limited number of performances and the venue's intimate nature, early booking is recommended. Audiences are encouraged to secure tickets in advance and to follow RiffRaff NYC and festival channels for updates on casting, creative announcements, and any additional events surrounding the production.

About Joe Staton And RiffRaff NYC

Joe Staton is a British actor based in New York City and the co-artistic director of RiffRaff NYC, a company dedicated to supporting immigrant artists and telling globally resonant stories. He is also a company member of the Ensemble Shakespeare Company. Snazzy marks his debut as a playwright, representing a new chapter in a career already defined by cross-border collaboration and a commitment to international perspectives.

RiffRaff NYC is a New York-based theatre and film company committed to amplifying diverse voices through live performance, film, and community-driven events. By providing a platform for immigrant artists and globally minded work, the company creates space for stories that cross borders—geographical, cultural, and artistic.

With Snazzy, Staton and RiffRaff NYC, bring together personal history, entrepreneurial spirit, and theatrical craft to create a production that is at once intimate and expansive. For audiences in New York this July, it offers a rare opportunity to step behind the brand, into the family story that made it possible, and to witness a new play at the very beginning of its journey.