Hat Trick International brings neurodivergent format Play Time to global market

Play Time from production company Nanny Caddie

MIPCOM: Hat Trick International (HTI), the UK-based factual and scripted distributor, has announced its first representation deal with production company Nanny Caddie.

Under the deal, HTI has secured international rights for new format Play Time which takes six comedians to visit a local primary school whey they are challenged, in the course of one school day, to create and perform an original stage play that’s based entirely on the ideas of a neurodiverse group of 6- to 8-year-old school children.

Whatever characters, settings, stories and catchphrases the children come up with, they must quickly turn into a play that they then perform that very same day on the school stage for all of the children and their family and friends.

The original format is based on a new commission from this year’s ITV Fresh Cuts programme which is funded by ITV’s £80m Diversity Commissioning Spend.

It is an original idea from Nanny Caddie founders, writer and series director Céin McGillicuddy and writer/editor Andy Kinnear. The original commission set to air on Monday November 10 on ITV1 and will also be available on ITVX and YouTube. The episode features comedians Cariad Lloyd, Inel Tomlinson, Stuart Laws, Bec Hill, Aruhan Galieva and puppeteer Chris Barlow.

Céin McGillicuddy also recently directed format hit The Assembly for ITV, where 30 autistic, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people interview well-known British personalities.

Play Time joins other Mipcom highlights on the HTI slate including a raft of health, crime, and talent led shows and premium drama series Dear Life (6×60 mins), commissioned by Stan Australia from production company Gristmill.