👋 Greetings, dear readers.

You caught me under the stress of doing admin stuff for different things at the same time. I guess that’s the price to pay for being in too many kitchens. With that being said, you can expect this week’s newsletter to be a bit shorter. I can’t always write weekly essays. 😅

Last week we celebrated the 8th anniversary of Acaprov. We had a lovely picnic where we shared what we considered our worst and best improv moments. Although the stories were quite different, the same themes kept coming up.

As for the worst memories associated with an improv show, it usually comes down to dealing with racist, homophobic, or otherwise inappropriate jokes from other improvisers. By the way—not all men, but always a man.

This underlines the need for trust. Precisely the most cherished memories we shared had to do with shows where we felt really connected with our scene partners. With no egos in the way comes an awareness of each other, working seamlessly as an ensemble.

This is why, despite my disenchantment with the general improv scene, I love being part of Acaprov, and any other ensemble that allows me to trust and feel trusted.

Of course, trust isn’t built just on stage. You need to get to know the people you’re working with. I remember how, The Annoyance Theatre of Chicago, encourages their teams to go out for drinks together.

I admit that, for my autistic self, bonding can be a struggle unless a common interest flourishes to keep me engaged in conversation. But there’s a middle ground between only seeing each other at rehearsals and building a hippy commune to all live in. That territory, however, is worthy of being explored. From ask how they’re doing and liking each other’s social media posts, to play Fortnite (or any other game) together, there are many ways we can bond.

It takes time to get to know each other’s quirks and rhythms when it comes to leaning into trust. It should be the ultimate goal of every improviser, though: to be able to improvise from a place of complete trust.

Let’s all aim for that.

Love to you all! 🫶

🎭 The Theatre bit

Incendies is the second play I’ve read from Canadian based, Lebanese author Wajdi Mouawad. This is also the second entry of Mouawad’s tetralogy Le Sang des Promesses. I’ve recommended the first play, Littoral (Tidelines), in this newsletter before.

Although it shares themes like the search for identity and navigating Middle Eastern culture, I liked this better. Don’t get me wrong, Littoral is excellent. Dramaturgically, Incendies feels more cohesive, even without the explicit poetic content of its predecessor. It is though, as raw and brutal.

Mouawad brings us the odyssey of two twin siblings, Jeanne and Simon, trying to comply with the posthumous wishes of their mother, Nawal, to deliver a letter to both their missing brother and father, a journey that will bring them to a struggling Lebanon.

This is one of those plays that makes you regret just reading it, missing the attractive staging suggestions from the author. But its powerful monologues and relationships make it worthy, though. Add this to your reading backlog ASAP.

📆 What is coming up

• 🇬🇧 1st to 4th of May - Two Islands Playback Theatre Gathering (Buckden, UK). Join playbackers from UK and Ireland on a long weekend of camaraderie, connection, and, of course, Playback theatre. Check the information.

• 🇬🇧 6th of May - Not GCSE Drama at Hoopla! Impro (London, UK). The most dedicated drama students are coming back to Hoopla for another exam. They are a nervous wreck, care to come and show support?

• 🇬🇧 8th of May - Acaprov at Shoreditch Balls (London,UK). After a delightful show in April, we wonder how our next musical will go. Care to find out? Get your tickets here.

• 🇬🇧 10th of May - True Heart Theatre 20th Anniversary Playback Theatre Performance and Jam (London, UK). Kind of self-descriptive. Join us in the celebration of the company. Come for the performance, stay for the hot pot. 😁 Info and tickets here.

• 🇬🇧 15th to 17th of May - Acaprov at The Brighton Fringe (Brighton, UK). I’m going to be in Spain during this year’s Brighton Fringe but I encourage you to enjoy a batch of improvised musicals at the Brighton Fringe by the hand of my dear friends of the Acaprov cast. Check dates and tickets.

📚 🎮 🎥 📺 The geeky dessert

We don’t always get wholesome spin-offs from franchises known for their fast-paced action. I’ve finished enjoying Cereza and the Lost Demon (CatLD), and I had a great time getting lost in the watercoloured forest among puzzles and light combat, just like the protagonist.

The game acts as a prequel to the Bayonetta series, a trilogy with a remarkable first entry. My personal disappointment with the disastrous story of the third entry made me reluctant to try this, but I’m happy I did. Cereza and the Lost Demon sticks closer to the lore of the first game, as we get to know the origins of Sega's most popular witch.

Very narrative-driven, the game allows us to lower the combat difficulty as much as possible so we can focus on the story and puzzle-solving. It can be cozy and acts as a good companion for listening to podcasts.