Greetings, dear readers. I´m currently travelling through the Irelands having a great time enjoying improv, either in the form of workshops or shows. By the moment this newsletter reach your inbox, I´ll be saying goodbye to Belfast and its cosy but brilliant improv festival. Next stop, Dublin. So this week, and potentially next one, expect the newsletter to be brief.

I performed with a cast of brilliant people on a form directed by the incredible Nick Armstrong. and that made me feel a bit uneasy. I´ve mentioned before that fast paced American improv is outside my comfort zone. It’s the one that puts me in my head too much by adding the need of being silly. Luckily I felt supported by my cast members constantly and I put myself one assignment: just play. I fulfilled it, and it was awesome.

I’m kidding you not, this show will remain on my head and on my heart for many years to come. It’s not easy to find such utterly joy and connection on festival’s ensemble teams. Seamless edits and strong connections made a remarkable show.

So, overall I had a fantastic time in the Belfast festival. It also made me think. The shows in improv festivals always makes me wonder about what should a show need in order to make it “presentable”, how should it be frame.

To me, a cohesive dress code is essential for an improv troupe that present themselves in an international display. When a group performs at a festival wearing mismatched clothes, like the infamous plaid shirts and random t-shirts, it brings me regular “pub improv” vibes, and the quality of the show has to be good to compensate.

European improv often leans toward more cohesion and theatricality. Whether it's a shared dress code or a unique gimmick, this clear 'envelope' for the show sets expectations for the audience. Whether or not the performance meets those expectations remains to be seen, but the initial theatrical effort immediately raises my eyebrow.

I might sound picky, but if we want improv to be considered an art form, let´s start treating it as such with the only think that we can control about our shows: Our image.

Of course, during the festival in Belfast I’ve seen very good shows under plaid shirts and some chaotic ones well framed by an aesthetic.

Do you care about the container or just the content?

📆 What is coming up

• 14th of November - Acaprov (London, UK). You can book your place to see another a cappella musical in Shoreditch. Get your tickets.

• 12th - 15th of November - Improv Fest Ireland (Dublin, Ireland). I’m also coming back to my favourite improv festival in the whole world. I’m going to be performing with fellow Improv Utopia Campers and local improvisers. Get your tickets.

• 7th of December - Long form is my jam! JAM (London, UK). I’ll be facilitating next month’s Acaprov’s long form jam. It’s only 5 quid and it will be great to see you there. Tickets here.

📚 🎮 🎥 📺 The geeky dessert

I recently completed Horizon Forbidden West and its Burning Shores expansion. The second instalment of the franchise set on a post-apocalyptic Earth, where we are in the shoes of Aloy, on her quest to save life from the Zeniths, a highly advanced humans that fled the planet long ago and have now returned to steal GAIA, the essential terraforming AI that Aloy must secure to prevent global extinction.

This game is absolutely gorgeous, and the world is big and wide enough to keep you entertained for hours. My schedule didn’t allow me to wander much from the main campaign, though. I plan to go back to deal with side missions once I have a more powerful PC that can handle better its beautiful graphics. It is also (and primarily) on PS5.