#106 Digital labours
Batteries. Fairies. Amphibians. Jockeys.
Issue #106 Digital labours
20th March 2024
Hi, everyone.
I have just spent a lovely week in the genial company of Vinny François - one of the all time greats, both as an improv practitioner and a human being.
Having Vinny to stay, as well as having the opportunity to learn from him and introduce him to my students, has been a total dream. On top of Liz Allen's visit last week, I can feel my improv batteries charged to full capacity. I'm practically glowing here.
I'll be offering more chances to be taught by international improv legends in the coming months - so please do keep an eye on this very newsletter for those upcoming opportunities.
For now, here's what I've been watching, listening to and playing this very week.
Rule of three
[Theatre] A Midsummer Night's Dream
Starring my old school friend Matt Baynton as Bottom, this is an excellent new version of Shakespeare's most popular comedy. I loved the use of holograms, illusions and lasers to represent the fairies and CRUCIALLY it's actually funny. It runs for another couple of weeks at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon.
[Music] Amphibian by Björk (Mark Bell Remix)
This is one of my wife's favourite tracks. It was on the original soundtrack of the film Being John Malkovich and hasn't been released anywhere else. Long story short, I bought my first CD in a decade to get a copy ... and then I had to buy a CD drive to actually play it (and rip a high quality file version). I adore the use of stereo in the remix, definitely one to listen to with headphones. You can download the fruit of my extended digital labours here.
[Game] No More Jockeys
This is a brilliant party game that Alex Horne came up with pre-Taskmaster. It's become a cult YouTube series but it's also a massively fun game to play with friends. Read the rules here and have a go.
Spotlight
I love international improv festivals and some of my favourite people are launching a new one in Amsterdam. The very first Flock Festival is due to run from 24th-30th June this year. There'll be 21 shows and 14 workshops run by 12 incredible teachers.
Flock are known for putting on ambitiously theatrical shows with beautiful production values. They do exactly the kind of improv I adore. Which makes it all the more enthralling that I've been asked to be part of the core cast this year. I'll be performing in a range of shows (including a world premiere co-created especially for the festival with Charlotte Gittins dealing with 70s-era cults) and teaching a workshop based on my recent experience directing Scumbags!
This festival will be small, focussed and extremely memorable. And how rare is it to get in on the ground floor, in the very first year of something wonderful?
Check out what Flock Festival has to offer and sign-up for my workshop too.
See you there?
PS - I've just noticed there's still tickets for Charlotte's workshop - this is your lucky day. She teaches so rarely and has just the sharpest mind, most engaging stage presence and charmingest sensibility of anyone in Improvland. I couldn't recommend her more highly.
Ephemera
An occasional series where I share artefacts from my life in improv.
Here's a few pages of my notes from the recent Liz Allen class I took. Really inspired by her way of thinking and talking about improv.
Radio contact
Laura and Radio are both ill but keeping each other company.