#109 Dismantle communism through power ballads
Shortform. Tea. Rock. Kicking. Jim.
Issue #109 Dismantle communism through power ballads
10th April 2024
What a rush!
I performed in a shortform show this week and loved it. The icing on the cake: it was back in Southend-on-Sea, the town (now city) where I spent the first 18 years of my life.
I was honoured to be part of Scared Scriptless - to work with talented local improvisers and support a community that young me would have given anything to have existed during my teenage years. I'm so grateful that it exists now. I'm so happy to have these opportunities.
This was a good week.
Rule of three
[Game] A Proper Cup of Tea
This is a hilarious (like laugh out loud funny) mobile game about the greatest act a human can indulge in - making tea. It's created using the Downpour app - which allows you to combine images, links and text to create simple story games. Have a go and let me know what rating you got for your preferred brew.
[Podcast] Wind of Change
This recommendation from fellow improviser Paul Birch is a brilliantly made investigation into whether rock band The Scorpions were secretly helping the CIA dismantle communism through power ballads. It is THRILLING!
[Kicking & Punching] South Korean action cinema
Those of you who have now subscribed to my Letterboxd page, will know I've been watching a lot of South Korean action cinema lately. There's a distinct style to them - OTT, breathtaking visuals, a fluid, hyper-kinetic camera and a very unHollywood attitude to placing children and animals in peril (I mention this bit not as a recommendation but a warning). If any of that sounds intriguing, may I recommend the following:
The Man from Nowhere (Korean John Wick)
The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil (Criminal vs Policeman vs Serial Killer)
The Good, the Bad, the Weird (Super fun Western)
The Thieves (Oceans 11 if they all hated each other)
The Villainess (Jaw-dropping fights)
Kundo: Age of the Rampant (Robin Hood with better martial arts)
Spotlight
GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE!
I'm doing a 5-day version of my popular Mockumentary NOW! course at the Bristol Improv Theatre, the UK's first bricks and mortar improv theatre (and one filled with an astonishingly talented and kind improv community).
I'm really excited about it. The Mockumentary format has easily become my favourite thing to teach and direct. It's the perfect blend of silliness, structure and character work. And the opportunity to work with the same group of improvisers for an entire week, with a proper showcase at the end, feels LUXURIOUS to say the least.
If you're overseas and have been waiting for an opportunity to sink your teeth into a format with me, then this could be the perfect class for you. And to top it off, Bristol is an incredibly vibrant city with wonderful food and an absolutely top notch arts scene.
We're running it 13th-17th August 2024 and you can read more about it (and grab your ticket) on the BIT's website.
And for READERS OF THIS NEWSLETTER ONLY - you get a 10% discount before 30th April with the code MOCKUMENTARY-10.
Longform thoughts
Becoming a good editor means building a sense of discernment about a scene. Has it outstayed its welcome? Is there more juice to be squeezed out of a particular scenario? Editing should be a responsibility held by the entire team.
Can you do good longform in a 15 minute show slot? And, if so, how?
Radio contact
This is me trying to hold Radio like how shepherds carried lambs in the Bible.
Just commenting to get off RSS and onto email!