#115 Blood harmony
Sisters. LA. Rhubarb. Design. Pirates. Ice-cream.
Issue #115 Blood harmony
22nd May 2024
Hello.
I went to a gig last night.
I KNOW! (I am young and trendy)
We saw The Staves at Koko in Camden and it was such a beautiful experience.
There’s just something about voices that have harmonised together for their whole lives. It feels almost holy. (I believe it’s called blood harmony)
And a wonderful week in improv too - a new Duologues show called The Interview with Greg Baxter, Man Band absolutely OWNING the Hoopla stage and the start of a new improv company that is going to push me WAY out of my comfort zone (more on that soon).
How was your week?
Rule of three
[TV] Sugar
A cineliterate neo-noir with absolutely impeccable style. Colin Farrell’s private detective is note perfect, the supporting cast are wonderful and there’s such a sense of effortless cool about the whole thing. Or maybe it’s effortful cool, but it’s the kind of effort that occludes itself, if you see what I mean. Also, there is a dog being A GOOD BOY.
NB: I haven’t watched the whole thing yet and apparently things get weirder towards the end so ... take this recommendation with that caveat.
[Song] Barbera’s Rhabarberbar
This song has taken over TikTok so I’m sure many of you have already heard it. But if not, it’s a German tongue twister about a woman who has a rhubarb bar and is friends with barbarians and barbers. In researching this newsletter, I’ve also found the sequel, which is equally delightful, not least because I love how the little guy in the green is bouncing around living his best life whenever he’s not singing.
[Magazine] A Profound Waste of Time
Another recommendation from design maven, Roz Gregoire. This is a magazine about video games that distinguishes itself by being a) thoughtful and b) gloriously designed. Check out the back issues here.
Spotlight
I’ve been spending many a happy hour this week preparing to direct my next show for Hoopla. It’s called The Mighty Pirates and it’s based on my favourite computer game of all time The Secret of Monkey Island. Here’s the blurb:
Join Guybrush Threepwood and his crew of misfit pirates on an interactive adventure to find the lost treasure of Big Whoop. Part-improv show, part-immersive theatre experience, part-escape room - this loving homage to 1990s point and click video games asks you to bring your own inventory items and then use them to solve nefarious puzzles across pirate coves, sandy beaches and zombie-infested underground volcanic lairs. Danger awaits around every corner. LOOK BEHIND YOU, A THREE-HEADED MONKEY!
I’ve got a great cast and the ambition to create an improv show unlike anything you’ve seen before. If you have the time, please come and support us. Our experience on Scumbags was it was hard to sell tickets for the first show and hard to get tickets by the last show. So buy early.
Radio contact
Radio ❤️s ice cream.