#156 The kindest and best humans I know
Musicality. Dexterity. Kindness. Bobble hat.
5 MARCH 2025
Hello, everyone.
Another newsletter, another improv city.
This week I got the chance to visit the Zurich improv community and was extremely impressed with the talent and professionalism on display; and morbidly fascinated by how much a pizza cost.
Still, you can see where all that pizza tax money is going - into public transport and infrastructure and the like. And the improv Theater im Zollhaus is undeniably gorgeous. As Oliver Wendell Holmes once said:
Expensive pizza is the price we pay for working theatre spaces.
Rule of three
[Music] Ladies & Gentlemen opening montage
Do not scroll past this recommendation - it is the single most impressive piece of editing I’ve ever seen. Questlove watched every episode of Saturday Night Live and edited some of the most iconic music performances, literally hundreds of artists spanning fifty years, down into an electrifying eight minute mash-up montage. It took him over a year to produce. I’ve watched it over and over again, it makes my heart happy.
[Movement] Jacob Grégoire
Never will you see a more graceful man, emote less. Check out Jacob Grégoire’s incredible acts of physical mastery here. And ok, here as well.
[Family] The Meads
I hope you’ll indulge me in a personal recommendation this week. My mum, my dad, my sister, my niece and my nephew were all filmed about their long-term involvement with Christian Aid - an international development agency that works alongside the world’s poorest citizens. I feel so immeasurably proud of them all when I watch it - they’re such lovely people and genuinely the kindest and best humans I know. And I also think it’s funny that I’m not mentioned in any way throughout the whole video despite working for the organisation for 15 years.
Spotlight
Just a reminder of a few classes and shows I’ve got coming up:
Hoopla x The Pretend Company | 8 March
Longform improv set with me, Emily Murphy, Jon Nguyen, Jennifer Jordan, Briony Redman and Charlie Sharpe. We sold out our first Hoopla night and hope we can do the same for this one.
Stupidly Theatrical | 16 March
There’s ONE place left on this full day course in Farnham where I’ll be teaching the improv I love most in the world - emotionally-connected and grounded without being even remotely serious.
Pretend Night Farnham | 16 March
And in the evening we’ll be presenting a show that is half improv jam and half another long form set with veteran improvisers. This time it’ll be Emily Kerr, Ed Fargher and Liam Webber.
Longform thoughts
To be beautifully alive in the moment, with all our flaws and strengths proudly on display, that’s what good improv looks like to me.
Read how I got to this conclusion in this week’s essay - What does good improv look like?
Radio contact
Radio refuses to believe it’s spring.