#45 Goosebumps

Issue #45 Goosebumps

18th January 2023

Hey gang!

It's your host Chris Mead here, with another datablast of improv-adjacent fun.

This week marked my return to IRL teaching & coaching, and I'm already having the time of my life working with a vast selection of talented improv students. I'm calling it - 2023 will be the year it all starts getting better again.

And here are three things that made my life better this week.

Rule of three

[Music] Fatboy Slim's 90s remix
BBC 6 Music is the jewel in the British Broadcasting Corporation's crown. It's a radio station that plays ground-breaking music across generations and genres. Last week, they had a 90s day, and as part of the celebrations, Fatboy Slim remixed his seminal album You've Come a Long Way, Baby into a 30-minute thing of pure wonder. I swear I got goosebumps when he layered Greta Thunberg over Right Here, Right Now at the 2:26 mark. If you're in the UK, you can access the mix on BBC Sounds. If you're anywhere else in the world, I may have ripped a high-quality mp3 of the whole thing.

[Theatre] The Unfriend
Saw a preview of Steven Moffat's first West End play, The Unfriend, last night. It's about a couple who accidentally invite an (alleged) serial killer to come and stay with their family. I'm a big fan of Moffat's writing from Doctor Who to Sherlock (as well as Coupling and Press Gang), and this latest offering is an amusing example of a genre I'm going to call Disturbing British Farce. We had a joyous time but worth mentioning that some of Moffat's worst dad joke tendencies are much in evidence too. We could have done without the fatphobic stuff - even if he puts it all into the mouth of the piece's most unsavoury character.

[Comic] Acting Class
Some books feel special. Acting Class by Nick Drnaso is one of those; it's a gorgeous artefact to hold in your hands. Drnaso's follow-up to the equally bruising Sabrina is about loneliness, social anxiety and the horror & hope of finding your artistic community. It's a world I know well, and although I ultimately have a far more optimistic view of it, I can't deny the power of the work presented here.

Spotlight

There are two shows I want to spotlight this week.

Firstly, I am co-producing a new night at Hoopla Impro, where improvisers do Powerpoint presentations about subjects they are passionate about. It's called Pints & Powerpoints, and we're presenting it on 31st January 2023 at Hoopla's space, The Miller pub, London Bridge. It's a new night, and it's a Tuesday, so we're really hurting for an audience. If you're London-based, please consider coming down to support us (and buying tickets in advance for £6). Both Laura and I are presenting, and Radio will be in the audience - his first time visiting the London improv scene.

Secondly, we're putting on a mini improv VR festival at Tall Stories Studio in February with a new show called House of Masks and a second series of our sci-fi sitcom, The Galaxicle Implosions (FYI, here's a beautiful documentary about season one).

We're looking for audiences in real life and online, so anyone reading this can be involved.

Here are the links (all FREE):

House of Masks - 2nd Feb (6 pm - 7:45 pm)
House of Masks - 3rd Feb (3 pm - 4:45 pm)
House of Masks - Online audience instructions (either night)

The Galaxicle Implosions S02E01 - 8th Feb (6 pm - 7:45 pm)
The Galaxicle Implosions S02E02 - 9th Feb (6 pm - 7:45 pm)
The Galaxicle Implosions - Online audience instructions (either night)

Radio Days

me: AI art is problematic, and artists should be paid for their work.

also me: THEY DO DOG IMAGES NOW?!