#5 What if guinea pigs were also cars?
Issue #5 What if guinea pigs were also cars?
13th April 2022
Good day to you, excellent humans. This is Chris (Mead).
This week I took everything I own out of every cupboard, wardrobe, chest of drawers, secret compartment and filing cabinet in my house. I then put them into piles of similar items, sorted through them and put them away in new storage solutions I had purchased for that very purpose.
I currently feel a sense of zen-like calm unmatched by any feeling I've experienced in my adult life.
Just look at this kitchen cupboard.
I think this might be my Mona Lisa.
Ok, on with the show...
Rule of three
[TV] Japanese whimsy
The world can be a scary and hateful place, particularly at the moment. In our house we have escaped into a world of kawaii. I'd like to recommend two shows to you - both on Netflix, both offering extremely short, bite-sized episodes. One is Old Enough - a charming documentary showcasing the Japanese tradition of the first errand. The other is Pui Pui Molcar - which is about 'what if guinea pigs were also cars?'
[Music] Wet Leg
Wet Leg's debut album came out this week. That's all the excuse I need to listen to Chaise Longue and Wet Dream on repeat.
[Books] Wayfarers series
When I talked about Hopepunk a few weeks ago, a number of you got in contact to recommend A Long Way to a Small Angry Planet and its sequels. I was so happy because I love this series dearly. What struck me when I first read them was how refreshingly free they were of the science fiction tropes present in the work of so many (mostly male) authors.
Spotlight
I'm really excited about this one. Pure Ensemble launches in June at Theatre Deli Studios in London. I'll work with a small group of improvisers and coach you to create an entirely new format to perform as a team. There won't be time to teach the basics of scene work, so I'm looking for performers with at least a few years experience of long form. Entry is by application only - feel free just to reply to this email. Bursaries and flexible payment plans are always available too.
Longform thoughts
If you invest in your character, pursue connection and deepen the relationship between yourself and others, everything else just becomes richer - funnier, sillier, more heartfelt, less disposable.
Read the rest of Emotional connection - where I share thoughts and exercises on forging deep character relationships in improv.
Ephemera
This will be a new occasional section in the newsletter. During the big tidy up this week, I came across a lot of treasures from my improv past. And it got me thinking about improv as an art form. So much of what we do is disposal - there for a moment and then gone forever. I wanted to show you some of the artefacts - posters, logos, handouts, plans - that have been generated in the process of theatre making.
This week, the costume designs for Project2's Thirteen Cycles show. Created by the brilliant Catherine Lovett.
I've created a small gallery of Cat's designs for us here.
Radio days
You are not a shoe, Radio!