#59 A metric shit-tonne of falafel
Issue #59 A metric shit-tonne of falafel
26th April 2023
We must stop meeting like this!
Chris Mead here. About to jet off to Tel Aviv for an intensive week of improv and (hopefully) a metric shit-tonne of falafel.
And speaking of improv, I've been really enjoying my Mockumentary NOW! course on the films of Christopher Guest and all the subsequent TV shows that adopted the fake documentary format. My Monday nights have been an utter joy - I've had tears streaming down my face, I've been laughing so hard. There's something uniquely powerful about a straight-to-camera interview scene that is incredibly addictive to watch and perform.
I'm so pumped about this format that I'm sharing TWO new offerings - both an online AND London-based version of the course. Have a look at Spotlight below (after you've scrolled to the Radio picture of course).
Rule of three
[Music] Hobo Johnson
When I first listened to Hobo Johnson & the LoveMakers, I thought "Is this even music?". By the end of that first play I was screaming "OR MAYBE IT'S THE THOUGHT OF NOT BEING SO ALONE" along with him. I find his performances totally magnetic. Shambolic and compassionate and profound. Peach Scone is the live track to watch first. It was his entry in the 2018 Tiny Desk Concert. He didn't win but they gave him a concert anyway.
[Improv] Newsletters
There's been an explosion in high-quality improv newsletters on Substack. I recommend:
Shaun Lowthian
Susan Harrison
Paul Birch
[Article] What your senior high school musical says about you
I feel seen. Mine was Jesus Christ Superstar. What was yours?
Spotlight
My Mockumentary NOW! course is about improvising characterful relationships thorough straight-to-camera monologues and duologues. It's the most uncomplicated joyous fun I've had in an improv class for a long time. Just flat out good vibes and making each other cry laugh. If you like This is Spinal Tap, The Office, Parks & Rec, What We Do in the Shadows or Best in Show then this could be for you too.
These links have already gone out to the waiting list and are about a third sold. I'll wait a further week before releasing them to the general public so get on it if you're a keen bean.
Online class (May/June)
London class (July/ August)
Longform thoughts
Do you need to hear a breakdown of the best moments of the second and third beats where they played a talking space squid? Do you in fact need to hear anything when they get back home at midnight, high on adrenaline and art? No, you do not. It’s on a par with recounting dreams or DnD sessions. Keep that shit to people who were actually in the room.
This week, we have a guest writer. My wonderful wife Laura Mead writes Plant your own garden: A field guide for the partners of improvisers.
Radio days
Lap dog.