#70 Grudging respect
Issue #70 Grudging respect
12th July 2023
Hello, team.
Hope you're having a good week?
I'm just back from a five mile run with Radio. It was all a bit much to tell you the truth. Radio is sleeping directly on my pillow in protest.
And it's ALL GO improv-wise with scenes in the park, a secret new scripted project with some of my favourite improvisers and exciting progress on a new combined visual identity for my classes and this very newsletter that you're currently reading with your eyes.
Plus it's ELEVEN DAYS 'TIL MY BIRTHDAY.
Rule of three
[Music] Imogen Heap
Have loved Imogen Heap since her days with Frou Frou. She's got such an interesting voice and she's always pushing the envelope with the way she uses technology in live performance. In this extract from her Tiny Desk Concert she explains her magic motion-effect gloves and then proceeds to perform an absolutely blistering version of Hide and Seek.
[Movie] Mission: Impossible
I'm not a Tom Cruise stan in any shape or form but after watching this short documentary where he jumps off a cliff on a motorbike, then lets go of the motorbike and parachutes on his merry way - well, I can't help but feel some grudging respect. The man is 61 years old. Having watched the latest Mission: Impossible this week, I can confirm that the commitment to actually doing the stunts for real makes for a compelling, visceral experience.
[Theatre] Playback
I was introduced to the art of Playback Theatre during the pandemic. It's fascinating to me because it's very much its own thing (creating stories, physical theatre and even poetry from audience experiences) but, at the same time, it utilises such a wide range of tools from the improv skill set. I had the pleasure of watching the London Playback Theatre last Sunday and was utterly entranced. If you'd like to see for yourself, the company citylamps, who are masters of the form, are offering an online performance on 15th July as a fundraiser to help one of their number pursue his postgraduate studies at SOAS University. The theme of the show is Recipes of Hope.
Spotlight
I'll be teaching a 2 day Sci-Fi genre masterclass at the Sofia Improv Festival in September and performing with Goosehead as well (our first international gig). Take a look at what the festival has to offer here.
Longform thoughts
Example
The man walked into the room and sat down on a chair. Through the window he could see the sunset.
Sci-Fi
The cyborg glided into the living pod and attached itself to the recharge station. Through the viewing portal it had visual verification that the Earth was entering its nocturnal cycle.
Try this simple Genre writing exercise.
Radio contact
Radio at BBQ hotspot Dirty Sixth. Photo by Gael Doorneweerd-Perry.