#81 Sitting in mime stew
Issue #81 Sitting in mime stew
27th September 2023
Hello, team.
At last, I shake the dust from my travelling shoes and hang them up on a little peg in the hallway. I'm home now for the rest of the year. Germany, Canada, Norway and Bulgaria were all sorts of splendid but it sure is nice to rest my head on my own pillow again.
Phew!
The Sixth International Sofia Improv Fest was phenomenal. I met a lot of new friends, taught a very talented cohort of improvisers (hello to any new subscribers - we're knocking on the door of one thousand people getting this newsletter now) and performed a show that was so full of joy that I couldn't stop smiling afterwards.
Thanks to Zlatin and his team for organising such a cracking event and shout out to Emily Jane Kerr for jumping in at the last moment to be my duo partner and delivering a performance of real emotional depth and sincerity whilst also sitting in mime stew.
Rule of three
[TV] Sex Education
Sex Education is back for its final season and for me it embodies everything hopeful about progressive politics and sex positivity. I wish I could have watched something like this when I was a teenager - it's frank, diverse, funny, wholesome and naughty. The cast is on fire, particularly Doctor-in-waiting Ncuti Gatwa who brings real fire and vulnerability to a role which could so easily have been just the comedy relief best friend.
[Game] Storyteller
Full disclosure, I was told about Storyteller yesterday by narrative improv wunderkind Tom Mathias. I have now played the whole thing and it's stunning. You begin with a book of stories but it's empty except for the titles - your job is to use pre-set characters and locations to repopulate the narratives yourself. It's so charming and clever and addictive. There is often more than one way to finish each puzzle. A tale called Lovers Reunited, for example, can be won by killing one lover and getting them magically resurrected OR killing them both and having them reunite as ghosts. EVEN BETTER NEWS: if you have a Netflix account, you already own it for iOS and Android. It was relaunched yesterday for both platforms and all you need to do is download it and enter your Netflix account details to play. Warmly recommended, especially to people who don't normally think of themselves as gamers.
[Sketch] Snapple Cap Facts
Vinny François is never far from my thoughts (check out the amazing new opportunities he's offering at Improv College - those are some excellent improv instructors right there). A few weeks ago, he showed me this old UCB sketch and I thought it was VERY FUNNY (bad language from the jump, swear-fans).
Long term readers will know I consider this the funniest video on YouTube though.
Spotlight
I will be taking to the stage with deep-fried gold improv legends Roy Janik & Kaci Beeler (both hailing from Austin, TX) and Jinni Lyons (who is my oldest improv collaborator and a member of my very first shortform group, The Ministry). The show will be this very Friday at The Miller in London Bridge as part of the Hoopla Improv Comedy Club.
The main show is Do The Right Scene, who are incredibly gifted improvisers and very worthy of your time. We'll be on after them at 10.30pm and for the princely sum of £5, you can watch four friends who rarely get to play together create something silly, playful and heartfelt.
I have a feeling the show could be something truly special, so do come and support us if you're able. Late night shows often have very few people in the audience - even a handful would make all the difference.
Radio contact
Dreamy Radio.