#83 Secretly struggling
Issue #83 Secretly struggling
11th October 2023
Hello, friends.
And thank you to all my wonderful new subscribers. Welcome to the newsletter.
This is the bit where I generally talk about what happened to me this week.
Well, to be completely candid, it's been a bit rubbish. My lovely wife, Laura, got signed off work with suspected burn out. The doctor has asked her to take four weeks completely off to recover. Hearing her recount her experiences over the last few months in one condensed list was an emotional moment. Presented one after the other like that, I realised just how far and for how long she'd had to fight on her own.
So this is just me saying - if you have time, check in on the ones you love. It's amazing how often even the strong ones can be secretly struggling.
Take care, everyone.
Rule of three
[AI] Nick Cave Could Kill AI With A Toothbrush
I found this following a recommendation from improv & cabaret superstar, Sarah-Louise Young. It's written by her (almost) husband, author Paul Chronnell. It's a rallying call to creatives of all stripes against the oncoming tyranny of Artificial Intelligence. As someone who experiences techno-joy at all kinds of technological advances, I admit myself to be somewhat torn. It's a great read nonetheless.
[Storytelling] Mike Birbiglia
Way back in the heady days of Issue #37, I wrote about Mike Birbiglia's podcast, Working It Out. Well, I saw the man himself onstage last week when I went to see The Old Man & the Pool in the West End. I thought his skill as a storyteller was exceptional. In a landscape crammed full of straight white men telling stories, he still manages to say something new and profound. In preparation to see him, I binged all his recent shows, which are handily all presented on Netflix. In chronological order they are:
My Girlfriend's Boyfriend
Thank God for Jokes
The New One
[True Crime] CrimeCon
I don't know much about True Crime as a phenomenon. I listened to Serial when it came out but that's about it. That being said, I found this piece in The New York Times deeply affecting. It's about a mother, who lost her son in a shocking act that captivated the True Crime community, attending the sprawling CrimeCon event in Orlando, Florida where her son's death is treated like a plotline from a TV show.
Spotlight
Quick one: we have two tickets to sell on the previously sold out Game of the Show intensive with me and Katy Schutte. Have a look at the listing for details but get in touch directly if you're interested. In brief - 12 hours of teaching, 30th-31st October 10-5pm each day with an astounding group of improvisers already signed up. Just hit reply to secure your place, it's first come, first served.
Longform thoughts
Premise improv is incredibly popular ... It sets students up for success and allows them to create credible and funny sketches very quickly indeed.
Organic improv, by contrast, can take years (decades?) to master and will ensure its practitioners many moments of complete cringe along the way.
But OH MY when you see a group that’s truly mastered it, for me the difference is like night and day.
This week I'm starting a series of essays trying to nail down the style of Improv I love (Part I).
Radio contact
Paw boy.