October 25, 2023

#85 RED HOT content

Issue #85 RED HOT content

25th October 2023

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This is it, folks.

The moment you've all been waiting for, the very reason (probably) that you signed up to this improv newsletter. The results of my loft decluttering.

If I know my audience, this is RED HOT content.

Are you ready? Well then scroll down to see the fruits of my labours.

I love it. I want to live up there. I want to raise my arms and spin around like I'm Kate Bush in inclement weather. Just take a look at this stack of organised crates.

FYI, my teddy bear is called Henry and every time my mum made me a fancy dress costume, he'd get his own mini themed-version. If I was Superman, he was Super-Ted. If I was Batman, he was Robin. If I was a cowboy, he would ALSO be a cowboy. You get the idea. Now, in his dotage, he has his own home in this tiny block of flats, with floor to ceiling windows no less. Rest easy, king - you deserve it!

And if that wasn't exciting enough, and let's be clear here, loft tidying is PLENTY exciting, I found out this morning that UK improv legend Briony Redman is writing an episode of the next season of Doctor Who. That marks the first time that someone I know has written an episode of my favourite TV show. Briony has forever been one of the funniest, most joyful improv nerds on this good green Earth. It couldn't have happened to a more deserving person. I can't wait to see her episode. But I will wait, because I don't have a TARDIS.

Yet.

And now ... this.

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Rule of three

[Book] A Psalm for the Wild-Built
I've talked about Becky Chambers before. She wrote the Wayfarers series, an amazing SciFi universe that feels both lived-in AND aspirational with wonderful queer feminist underpinnings. This is her latest - about a Tea Monk who encounters a robot curious about humanity. I'm sure your mileage may vary but I found it deeply healing and uplifting. The genre is apparently SOLARPUNK - envisioning a future where humanity integrates and sustains both nature and community.

Thanks to poet and reader-extraordinaire Chris Fosten for the recommendation.

[Improv] Improv's Babel: The Game of the Scene
This article is from 2012 and it's hilarious. In trying to define Game of the Scene it ends up unearthing multiple definitions. Not wild about the Del Close-worship but worth reading for the bit where Susan Messing is peak Susan Messing. If you're not a Vulture-subscriber then remember that 12ft ladder is still a thing.

[Lifestyle] Buy wisely
I buy too much stuff (I mean, have you SEEN my loft?) but I'm at least trying to move towards buying things that are well-made and will last me a long time. I also tend to spend more on items that I use regularly. I've never had a working definition for this perspective, but now I do - thanks to Steph Ango and his article, Buy wisely.

A few items that pass the Cost per use heuristic for me (and often Cost per smile too):

Mark One pen by Studio Neat
Barefoot Chelsea boots by Ahinsa
Chef knife by Wüsthof
High torque driver by MetMo
Sonic toothbrush by Suri
Anything by Peak Design

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Spotlight

Improv Cinema Club starts next week. It's online so anyone reading this can join. Part film discussion nerd out, part experimental improv joy fest - Tara and I are really proud of it and of the group of improvisers that has cohered around the idea. Remember, bursary places and discount/ payment plans ARE available. Just reply to this email and ask me for more info.

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Longform thoughts

The best improv scenes are discovered, not created.

The concluding part of Defining the improv I love.

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Radio contact

Flashback to Radio pup.