21 JANUARY 2026

Ah, bliss.

Chris Mead here - improviser, human being and dog-owner - reporting that the very first Pretend Night at Omnibus Theatre was a roaring success.

The audience was a who’s who of improv, the acts were inventive and profound and the whole atmosphere was electric.

It felt like the start of something.

Thank you to everyone who came along, everyone who performed and everyone who advocated on our behalf so we could sell out our first show in that bigger space.

And we have something VERY special for you next month too.

More on that soon.

Rule of three

[Book] Happy Mind, Happy Life
I really enjoyed this book on how happiness fundamentally rests on three pillars. Alignment - how much your life mirrors your values as a person, contentment - being grateful for what you have rather than constantly chasing something just out of reach and control - the idea that you are steering your own ship and are intentional in your choices. The author, Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, also has a podcast called Feel Better, Live More and he has a (mercifully short) explainer episode about the central concepts of the book if you’re interested.

[Online] My Retro TVs
Sometimes the internet still feels like it used to feel - a place to discover cool, weird things. This is a website that lets you channel-surf the past. Pick a decade, switch on the virtual TV and let the (admittedly very US-centric) programming wash over you - old Green Day videos, Dog City, infomercials and this odd promo where Freddie Krueger sung All I Have To Do is Dream by The Everly Brothers.

[Movie] 28 Years Later
I’m not really a horror fan. But this third film in the fast zombie franchise is shot with such incredible vibrancy and gleeful abandon by (OG director) Danny Boyle, I fell for it hook, line and sinker. It has some of the same preoccupations as one of Boyle’s other masterpieces - the 2012 London Olympics Opening ceremony - the fight to reclaim British identity from the shadow of empire, the rolling green hills of home, the centrality of local community and, of course, the Teletubbies.

Spotlight

There’s still plenty of time to sign up for either of our current Pretend classes.

Let’s Do Scenes w/ Liam Webber
Scenes are the bedrock of pretty much any improv show, so let's practice just that: more scenes, fewer exercises.

Masterclass in Teaching Improv w/ Katy Schutte & Chris Mead
Two of the UK's most sought after improv teachers have joined forces to create an online course intended to take your improv facilitation to the next level.

Ephemera

My A-Level Theatre Studies teacher told me to always keep the programmes to every show I attended. He said that when I stumbled across that archive, years later, I would remember the person I was sitting in that particular audience, because good theatre connects with us at a fundamental level.

He was right. But he also said that in 1997 when programmes cost like £1.50.

Anyway, I’m sorting out my loft at the moment (the glamorous life of an improviser) and I did indeed discover my cache of programmes. Including this little beauty:

This was the first London Improvathon I ever attended. I stayed for almost the whole 50 hours, my friends and I made a den on the balcony. It’s still one of the most magical and important theatrical experiences of my life.

Now, 16 years later, I have the privilege of being in the first 12 hours of the 2026 edition. There’s a bunch of great deals available, I particularly like the pay the hour the episode starts overnight deal (1am = £1, 3am = £3 etc).

Watching at least part of one of these marathon shows is a rite of passage for new improvisers and I hope some of you take the opportunity. It was pretty life-changing for me.

Radio contact

Radio is kickin’ back and relaxin’.