4 FEBRUARY 2026

Hello.

Last night, we launched the new term of Pretend’s Improv Actor Training. We have 33 students on the course this year and we’ve extended the syllabus to 24 weeks.

It was such a thrill to all meet in the same room for the first time. I couldn’t believe how much improv talent had congregated around us.

Almost half a year of learning, rehearsing, performing and laughing together ahead.

AND the sun’s come out too. It’s a good day.

Rule of three

[Improv] Stephen Lee
Stephen is an absolutely incredible improviser (and human being - I find that generally goes hand in hand) and we’ve been very lucky to have him teach at The Pretend Company multiple times over the last year. His duo show with James Taverner, Instant Noodling, was the very first act ever to perform at a Pretend Night - it’s an astonishing show full of heart, mathematics and an exhilarating connection and trust between the two performers. This week, I’m particularly highlighting the brilliance of Stephen because I loved his appearance on David Escobedo’s David is Curious podcast. It’s a fascinating, wide-ranging discussion about improv, finding your place in the wider community and identity in general. Hugely recommended.

[Batman] The Batman Effect
Firstly, I just want to mention that Matt Fraction (for my money one of the three best comic book writers working today) has taken over the current ongoing Batman series and it is brilliant. He’s not re-inventing the BatWheel or anything - he’s just telling brilliant Batman stories with real flair. By design, it’s also a great jumping on point for new readers. But mostly I want to tell you about this new study, a real scientific study, that found that people were more likely to give up their seat on the train if someone dressed as Batman was nearby.

Prosocial behavior, the act of helping others, is essential to social life, yet spontaneous environmental triggers for such behavior remain underexplored. This study tested whether an unexpected event, such as the presence of a person dressed as Batman, could increase prosocial behavior by disrupting routine and enhancing attention to the present moment. We conducted a quasi-experimental field study on the Milan metro, observing 138 rides. In the control condition, a female experimenter, appearing pregnant, boarded the train with an observer. In the experimental condition, an additional experimenter dressed as Batman entered from another door. Passengers were significantly more likely to offer their seat when Batman was present (67.21% vs. 37.66%, OR = 3.393, p < 0.001). Notably, 44% of those who offered their seat in the experimental condition reported not seeing Batman. These findings suggest that unexpected events can promote prosociality, even without conscious awareness, with implications for encouraging kindness in public settings.

POW!

[Movie] The Lost Bullet trilogy
Looking for an absolutely mindless action trilogy that a) you probably haven’t seen b) is French and c) uses almost no CGI? Then have I got a recommendation for you. The Lost Bullet trilogy (all of which appeared on Netflix with virtually no fanfare) are a series of movies about a master car mechanic who at various points works both for the police and the criminal underground. It’s loud, dumb and supremely fun - I particularly love the practical effects, something you see so rarely nowadays - meaning that if the hero needs, to pick a random example, to take down a helicopter with an articulated lorry - then the production simply drives a real articulated lorry into a real helicopter. AMAZING!

I’m particularly proud of my Letterboxd reviews for all three (number three only works if you know a tow truck is featured prominently throughout) (and also if you know that the third Fast & Furious film is subtitled Tokyo Drift - but if you didn’t know that you are beyond my help).

Spotlight

This is it.

The Pretend Company’s first full theatrical production debuts this month and we’re so excited. Look at this beautiful poster by the super-talented Oscar Price for What We Leave Behind.

In true improv style, we’ll be developing the show format during the week leading up to performance. Liam is directing and our guiding theme is the idea that the objects we own might come to define us when we’re gone.

I’m particularly excited about working with Daniel Potts who will be designing ways for our live audio to be captured and reintroduced to the show during performance. If you’ve seen Flock Theatre’s emotive Polar Nights show, you’ll know how effective Daniel’s techniques are.

And then there’s the cast: James Taverner, Emily Jane Kerr, Jennifer Jordan, Tara Judah, Victor Arcturus Estrella Sánchez and Katy Schutte (along with Liam and myself). All ably supported and elevated by our brilliant improviser technician Tom Mathias.

We’re going for a three night run (including what would normally be the Pretend Night slot) at our new home, the Omnibus Theatre from 19th-21st February, 8pm until around 9.15pm we reckon.

It’s a bit scary leaping from one to three nights so we really need your support if you have a free evening. Please come along, and bring friends if possible.

You can buy tickets through the Pretend Night Omnibus link here.

Longform thoughts

As the earliest improvisers were busy crawling out of the oceans, developing opposable thumbs etc, they were also trying to develop the foundational principles of the art form in parallel. Now, for the first time ever, a team of paleoanthropologists have been able to piece together a few of the evolutionary dead ends that proto-improvisers used before they hit on yes, and.

Inspired by the Batman study, here is some bleeding-edge scientific improv research, Yes, and alternatives.

Radio contact

Radio patiently listening as I try to explain he’s sitting on my pillow and will need to move so I can go to sleep.