The Olympics Arrive Early: This Week at The London Improv Comedy Club

Some of the cast of the Die-Nasty Impro Soap.

Oh wow, it's a big week for improv in London.

It's the London 50-Hour Improvathon this weekend, so throughout this week there will be an influx of some of the best improvisers from around the world popping over to play in it. And while they're here, they'll be doing other bits and pieces too.

This is a bumper pack impro mail-out, because there's a few opportunities to see some of these guys this week and we wouldn't want you to miss out.


Actually, on Wednesday you might even get to be on stage with some of them, if they fancy popping down to our all-in impro-jam at The Miller (details below). They might do, y'never know. 

Improvisers from all over the world, all together in this brilliant city. Well that's just wonderful.

TUESDAY 8TH MAY

IRISH GREEK AUSSIE 

and THE IMPROVISED SKETCH SHOW

It's a debut show from Kate Feeney (Irish), Emily Howell (Australian) and Constantine Pavlou (Greek). Impronational relations have never been stronger. 

They will be followed by another debut, as old hands George Bream, Becca Gibson, Edgar Fernando and Steve Roe perform Improvised Sketches based on audience suggestions.

WHEN: 8pm, Tuesday 8th May

COST: £5 on the door

WHERE: The Miller, 96 Snowsfields Road, London, SE1 3SS

WEDNESDAY 9TH MAY

MEER AND FOXCROFT

and JAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!!!!

Mark Meer is regarded as one of the most awesome improvisers around. Not without reason. He is one of Canada's most respected improvisers, part of the the fantastic 'Die-Nasty', stars in TV show "May Contain Nuts", and is the voice of Commander Shephard in the Mass Effect video games. His two-person show "The Harold of Galactus" is a joyfully geeky superhero origin story, with another of Canada's finest improvisers, Chris Craddock.

Mark will be performing a two person show with Paul Foxcroft, which might be a similar thing. 

Before Paul and Mark go on, we're going to have a big fat impro jam, where anyone can play. Anyone who wants to take part puts their name in a hat, and we draw names and games at random for an hour. With the influx of international impro-stars, anyone could end up playing with anyone. Crikey, it's going to be fun.

WHEN: 8pm, Wednesday 9th May

COST: £5 on the door (free to participants).

WHERE: The Miller, 96 Snowsfields Road, London, SE1 3SS

THURSDAY 10TH MAY

GRAND THEFT IMPRO

with MARK MEER and JACOB BANIGAN

The brilliant GTI are back for a new season of veteran impro, performed by impro-veterans, for fun. They'll be joined by the aforementioned Mark Meer, and also the awe-inspiring Jacob Banigan.

Jacob began improvising over 20 years ago in Edmonton, Canada, with the revered Rapid Fire Theatre (same as Mark) and now lives in Austria.

He has taken first place in many international Theatresports competitions, including the 2006 TS World Cup, Münich Impro Cup, Berlin Impro Cup, Atlanta World Domination (solo), as well as the Austrian National Championships many times over. He is a veteran of at least twelve 50-Hour Soap-a-Thons in Canada and London..

WHEN: 8.30pm, Thursday 10th May

COST: £7 on the door

WHERE: Upstairs at The Wheatsheaf pub, 25 Rathbone Place, W1T 1JB

FRIDAY 11TH MAY - SUNDAY 13TH MAY

TALES FROM THE GREEK GAMES: 2012BC

THE 50-HOUR LONDON IMPROVATHON

It's the big one. One of the biggest impro events in the country, the London 50-hour Improvathon is an entirely improvised comedy soap opera set in Ancient Greece during the 2012 BC games.

The fifth annual 50 hour London Improvathon features some of the best improvisers from the UK, Ireland, America, Australia, Canada, India, Norway, Greece and Holland in a hilarious celebration of all things spontaneous.

Performed round the clock for 50hrs straight, this is an extraordinary and euphoric ensemble performance.

Pop in any time you like, day or night. Come in costume if you wish!

So whether you are looking for a bit of Friday evening comedy, a perfect continuation for your night out or a Sunday family outing, come join us whatever time you feel like! And don't miss the final few episodes where the whole extravaganza comes to its fantastic finale.

We provide music, tea, coffee, snacks and an all night bar throughout the Improvathon so you can stay for the entire 50hrs if you want!

'It's like nothing you've ever seen before.' - Time Out

'Fearsomely able improvisers' - The Financial Times

'Absolutely incredible. This isn't theatre, it's bloodsports' - Whatsonstage.com

WHEN: 7pm, Friday11th May - until - 10pm, Sunday 13th May

COST: 50hr pass is £50,
an episode pass costs £12.50 (concessions £50).
You can also upgrade your episode pass for only £5 to see another episode.

WHERE: Hoxton Hall, 130 Hoxton Street, Shoreditch, London N1 6SH

COMING SOON

(click for details)

All that, and cuddles (if you play your cards right). This week is mega. Join in the fun-stuff.

London Improv

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LONDONIMPROV: A REVOLUTION IN COMEDY & THEATRE

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OMG! I can watch WHO this week?!: at the London Improv Comedy Club

Waaaaatttt?!

This week sees the arrival of very special guests (one confirmed, two up in the air). We interviewed Jacob Banigan last year, and his wit and experience were awe-inspiring. The other guys, well, we'll see... but if you haven't heard of them, you've been in the wrong plane of existence for TOO LONG, BROTHER.

If you want to be first to know, follow us on Twitter (@London_Improv) or on Facebook.

Tuesday 21st February

ARTHUR
and HMS OMG

Here Arthur go again. Wheeling out their new games-based show. It's like they've made a new version of Who's Line Is It Anyway? for the 00's. Except now it's 2012, so it's even more updated. To be honest, we'd fully expect them to turn up in the USS Enterprise, or a DeLorean, brandishing laser-psychic legs and hover-joy. They're just so modern.

They will be followed by HMS OMG! - the kings and queens of The Wilmington Players impro community, puttin' out their fungasms for all to enjoy.

Tuesday 21st February

Time: Doors 7:45pm, Show 8pm - 10pm with interval.

Cost: £5 on the door, FREE to NHS/NUS cardholders.

Where: The Miller, 96 Snowsfields Road, London, SE1 3SS.

Wednesday 22nd February
HORSE AQUARIUM
with THE WILMINGTON PLAYERS

Horse Aquarium are one of the most experienced and brilliant groups in London. Briony, Paul and Tom have been working together for years and recently held a regular spot at the Leicester Square Theatre.

They will (hopefully) be joined by special secret guests who are in town at the moment. We can't reveal who they are at the moment as they have a very busy schedule, but we truly believe that if 1000 people keep their fingers crossed between now and Wednesday, they'll make it.

The Horses will be supported by The Wilmops, those fine chaps who improv at The Wilmington Arms. They specialise in quick-fire comedy improv. It's like stand-up sketch, and it's made up on the spot. That's the holy comedy trinity, and it's all on stage on Wednesday. All at once.

Wednesday 22nd February

Time: Doors 7:45pm, Show 8pm - 10pm with interval.

Cost: £5 on the door, FREE to NUS/NHS card holders

Where: The Miller, 96 Snowsfields Road, London, SE1 3SS.

Thursday 23rd February

GRAND THEFT IMPRO

GTI is delighted to welcome the legendary Jacob Banigan, who is over in the UK for a brief and rare visit.

Jacob began improvising over 20 years ago in Edmonton, Canada, with the revered Rapid Fire Theatre. He has taken first place in many international Theatresports competitions, including the 2006 TS World Cup, Münich Impro Cup, Berlin Impro Cup, Atlanta World Domination (solo), as well as the Austrian National Championships many times over.

He is a veteran of at least twelve 50-Hour Soap-a-Thons in Canada and London. Currently he lives in Austria, performing with Rocket Sugar Factory, English Lovers and Theater Im Bahnhof.

“Ingenius impro theatre, from someone who knows what he’s doing, when he doesn’t know what to do” – Kleine Zeitung

What more do you need to know? Email tickets@grandtheftimpro.com to reserve tickets.

Thursday 23rd February

Time: Doors 8:15pm, Show 8.30pm - 10pm with interval.

Cost: £7 on the door, or reserve tickets@grandtheftimpro.com

Where: The Wheatsheaf Pub, 25 Rathbone Place, London, W1T 1BB.

LONDONIMPROV: A REVOLUTION IN COMEDY & THEATRE

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Jacob Banigan: a Lover of English

LondonImprov will be providing you with regular interviews with excellent people from the impro community, because we like you very much. To show you how serious we are about it we flew Jonathan to Vienna for our first one. Okay, that's not entirely true (he was out there for work) …

JACOB BANIGAN began improvising over 20 years ago in Edmonton, Canada, with the revered Rapid Fire Theatre. He's since moved to Austria, where he performs regularly with Theatre Im Bahnhof in Graz and The English Lovers in Vienna. He travels all over the world to teach and perform.

How did you discover improv?
JB: I first saw it when I was a teenager, when my sister told me to go see TheatreSports. I always knew I wanted to perform, and when I saw improv I realized the players were really enjoying themselves and the audience was with them the whole way. The world of stand-up looked pretty nasty from a distance, and when you're in the comedy world, you see that it really is.

What do you really love about improv?
With improv, the audience accepts all your ideas. If you say you’re 10 feet tall, they just go: “Okay”. And if you act a little bit that way they see it even more. We can paint the picture as fast as we want. What sustains it is the reality of these ridiculous situations: audiences come back for the true moments, instead of the comedy of it.

What was your favourite ever improv moment?
In 2006 I got to do a World Cup of TheatreSports in the Canadian team, with two very good friends of mine: Steve Sim and Derek Flores. That was a super highlight for me. But I’ve worked with so many great people. I go to Edmonton and we have fantastic shows. Sometimes just me and Mark (Meer), sometimes with others. And Jim (Libby) and I tootle around doing a lot of two-man shows. We created a board game show where you roll the dice and it tells you how long the scene is. We both play all the characters. It’s a mix of short- and long-form.

You were in the 50 hour Improvathon, and you’ve done ultra-long Soapathons. What’s the best thing about them?
The stories can take so long and get so complex, and when you try to back-track through one you realise it started two days ago! In the Improvathon, Ruth (Bratt) and Mark (Meer) had a funny little boob-poke right near the beginning. It was so early, but it paid off throughout, and at the very end created the most romantic, touching scene. There would be no way to predict that, or make that happen. You couldn't write that story, it would be ridiculous.

Did you have any out-of-body experiences?
I had some brain farts, yeah. Nothing that was transcendent, just embarrassing. Part way through a scene you think: “Am I still here? Am I still talking? Fuck!” There’s always a time in the Soapathon where everyone is flumping on stage. But everyone comes back.

Have you ever had a totally shit show?
Oh yes. In Wetaskiwin, Alberta, a small town. We did a fundraiser gig for The Wives of the Mounties. Full of small-town ladies with power issues (because they’re married to Mounties), all hammered. We got there and the place was already a riot. We couldn't wait to get off the stage. It felt like forever. They hated us. They threw pennies at us. They even came on stage and said: “SHUT UP AND GET OFF!” I got mad. I’ve promised myself never to get mad on stage again. We did maybe 10-15 minutes… We were supposed to do 40.

Do you perform in German when you do shows in Austria?
I perform in German sometimes, very bad German. My characters are usually foreigners or animals. Or objects.

Did you have to adapt your humour in any way?
Performing in another language allows you to simplify. You can’t be clever. You can’t make jokes. If I lose track of what’s going on in a show that’s mostly in German, it’s usually because people have started making jokes or doing wordplay. If you keep it to what’s real, and what’s here, it’s no problem. It can be really helpful for people to travel and perform in another country where you can’t just make references to your own pop culture.

How would you describe your own style?
I don’t mind giving life to objects or to dogs. Again, don’t play the dog like a crazy dog - just be a dog. The reality of that is interesting, too. I don’t mind looking stupid, because it’s not me, it’s the character. If I went out there and tried to be funny and charming I’d be dead. You don’t have to defend your ideas or sneak them in emotionally, you just have to bring them to the stage and connect them to the other people. People respect that. Sometimes people take the serious stuff too seriously, that’s bad theatre. It just needs to be alive.

What was your favourite improv show you ever saw?
The first time I saw Crumbs in Winnipeg they just blew my mind. Their style was so different from anything I’d seen before and I immediately wanted to steal from them. I was watching their show looking for a structure, and afterwards they told me they didn’t have one. They just start: no games and no hooks! They just kinda play. It was a revelation.

Do you have an improv hero?
Mark Meer. Everyone is just trying to catch up to him. Actually when I’m playing with him I’m not trying to catch up to him, I’m trying to knock him off his balance. I learned years ago not to try to play the same game he’s playing, because you won’t be able to. If you’re in his game, great, but if you’re not - don’t even try. My job now is like: “Okay, Mark seems to know what he’s doing, I’m going to try and make him trip.” But he totally glosses over, like that’s part of his world too! There’s nobody else like him. And he does it with pure joy.

Do you think improv works on TV?
It’s on in America occasionally, but I don’t think it’s exactly been done properly. ‘Whose Line’ is fantastic, for what it is. There was this show called ‘The Green Screen Show’ [where actors do a short-form show in front of a green screen, then environment and props are animated in before it’s broadcast]. I liked that it was about suggesting something that could then be put in afterwards. You can’t do that on stage. I think that’s the way to go, just without all the ‘funny-funny’.

Jacob is currently working on an improvised movie. At the moment he's not sure exactly how it will work.

If you would like to read the whole unabridged interview, you can: HERE