Improv Comedy

This month at the London Impro Jam, one of the most exciting improvisation troupes has been invited to perform. Grand Theft Impro have been pushing at the boundaries of improvised comedy for years. Now, in combination with the London Impro Jam’s format they are about to go where they have never stepped before.
They will begin with their usual level of entertainment, performing skits, sketches, and singing songs for our delight and amusement. They have a reputation for being amongst the most creative troops in London. Amungst there group are Alan Marriott and Phil Whelans. Phil used to be on Brasseye and Alan is a former teacher of Eddie Izzard, so I am most interested to see what work they produce tonight.
Despite all this talent, tickets remain at only £5 a head. How is it possible that they can do this? Well Grand Theft are brought in by the Impro Jam who cover all the costs. The Imprr Jam are lucky enough to have gained corporate sponsorship from a blepharoplasty Birmingham company. On top of this, the set and lights were paid for by a weight loss clinic that saw the show and decided they liked it. With support from companies like this, the London Impro Jam has been put into a position to get in talented troupes such as Grand Theft.
The show tonight takes place at a pub called The Miller, better known for its live music than its impro comedy. However tonight’s performance promises to begin changing the reputation of the venue it is being held in.

For more information about show’s, you can go to the website here: Improv comedy. Alternativly their friends include the crunchy frog collective and the spontinaety shop.

London Impro Jam - Comdedy Improvisation with a difference!

I've seen a lot of improvisation over the years at the edinburgh festival. I've always enjoyed shouting out suggestions and watching the improvisers struggle to find a way to make them work! Sometimes, the best moments were when they fail! This is a show with a difference.
The London Impro Jam alow the audience to not only shout suggestions, but actually come up on stage and give it a go themselves! Anyone who fancies a go can put their name in a hat, and if their name is drawn out of the hat they are called up on stage to do a scene with the troupe. This sounds like a recipie for disaster? Not so!

The improvisers on stage spend their time making sure that the audience member looks good, there is an MC who is on hand so that at any point they can step in to help. More than that, 2 directors sit and guide the performance. If at anytime the audience member doesn't know what to say, they can look at the directers and say in an anoyed voice, "Line!" like it is the directors fault!

I think that this is a wonderful show, with some fantastic performers on stage. They do not lie when they brand themselves "The Karaoke of Comedy"

Impro Jam have monthly performances in London, details to be found on their website:
The London Improvisation Troupe

5 Stars

28th March 2008 - 7:30pm
The Miller Pub - London Bridge, London
£5 a ticket.

Reverence - An unmissable theatrical experience!

With the edinburgh festival over, I thought it would be back to more standard forms and formats of theatre... I was happily wrong! Reverence is a promanade piece of site specific theatre for the openning of the new southwark play house - and what a great openning show it is!
The entire audience are placed in role as 'monks' and initialted into the piece - being given robes and ropes to wear for the entire time and even being taken through some basic latin.
The story unfolds around you, and takes place in different locations. As audience members it is up to you to walk between the different scenes as guided by the actors - and infact you are garenteed to not see everything as several scenes happen at the same time!
This piece, is both beautiful and gritty. The love story is touching, with a stunning performances by Pieter Lawman and Leandra Ashton. As for Jason Cheater who plays the villain - the main drips pure evil the entire time, and it has been a long time since I saw an actor be in such complete control of both the space and his audience when at the end he brings the hero's world crashing down around him.
A special mention has to go to Michael Cox, for a wonderfully tender 'Thomas'. His endowment of the charcters atributes was just so generous. He loved the Hero's, feared those in power and was horrified by the deaths - and he helped us to walk that path exquisitely.
Joel Scott has a show to be proud.

5 Stars!

NOTE: Ticket prices are done like Ryan Air! First lot are £7, next lot are £13, then they are £20. It is worth booking in advance if you can.

Reverence: A tale of Abelard and Heloise
Goat and Monkey Theatre

Show starts: 19:30 (15:00 Sat mats) Till September 22nd 2007

Venue:
Southwark Playhouse
Shipwright Yard
(Corner of Tooley St. & Bermondsey St.)
London
SE1 2TF