Podcasts about Theatresports

In this episode Paul and Mikey chat to academic and Theatresports legend Professor Jioji Ravulo. It's a fascinating look into the history of  sexual and gender diversity in communities across the Pacific, as well as a discussion about the arrival of and the repercussions brought about by those pesky missionaries. Get in touch, follow Heroes & Howlers and find them everywhere HERE Produced by DM PodcastsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk about imagination, visualisation, and Keith Johnstone, who was the creator of Theatresports and a leading teacher of improvisation. As a business owner and creator, you live your life one foot in the present, and one foot in the future, meaning visualisation is key for success.

Jonesy and Jack rocked up DRUNK to Amanda's Theatresports charity event. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"You know what they say, when you bring a 20-year-old to Theatresports, they're going to have the green cans..." - Jack Oliver.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our good friend Rove joins Jonesy & Amanda to talk about Celebrity Theatresports with Amanda Keller this weekend!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is going to be hilarious!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Improv Class with Peggy   ABOUT PEGGY:   For over 40 years, Peggy has studied and performed Improv with The Groundings, Gross National Product, National Lampoon Players, TheatreSports, and Improvatorium. She is a current performing member of Puppet Up! (Adult Improv Puppet Show produced by The Jim Henson Company). She can be seen in The Barbarian and The Troll (series regular), Seinfeld, Boston Legal, Crash and Bernstein, The Last Champion, Earth to Ned, among others... She studied at San Francisco State University, Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts, American Conservatory Theatre, and holds a degree in Theatre.  She taught short form at Improvatorium. It's also great for learning communication skills in your day-to-day time. Listening in your day-to-day.   The power of Yes and.  Let's try that again, but this time with a yes, try with a yes.   The Who, the What, and the Where.  Listening is a skill, and it's a muscle.   Emotional response as another tool.   Improv works onstage, it works in auditions, and it works in life. 

Heather Mitchell's mainstage debut was more than 40 years ago and she continues to delight audiences, last year performing to full houses in a one-woman show at the Sydney Theatre Company. Now, Heather has written a very tender memoir called Everything and Nothing. Also, we hear the opening scene of Pony, a frank and funny play about the wild ride of pregnancy and childbirth, and we mark the passing of improvised theatre pioneer Keith Johnstone with Lyn Pierse, author of Improvisation: The Guide, and Adam Spencer, host of the upcoming TheatreSports All-Stars at the Sydney Comedy Festival.

Heather Mitchell's mainstage debut was more than 40 years ago and she continues to delight audiences, last year performing to full houses in a one-woman show at the Sydney Theatre Company. Now, Heather has written a very tender memoir called Everything and Nothing.Also, we hear the opening scene of Pony, a frank and funny play about the wild ride of pregnancy and childbirth, and we mark the passing of improvised theatre pioneer Keith Johnstone with Lyn Pierse, author of Improvisation: The Guide, and Adam Spencer, host of the upcoming TheatreSports All-Stars at the Sydney Comedy Festival.

Welcome to The Christina Crowe Podcast, and I'm your host, Psychotherapist Christina Crowe. I love making invisible things visible, and today I'm speaking with Cathy Gatlin, founder of Improv4Health in Toronto, ON. Cathy is an improv instructor who recently reintroduced me to the immense benefits of improv and how it can help get us out of our heads, into our bodies and actually feel comfortable doing so.  We talk about: What is improv, and who can do it? How can improv help social anxiety? What Cathy noticed about therapists in improv groups, Listen in as Cathy & Christina do some improv, and How improv can improve your self-confidence and help you feel comfortable in your own skin.  Our Guest: Cathy Gatlin is the instructor for Improv4Health. Over the last 22 years Cathy has taken classes at Second City, Bad Dog Theatre (formerly Theatresports) and most recently at the Kate Ashby Academy.  For several years Cathy was in the improv troupe “Born a Swirly” and performed throughout the city of Toronto. Cathy's passion is building community, as well as strengthening confidence in kids and adults. Cathy currently teaches improv at Toronto's St. Joseph's Hospital, in the inpatient child mental health unit.  Teaching at St. Joe's has helped Cathy create a strong online improv curriculum. Find Cathy: Improv4Health | Instagram | Twitter  and check out her upcoming classes: Increase Confidence, Creativity and Connection. April 4th (Tuesdays 7:30-9 pm Adult Class) April10 (Mondays 4:30-5:30 9-16 year old class).  Resources mentioned in the show:  Learn more about ADHD: The ADHD Resource Hub Use the discount code ‘CCPODCAST' at checkout, for 15% off on DIY*ADHD, or ‘PEBBLE' for 15% off DIY*ADHD: Couples. Find Christina (CRPO #003908): Website | Meet the Team | DIY*ADHD course | Instagram | TikTok A gentle reminder that this is not therapy, and Christina is not your therapist. If you need more one on one support or treatment, please check out the links posted in the Show info and episode notes on the main podcast webpage.  LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE for free in your favourite podcast app: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Overcast | Stitcher | RSS --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/christinacrowe/message

In this episode, Adam and Budi discuss their first choice for The Theatre of Others Book Club, Impro by Keith Johnstone. KEITH JOHNSTONE (1933-2023) was one of the few internationally recognized authorities in the field of improvisation, great chunks of which he created, including Theatresports™, Maestro Impro©, Gorilla Theatre™, and The Life Game©. Keith has written two best-selling books about his Theatre and Improvisation theories and practices, in addition to several plays and short stories.His books, Impro and Impro For Storytellers, have been translated into many languages. Keith's ideas about improvisation, behavior, and performance appeal to a wide variety of groups: from actors to psychotherapists, improvisation companies to drama schools and theatre companies, business and management training specialists and humanities research institutes, universities and film production companies have invited him to come to teach them about his ideas, and how they might apply them. He founded the Theatre Machine Improvisation group in England in 1967, touring Europe and North America, and was the Co-founder and Artistic Director of The Loose Moose Theatre Company in Calgary, Canada from 1977 to 1998. He founded The International Theatresports™ Institute in 1998. Mentioned in this episode:MerchandiseOsita OkagbueCamille PagliaKeith Johnstone's TED talkStages of ReckoningDavid Ball's Backwards and ForwardsSupport the showIf you enjoyed this week´s podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. To submit a question: Voice- http://www.speakpipe.com/theatreofothers Email- podcast@theatreofothers.com Support the Theatre of Others - Check out our Merch!Show Credits Co-Hosts: Adam Marple & Budi MillerProducer: Jack BurmeisterMusic: https://www.purple-planet.comAdditional compositions by @jack_burmeister

Flashback Episode of The Father Time podcast with Jamie KalerJonathan Mangum was born in Charleston, S.C., but spent most of his youth in Mobile, Alabama. He attended college in Orlando, FL. where he began performing with SAK Theatre's TheatreSports, a wildly successful local improv show. While performing 13 shows each week and attending college, Jonathan began to work with a tight-knit group of improvisers that included Wayne Brady. While in Orlando, Jonathan appeared on such shows as Clarissa Explains it All, Welcome Freshman, Fortune Hunter, and Seaquest DSV.Soon after, Mangum moved to Los Angeles, where he was joined by his Orlando improv troupe later called, The Houseful of Honkeys. The “Honkeys” performed their critically acclaimed improv game show, You Bet Your Honkey at the ACME Theatre for nearly five years and went on to shoot several television pilots for ABC.  Around this time, Mangum appeared on Married…with Children, Just Shoot Me, and ER. Some time later, Wayne Brady asked Jonathan to join him on tour and he has been performing on the road with Wayne ever since, including a two year recent run in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel and Casino.Mangum has been a series regular on Comedy Central's Stripmall, The Wayne Brady Show(ABC), The Drew Carey Show(ABC), Trust Us with Your Life(ABC), Drew Carey's Greenscreen Show(WB), and Drew Carey's Improv-a-ganza (GSN). He has made notable appearances on Reno 911, Pushing Daisies, The Sarah Silverman Program, and NCIS.After two seasons on The Drew Carey Show, Drew invited Jonathan to join the Drew Carey Improv All-Stars. The group went on to tour in over sixty venues, including Carnegie Hall and currently does several yearly Las Vegas performances. Mangum has also toured with Ryan Stiles' improv group, Whose Live is it, anyway?Working with Rob Reiner, Jonathan appeared with Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List and soon after appeared with Eddie Murphy in Imagine That.Jonathan has also pursued writing, having written on The Wayne Brady Show and the award winning,  Brandon T. Jackson Show. He co-wrote and starred in VH-1's spoof Home Purchasing Club as well as an award winning short film, Conversations. Recently, wrote an animated short pilot for the Walt Disney Company entitled, The Lumberjacksons and continues to develop ideas for television and film.Currently, Jonathan can be seen as the co-host of the  Let's Make a Deal on CBS.Jonathan is married to Leah Mangum, a casting director, with whom he has two boys.You can catch The Parent's Lounge live every Tuesday night at 10pm EST/7pm PST at:https://www.facebook.com/theparentslounge#theparentslounge #jonathanmagnum #letsmakeadeal #whoselineisitanyway #parentingpodcast #jamiekaler #jasongowin #katemulligan #comedians #parentingadvice #funnyparents #hilarious #cohosts #thedrewcareyshow #improv #ryanstyles #waynebrady #standupcomedy #thewaynebradyshowJamie Kaler's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jamiekaler/Jason Gowin's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jasongowin/Kate Mulligan's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/katestmomever/The Parent's Lounge TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@theparentsloungeshow

Penny's theatre wife Lori Dungey, dropped into her house to chat about her virtually non-existant menopause. Despite working together for 22 years this is the first time they have really discussed menopause and so much more besides. They cover the origins of Theatresports in NZ, Lori's sexual awakening, sanitary belts, her horny mother and perhaps a wee ditty on the ukulele.  Penny also wants to thank Clare Kelso who along with Lori have been the wind beneath her improv bingo wings. Sweary Warning for this one. Mainly from Penny of course. https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2022/sep/aklfringe-austen-foundhttp://www.conartists.co.nz Support the show

Join us in the local town hall for this week's Collective Noun Community Meeting! On this week's agenda:-The dark truth of jelly -Film recommendations for Covid isolation-Dom reflects on his Theatresports days-An update on the Kinder recall-Do sharks get bored?-The Marvel Easter story-Could a bride Heely down the aisle? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us in the local town hall for this week's Collective Noun Community Meeting! On this week's agenda: -The dark truth of jelly -Film recommendations for Covid isolation -Dom reflects on his Theatresports days -An update on the Kinder recall -Do sharks get bored? -The Marvel Easter story -Could a bride Heely down the aisle?

A series of letters are sent between Aditi and Bitsy, and - wait is one intercepted? Based on the improv game "Correspondence."

David Charles is a transplanted New Zealander living in Florida, USA. He's a professor at Rollins College, and a regular on the renowned SAK Comedy Lab stage. We talk about our passion for all forms of improvisational theatre, performing, and living our best lives. Whether it's long-form, short-form, obscure Japanese improvised poetry, or semi-scripted plays, David is all about theatre and creating performances that are as unique as they are inspiring. LINKS FOUND IN THIS EPISODE David Charles SAK Comedy Lab Rollins College Keith Johnstone

Sean chats with Patti about her time training at Loose Moose under Keith Johnstone, the development of Theatresports, teaching and performing around the world, as well her work being artistic director for multiple improv theatres around the world.

It was an honor to speak with Keith Johnstone, pioneer of improvisational theatre, and creator of Theatresports. Keith describes his early life in Britain as a school teacher, his genius in inspiring the most difficult kids, then his work developing theatrical improvisation, where it was at the time, illegal! Keith eventually immigrates to Canada and initiates Canada's first improv company in Calgary, Theatresports.

A story about how far someone went to fake join an MLM. Written in the format of the improv game "Next Day". ***INSPIRED BY ACTUAL EVENTS

A young performer’s passion is frequently ignited through their engagement with the Arts, at school. Performing Arts teachers recognise and nurture a passion in their students that may one day lead to a professional career in dance, music or drama. A performing arts experience at school also supports the child whose ambition may lie in other industries, providing essential social, personal and analytical skills.The role of the Drama Teacher is immensely fulfilling but equally demanding. It exists beyond the curriculum in co-curricular programs, experiences and productions, generously offered by teachers to foster an appreciation of theatre, culture and the joy of play-making.Jane Simmons has over 25 years teaching experience. She is embraced as a leader in Drama education and is recognised as a generous source of advice, encouragement and practice. In her present role as Performance Officer at The Department of Education Arts Unit, she has produced State drama festivals, camps, ensembles and workshops. Jane has coordinated professional development courses and is an experienced director, administrator and marker. In 2011 she created a social network site, Drama Peeps. The site is a valued resource for the Drama teacher, offering support of pedagogy and nurturing community.Jane also has extensive stage experience. She has performed sold out shows at the Sydney Comedy Festival and is a dynamic presence at Theatresports competitions. For a period she wrote an insightful blog reviewing theatre, called Shit On Your Play. The blog garnered a wide readership from discerning theatre goers and many practitioners from MainStage and Fringe companies.In 2015 Jane received the Australian Council of Teachers leadership award, recognising her excellence and expertise in the arts.Jane joined Stages in a celebratory conversation of the Drama teacher and illuminating reflection on what lead her to a career in arts education.

In this episode, Paul and I discuss short-form improv vs long-form improv. We also chat about Paul's favourite and not-so-favourite Theatresports™ games. I also challenge Paul to try the "Just A Minute" challenge (based on a well-known and long-running British radio show).

Kat Koppett - Actor, entrepreneur, and business leader. Kat is a 25-year improv veteran, including stints with Theatresports companies in New York City (Freestyle Repertory Theatre) and San Francisco (BATS Improv). In 1995, TheaterWeek Magazine named Kat one of the year's "Unsung Heroes" for her creation of the improvisational theater format, Spontaneous Broadway, which is now performed regularly all over the world. She has taken her acting and improve skills and turned them into a leadership training organization. Kat's improve company' Mopco https://www.mopco.org/kat-koppett Kat's leadership training company https://www.koppett.com/ Kat's book, "Training to Imagine" https://www.amazon.com/Training-Imagine-Improvisational-Techniques-Creativity/dp/1579225926 We love to hear from our listeners, send us your questions, comments, and suggestions at bela.and.mike@gmail.com We will answer your questions in a future episode. This podcast is produced by Bizi Media, they can be found at www.bizimedia.co Thanks for listening, Bela and Mike --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/bela-musits/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/bela-musits/support

From the Netherlands, to Montreal, to Calgary and all points far and wide, please welcome Dave and Immanuela Lawrence. Dave created pop-culture icon, and everyone's favourite banger, 'Terry Cahill', on the stages of The Loose Moose Theatre Company. Together Dave and Immanuela (along with a cadre of fun-lovin comedians) create incredible shows from stage to screen ... and it's entirely possible they broke a TV network with their last show. No matter what they're doing it starts and ends with a good story. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCASTLoose Moose Theatre Company BOOM Chicago FUBAR Age of Computer FUBAR and FUBAR 2 Terry4Transit Real News Canada Kid Koala SPECIAL THANKSRebelRebel Theme Song by EMRE CORDS

  Andrew Phung swings by Kensington Studio to talk with me about his crazy-amazing journey so far–from first being introduced to Loose Moose Theatre, to his incredible non-profit work, balancing family life, his award winning performances on CBC Kim's Convenience—Andrew is making his mark on the world. This episode has it all: insight into where his hustle comes from, his passion for the arts community, nude scenes on the big screen, and making the move across the country to Toronto from Calgary. HOST NOTE: The picture used in this episode is one of about 100 pictures Andrew took of himself in the Green Room of The Loose Moose Theatre Company when I accidentally left my phone unattended during a show we were in. Over 100 pictures of Andrew. 100! Don't leave your phone lying around when Andrew is in the house. LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS PODCASTAndrew Phung Website Loose Moose Theatre Dropbear and Panda "Happy Hannukwanzmas" Kim's Convenience Little Italy (Official Trailer) Youth Central The Rosies Ins Choi Dropbear and Panda "Jag War" Paul Sun-Hyung Lee Jean Yoon Fraser Brown Andrea Bang Simu Liu Nicole Power   SPECIAL THANKS RebelRebel Theme Song by EMRE CORDS

Professor Jimbles, along with Sammy, Ian, Dev and James go to town on the subject of Acting in roleplaying. They'll discuss Accents, feeling like they might be locked out by a lack of confidence or skill, and even the ableism inherent in some LARPs. We reference: Dark Dungeons: https://www.chick.com/products/tract?stk=0046 Pheno: https://www.facebook.com/groups/PhenomenonCanberra/ and the website - Pheno.org.au Theatresports: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theatresports Blades in the Dark: https://www.evilhat.com/home/blades-in-the-dark/ Godsfall: https://www.godsfall.com/ Lines and Veils: https://adventurerules.blog/2018/01/15/the-value-of-lines-and-veils/ Lightning Bolt meme: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ04mfAY2BU Melody Watson, On Mighty Wheels: https://www.arcanacon.org/onmightywheels/ Jimbles on Twitter: twitter.com/Prof_Jimbles Dev on Twitter: twitter.com/DeksDM James on Twitter: twitter.com/Wyrmwoods Facebook: www.facebook.com/ProfessorJimblesDiceBag/ Professor Jimbles' Dice Bag is a hobbyist podcast - We create episodes for fun! Please rate and subscribe on iTunes in your favourite app, and tweet your favourite parts to @Prof_Jimbles on Twitter. If you think anyone would enjoy listening to us, send them a link! If you think we're idiots, tell us so with a 5-star review in iTunes, I promise I'll read them and be sad. Finally, you can always contact Jimbles and the crew on the facebook page: www.facebook.com/ProfessorJimblesDiceBag/ or at ProfessorJimblesDiceBag@gmail.com

Alone at night in an observatory, two people on a date consider the vastness of the universe whilst waiting for their takeaway to arrive. The universe has other plans. This audio play was improvised by Audra Goffeney, James Irving and James Haskin. Audra Goffeney is a former company member of Theatresports at Unexpected Productions in Seattle, USA, the co-founder of Girls With Power Tools (Improvised Lifetime Original Movies) and co-director of the stand up and improv show Piggyback LDN. She performed in and co-directed the Twin Peaks inspired Nursery Original "The Owls Are Not What They Seem" and was a regular performer with the local improv group Classic Andy. Recorded and mixed by James Haskin. Music improvised by A Ninja Slob Drew Me, who has music available for free at Bandcamp. You can also follow him on Facebook or Twitter.

Anne is a comedian, writer and teacher and has performed with companies across Canada and in the UAE including On The Spot Improv in Montreal, The Improv Guild in Calgary and The Courtyard Playhouse in Dubai. She can currently be found teaching, producing, and performing improv and sketch comedy across Toronto. Anne is a graduate of the Second City's Conservatory Program and has trained with Keith Johnstone in Calgary, The Bad Dog Theatre in Toronto and the Upright Citizen's Brigade in New York. Anne produces and hosts Toronto's “Date Night Comedy: Totally Worth a Babysitter” (a NOW Magazine's Critic's Pick). Anne particularly loves working with youth & teens and has taught improv, TheatreSports and sketch comedy in Calgary, Abu Dhabi and Bolton. Most recently she directed The Country Day's School's first sketch comedy revue. She is a mom and highly skilled at stepping on Lego. Anne on Instagram Anne on Twitter VOTE FOR VoF FOR BEST AUDIO SERIES AT CANADIAN COMEDY AWARDS

A couple are alone in a countryside cottage during a storm, until they meet a friendly local farmer, who has no idea what he has let himself in for. Improvised by Audra Goffeney, James Irving and James Haskin. Audra Goffeney is a former company member of Theatresports at Unexpected Productions in Seattle, USA, the co-founder of Girls With Power Tools (Improvised Lifetime Original Movies) and co-director of the stand up and improv show Piggyback LDN. She performed in and co-directed the Twin Peaks inspired Nursery Original "The Owls Are Not What They Seem" and was a regular performer with the local improv group Classic Andy. Recorded and mixed by James Haskin. Music improvised by A Ninja Slob Drew Me, who has music available for free at Bandcamp. You can also follow him on Facebook or Twitter. Room tone and rain sound effects by Klankbeeld on freesound.org

Jonathan Mangum was born in Charleston, S.C., but spent most of his youth in Mobile, Alabama. He attended college in Orlando, FL. where he began performing with SAK Theatre’s TheatreSports, a wildly successful local improv show. While performing 13 shows each week and attending college, Jonathan began to work with a tight-knit group of improvisers that included Wayne Brady. While in Orlando, Jonathan appeared on such shows as Clarissa Explains it All, Welcome Freshman, Fortune Hunter, and Seaquest DSV.Soon after, Mangum moved to Los Angeles, where he was joined by his Orlando improv troupe later called, The Houseful of Honkeys. The “Honkeys” performed their critically acclaimed improv game show, You Bet Your Honkey at the ACME Theatre for nearly five years and went on to shoot several television pilots for ABC.  Around this time, Mangum appeared on Married…with Children, Just Shoot Me, and ER. Some time later, Wayne Brady asked Jonathan to join him on tour and he has been performing on the road with Wayne ever since, including a two year recent run in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel and Casino. Mangum has been a series regular on Comedy Central’s Stripmall, The Wayne Brady Show(ABC), The Drew Carey Show(ABC), Trust Us with Your Life(ABC), Drew Carey’s Greenscreen Show(WB), and Drew Carey’s Improv-a-ganza (GSN). He has made notable appearances on Reno 911, Pushing Daisies, The Sarah Silverman Program, and NCIS.After two seasons on The Drew Carey Show, Drew invited Jonathan to join the Drew Carey Improv All-Stars. The group went on to tour in over sixty venues, including Carnegie Hall and currently does several yearly Las Vegas performances. Mangum has also toured with Ryan Stiles’ improv group, Whose Live is it, anyway?Working with Rob Reiner, Jonathan appeared with Jack Nicholson in The Bucket List and soon after appeared with Eddie Murphy in Imagine That.Jonathan has also pursued writing, having written on The Wayne Brady Show and the award winning,  Brandon T. Jackson Show. He co-wrote and starred in VH-1’s spoof Home Purchasing Club as well as an award winning short film, Conversations. Recently, wrote an animated short pilot for the Walt Disney Company entitled, The Lumberjacksons and continues to develop ideas for television and film. Currently, Jonathan can be seen as the co-host of the  Let’s Make a Deal on CBS. Jonathan is married to Leah Mangum, a casting director, with whom he has two boys.

Allison Price is a Canadian Comedy Award winning and Dora nominated actress and an alumni of the Second City, where she wrote and performed in four critically acclaimed Main Stage sketch revues. Recently for Second City, she performed alongside Sean Cullen and Patrick McKenna in Twist Your Dickens and with Colin Mochrie in the North American tour of The Second City Guide to the Symphony, which received it's US premier at The Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She is the co-creator and co-star of the unscripted web series Slumber Party with lifelong BFF Gwynne Phillips. As half of the award-winning sketch duo Haircut, Allison has performed in Chicago, Toronto and as a part of Just For Laughs. She is the star of the dark indie comedy Everything is Fine with Sandra and Jeremy and the screen adaptation of Miranda July's short story Roy Spivey You can catch her improvising as a regular cast member of Theatresports at The Bad Dog Theatre. For some of her dramatic work, look for the remount of the Fringe hit pool (no water), playing at The Citadel Theatre, September 27th - October 15th.

It's Tuesday and... Asaf Ronen is our guest! Asaf Ronen is the author of Directing Improv: Show the Way By Getting Out of the Way and has taught improvisation in Canada, Great Britain, Norway and over half of The United States. Asaf was a producer on TRUST US, THIS IS ALL MADE UP, a documentary on legendary improvisers TJ & Dave that premiered at Austin's South by Southwest Festival in 2009 and helped develop the improvised film Days of Delusion with director Scott Myers. His performance work has included ComedySportz, TheatreSports, touring with Imp. (a silent improv duo) and Confidence Men (improvised Mamet plays) and more. He has taught throughout NYC's public school system as a resident artist through LEAP and New Horizons and as part of Weist-Barron's ACTeen. In 2000, Asaf worked with Cirque du Soleil as a scout for improvisational talent. He currently resides in Austin where he is the Education Director of The Institution Theater and Education Director for the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival.

Colin Mochrie is best known as a regular on both the American and British versions of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which has inspired an entire generation of improvisers. In this episode, Colin sits down with Jimmy at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan, IL, and talks about starting out in Theatresports in Canada, how he dealt with the censors on Whose Line and what he really feels about all the bald jokes.

Sketch, Please is back to slam dunk 2017 with brand new sketches from brand new writers and a cast of brand new performers! New Year's resolutions include: Communicate better with your household gadgets. Redecorate your home with a superior Stone Henge. And make sure your apocalypse is suitably passive aggressive. All this and more within! CAST Sean McInerny is a part of London's Theatresports Company Story Kitchen Impro and can be seen taking part in Maestro at The London Improv Theatre and Theatresports once a month at The Miller. He is also part of improv group Electric Priests and sketch group Hiya Pet. Andrew Rodgers is a part of several comedy acts including sketch group The Pretty Faces, improv team Left Foot First and much more besides. The Pretty Faces are hosting a sketch show at the Backyard Comedy Club on 14th February. Susan Cunningham is an improviser and comedian as part of The 2 Stoozes, a comedy duo with Stacey Hemphill. CREDITS Public House by Eliot Stewart Barman - Sean McInerny Customer - Susan Cunningham Old Tim - Andrew Rodgers Star Trek Budget Cuts by Daniel Page Captain - Sean McInerney Admiral - Susan Cunningham Number 1 - Andrew Rodgers Third Wheel by Edmund Fargher Jane - Susan Cunningham Mel - Sean McInerney A.L.E.X.A. - Andrew Rodgers Medical Students by Robert Mills Doctor - Sean McInerney Miller - Susan Cunningham Foster - Andrew Rodgers Forecast for Female Weather Forecasters written by Robert Mills, performed by Susan Cunningham Flatpack Stone Henge by Danny Antrobus Husband - Andrew Rodgers Wife - Susan Cunningham Delivery Man - Sean McInerney Last Judgment by Stephanie Weston Angel 1 - Sean McInerney Angel 2 - Andrew Rodgers Angel 3 - Susan Cunningham Papaya Diet by Henrik Persson Greg - Andrew Rodgers Sam - Susan Cunningham Nick - Sean McInerny Hosted by Edmund Fargher Produced by Katharine Kerr

Improv London - Episode 46 - Carleen Macdermid and Keith Malda Weekly podcast documenting and developing the London improv scene. Slapdash website: http://slapdashfestival.co.uk C3? website: http://c3something.com Slapdash twitter: @SlapdashImprov C3? twitter: @C3Something (Please use #Slapdash16) Slapdash Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Slapdashfestival/ C3? Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/C3Something/ Carleen Macdermid @AandFimprov c3something.com KeithTheGooner @KeithTheGooner purplemusic.net Genre Claude V Damme @GenreClaude laugh out loud funny (LondonTheatre1) millenial comedy sensations (MedioLana) crazily brave (PubTheatres) Sundays, 8pm @HorseAndStables c3something.com Slapdash Festival @SlapdashImprov London's finest international festival of improvisation. 17-23 October 2016 slapdashfestival.co.uk The Nursery @nurserytheatre http://www.facebook.com/TheNursery thenurserytheatre.com Anthony Atamanuik @TonyAtamanuik trumpvsbernie.com Teatribù @Teatribu #teatribu #milano #impro teatribu.it Improgrupp Jaa! https://jaa.ee/ Now - Jaa Improteater @jaaimproteater on Facebook The Horse & Stables @HorseAndStables https://www.facebook.com/TheHorseAndStables The Miller Pub @themillerpub A truly stand alone pub in SE1. Real ales & cider. An upstairs music & arts venue. @BUNSMITHS menu. Our east London venue - @SebrightArms 96 Snowsfield Road London themiller.co.uk Convoy Improv @convoyimprov Los Angeles, CA losangeles.ucbtheatre.com/shows/1631 UCB Theatre LA @ucbtla Theatre, training center and all things comedy from the Upright Citizens Brigade (@mattbesser, Amy Poehler, Ian Roberts, @mrmattwalsh) in Los Angeles. Los Angeles ucbtheatre.com Shem Pennant each1teach1 @each1teach1 thefridaylink.com William Sirl @williamsirl Improviser - Instagram @GossipSirl Alex Berg @ActuallyBerg Drew DiFonzo Marks @DiFonzoMarks drewdifonzomarks.com Michael Delaney http://ucbcomedy.com/user/579 Ari Voukydis @AriVoukydis markandari.com Katy Schutte @katyschutte katyschutte.co.uk Big Bang Improv @BigBangImprov bigbangimprov.com The Hammer Of Zeus @TheHammerOfZeus Good Luck, Barbara! @GoodLuckBarbara facebook.com/goodluckbarbara Franck Buzz #CédricMarschal La Carpe Haute AMS!-Impro @AMSImpro Jada Jada @JadaJadaImprov jadajadaimprov.com Trent Pancy @trentpancy trentpancy.com Jack C. Newell @JackCNewell PROPERCORN @PROPERCORN propercorn.com TILT • Improfestival @TILT_Improfest improfestival.ee The Parentheticals @tparentheticals Ripcord @ripcordimprov https://www.facebook.com/RipcordImprov/ http://thepit-nyc.com/event/centralia Neil Curran @ImprovNeil Lowerthetone.com Maria Peters @ThatMariaPeters https://www.facebook.com/MariaPetersImprov Lauren Shearing @laurenshearing Nick Oram @nicholas_oram In improvised comedy group Do Not Adjust Your Stage (@dnayscomedy). Also perform with playmobil figurines. And I write stuff. HumanMachineImprov @PiotrImprov Creator of HumanMachine artificial intelligence improv. Human improviser in Albert & A.L.Ex. Drama, musical improvisation and AI geek. Improvising since 1999. https://www.facebook.com/HumanMachineImprov/ Jacqueline Black @Drahmuh Performing Arts Enthusiast. Improviser in An Improvised Audience With, Wax Lyrical, Theatresports & Ripcord. Billy Merritt @BillyMerritt Actor, writer, tablelamp

Episode 4 lands with a bang this week with sketches largely about sex, sexism, sexuality and also money. But before you dismiss this podcast as “being from the 1980s” or “downright smutty”, we promise that it is a show cock-full of the latest sketches from the finest writers on the internet! Beware of grown-up language… Ever wondered how uncomfortable a quiz show could get? Or what your therapist really thinks of you? How about the unsung philosophical prowess of pop music’s brightest? Find out in the finest aural platter you could possibly desire. If you would like to write sketches and perform for Sketch, Please!, head to the Submissions Page where you’ll find all the guidelines, T&Cs and email addresses you’ll need. The deadline for our next episode is Sunday 1st May 2016. Cast: Katie Pritchard (@katiepritchards) does many ridiculous things as an actress, comedian and musician. She has a podcast, Literally Comedy, set in an imaginary bookshop, runs and hosts monthly comedy club – Variety of Kings and her debut stand-up show – Hurricane Katie – is off on a mini tour to both Hastings and Guildford fringe festivals! Juwel Haque is an improviser. With the narrative group Mr Fridge he performs improvised stories, and he’s a cast member of Story Kitchen, London’s Theatresports team. He goes where the fun is, and that’s usually in comedy, writing, shower singing and tending to his fantasy football team. Georgie Morrell (@pokeintheeye69) is a comic, writer, actor and improviser! Her stand up show A Poke in the Eye is off to Edinburgh this year at Just the Tonic’s The Caves! Catch her working with Monkey Toast, Kick in the Lollocks and her stand up gigs! Credits: Hip Hop Philosopher by Daniel Page Paul – Juwel Haque Rachel – Katie Pritchard Successfuls Anonymous by Richard Law Meeting Leader – Katie Pritchard Hugo – Juwel Haque Alexandria – Georgie Morrell Rupert – Edmund Fargher Subconscious by Gareth Moore Clair – Katie Pritchard Councillor – Georgie Morrell Tom – Juwel Haque The Entente Cordial by Ed Pownall Performed by Edmund Fargher and Georgie Morrell Food Quiz by Ellen Waddell Quiz Host – Juwel Haque Susan – Katie Pritchard Karen – Georgie Morrell Bank Job by Michael Hughes Matt – Juwel Haque Joe – Georgie Morrell Porn Pop-Ups by Edmund Fargher George – Juwel Haque Ad 1 – Katie Pritchard Ad 2 – Georgie Morrell Cameron – Edmund Fargher Hosted by Edmund Fargher Produced by Katharine Kerr

Improv London - Episode 9 - Jacqueline Black Weekly podcast documenting and developing the London improv scene. In every episode we speak to a different improviser about their improv origin story and what they love about the artform. The Actors Centre @TheActorsCentre Where actors work... and play. The UK's leading organisation which supports actors throughout their careers. Home to the @TristanBates Theatre. London actorscentre.co.uk Cariad Lloyd @ladycariad if Six grew up but had lived in London & had anxiety problems. cariadlloyd.com Hoopla @hooplaimpro Improv comedy courses, classes, shows and club in London, UK. London HooplaImpro.com An Improvised Audience With https://www.facebook.com/An-Improvised-Audience-With-1557971507784888/ Katy Schutte @katyschutte Improviser / Improv Coach / Actress (dQ Management) • Maydays • Project2 • Katy and Rach • Destination Podcast London katyschutte.co.uk Ripcord @ripcordimprov Freeform improvised comedy without a net. But with a parachute. London https://www.facebook.com/RipcordImprov/ The Spontaneity Shop @SpontaneityShop London based performance and training improvisation company. London, England the-spontaneity-shop.com Joined February 2010 The Free Association @FAimprov Your destination for the finest improv in London. Classes, Shows, Good Times @COGARTS. London TheFreeAssociation.co.uk Theatre Sports http://improvencyclopedia.org/games/Theatresports.html Story Kitchen Impro @improkitchen Fun, games, stories and a little bit of love. The best sort of kitchen. London, England storykitchenimpro.com

Ken Lawson returns to walk us through some improv games and exercises. If you've ever considered taking improv courses, have a listen. At the very least, you'll come away more confident knowing you're better than the host of this show.

Rob and Adam discuss the improvisation of Theatresports, ComedySportz, and Whose Line is it Anyway? SECRETS REVEALED: how to set up an intro, building a running order, the value of shortform for longform improvisers, and the ongoing imagined beef: shortform VS longform. Also Adam loves bourbon! Listen and find out where he gets his secret stash from!!! Brought to you By: The Sonar Network

Rob and Adam discuss the improvisation of Theatresports, ComedySportz, and Whose Line is it Anyway? SECRETS REVEALED: how to set up an intro, building a running order, the value of shortform for longform improvisers, and the ongoing imagined beef: shortform VS longform. Also Adam loves bourbon! Listen and find out where he gets his secret stash from!!! Brought to you By: The Sonar Network

Rob and Adam discuss the improvisation of Theatresports, ComedySportz, and Whose Line is it Anyway?  SECRETS REVEALED: how to set up an intro, building a running order, the value of shortform for longform improvisers, and the ongoing imagined beef: shortform VS longform.  Also Adam loves bourbon!  Listen and find out where he gets his secret stash from!!!

Rob and Adam discuss the improvisation of Theatresports, ComedySportz, and Whose Line is it Anyway? SECRETS REVEALED: how to set up an intro, building a running order, the value of shortform for longform improvisers, and the ongoing imagined beef: shortform VS longform. Also Adam loves bourbon! Listen and find out where he gets his secret stash from!!! Brought to you By: The Sonar Network https://thesonarnetwork.com/

Laura Hall. Laura is the musical director for “Whose Line is it Anyway?,” She’s toured nationally with “Drew Carey and The Improv Allstars,” and has played for The Groundlings, Annoyance Theater, iO, “Opening Night: The Musical,” and Theatresports. She is an alum of The Second City, where she was also the musical director. She travels the country playing in her band “The Sweet Potatoes,” and teaches musical improv with her husband Second City alum (and former ADD Comedy guest) Rick Hall. At the end of today's interview we have a special bonus track of Laura's band "The Sweet Potatoes." performing "Anyone but Me." More info about Laura can be found at her website http://www.laurahall.com/

Denise Jones has come a long way since playing King Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar in grade seven. Now she's a Vancouver TheatreSports League vet who can be seen in the upcoming movie Preggoland. She talks about washing away her Kiss makeup with tears, spending 4.5 months improvising on the high seas, and losing her Newfie accent. Thanks to a Chicago improv instructor for putting her in the right frame of mind before doing this show.

Jay Ono and Pearce Visser drop by the What's So Funny? studios to talk about the Vancouver TheatreSports League. We learn how Ono taught Visser how to bomb on stage, what Visser shoved up his ass long ago, and as an added bonus Broken Ankle Guy makes an appearance!

Themes for recurring characters can bring a great element in to a long-form show. Here are some we put together for Prognosis: Death!.In the last instalment about Prognosis: Death!, Impro Mafia's long form improvised show, we talked about how character themes can contribute to the immersion of a story. Dan from Impro Mafia has been hounding me relentlessly to record a medley of the themes from P:D!. (Well, ok, he's asked me twice. Lay off, man!) I finally got around to it, and just in time, too - the second season of Prognosis: Death! is right around the corner.Some of these character themes were pretty well-formed during the first season. Others were still on their way, especially where I was still getting to know the characters.Here's that medley, along with a breakdown of how it maps to each of Prognosis Death's characters.Listen to Prognosis: Death! Medley or download it from Podbean.comListen to P:D! Theme by Tim Wotherspoon or download it Intro: A piano-only interpretation of Tim Wotherspoon's excellent theme music.Best Damn Doctor: Dr Burton Mangold (played by David Massingham) is the hospital's uberdoctor. Patients rarely die on his watch. And when they do - the drama! Mangold's music is an upbeat triumphant march, very heroic. I must admit borrowing a fair bit from Captain Hammer's opening number in Dr Horrible for this.Meanwhile, At The Nurses' Station: During the show, as one scene finished, the narrator would call the beginning of the next scene, priming it by introducing the characters and the location. The Nurses' Station was a great spot for some of the characters to meet, gossip, and console over impossible relationships, unaware that the latest supernatural threat to St Love is on the rise.The Leggy Avenger: Nurse Lotte Buble (played by Natalie Bochenski) has been with the hospital for a long time. Things never quite go her way, but she soldiers on. Buble has a variety of unusual skills (one of which comes from the audience at the start of the show), including a doorframe repair person and a masked superhero.Buble's theme is mostly upbeat, bittersweet, and resilient.Love Theme: Dr Mangold and Nurse Buble's simmering tension often seems hopeless, as they set their feelings aside to deal with the latest crisis to hit the residents of St Love. This theme, or variations on it, often appeared when Mangold and Buble had the stage to themselves.Faith and Donations: Reverend Thistlewaite (played by Wade Robinson) was the name of a variety of members of the cloth that appeared in different episodes, all with different countries of origin but somehow always named Thistlewaite. Jeremy Thistlewaite. Jeremy Von Thistewaite. Jeremy McThistlewaite. These Thistlewaites seemed to die. A lot. Three Seconds Behind: Dr Ludwig LeStrange (played by Dan Beeston) is the hospital's mortician. He doesn't have very much to do, thanks to Dr Mangold and the low mortality rate at the hospital. Dr LeStrange is introverted and outwardly calm, but hides all manner of emotion and tension. He has awkwardly formed hand gestures; due to a bizarre time travel accident, his fingers are three seconds behind the rest of him. His theme music is sad and discordant. This is the theme music I figured out first. Sadly, I recently discovered that Dr LeStrange's theme works very well as backing to Britney Spears' Hit Me Baby One More Time. Sigh.Hunting for Doilys: Dr Harold Dean (played by Luke Allan) is the hospital adminstrator, and Dr Mangold's arch enemy. Dean schemes to scrimp and save every penny to generate more profit for the hospital. Healthy people aren't profitable, so Mangold's prowess in the operating theatre runs counter to Dean's agenda. Dean is always looking for a way to take Mangold down.Dean's music is a nice counterpoint to Mangold's, similar in tempo and feel, but with a descending minor chord structure vs Mangold's ascending major chord structure.Will Have Ten Cats: Dr Melody Carmichael, Intern (played by Amy Currie) is the youngest staff member at the hospital. She is good-hearted, somewhat naive, and tries to do the right thing. (Well, until the first season finale where, possessed by Satan, she orchestrates the death or downfall of nearly every other character. St Love is a complex place.) Scratch the surface and her ambition to be a great doctor shines through.Melody's music is positive, a little oblivious, and happy.Finale: The finale music, again based on Tim's theme, has a chord progression with a ring of finality and triumph. I avoided the temptation to use it early, and saved it for the very end of the last show of the first season.Sadly some of the cast didn't have recurring theme music. Michael Griffin swung in to support roles for whatever story was on, playing every part imaginable - a giant vampire kitten, a dying psychic child, a mafia enforcer, up to Rick Cocksteady (the one doctor better than Mangold). The director and narrator Greg Rowbotham got on stage for the last show to play the angel Gabriel, sneakily encouraging a fallen Mangold to get back to the hospital and make things right again.Mike has challenged me to come up with theme music for Thistlewaite, and for each of the villians that make an appearance this season. I accept your challenge, Mr Griffin.I'm pleased that the show is returning for a second season at the Brisbane Arts Theatre. For Prognosis: Death! Relapse I'm sharing music duties with Nathan Howard, a fellow improvising musician here in Brisbane. I hope this show is as much fun for him as it is for me!

In this final installment of songs from Theatresports Lightning Doubles, Doug Bayne, Trudy Cooper and Tom Dunstan belt out a song about Soap Opera addiction. There are two versions of this song; the first was live and completely improvised. The second was, well, half-live, half-not. If the idea of improvising in front of 100,000 screaming fans interests you, you should have a listen.The Original VersionOnce again, the actors start the music, and the song is all the better for it. The beginning caught me completely by surprise, actually; when the title was announced, I mentally got geared up for an old piano standard (like Smoke Gets In Your Eyes). Suddenly Doug counts in and starts stamping his feet and grunting... giving me a couple of seconds to get a drums-and-bass patch up and running. (Just goes to show that, if you use different patches, you probably need quick access.)Listen to Soap Gets In Your Eyes Powered by Podbean.comDoug breaks a bunch of conventions in this song. For starters, there isn't any singing; it's not a rap, more of a spoken-word rock song. Doug also pretty much checks out for the chorus, leaving it up to Tom and Trudy. Like A Tim Tam Too Far, if you're not from Australia, you might need a little background before the in-jokes make sense.Neighbours: Popular long-running Australian soap opera; 30 minutes a day, screened in prime time. Will probably run until the 22nd century.Paradise Beach: Short-lived Australian soap opera.Jason: Jason Donovan, an actor/singer who featured in Neighbours in the 80's.Kylie: Kylie Minogue, the Australian singer/actor who was also in Neighbours in the 80's. Jason and Kylie's characters (Scott and Charlene) got married in the series and moved to Queensland. Somehow all retiring Neighbours characters either die or move to Queensland. What are they trying to say?Even though there's no melody as such, as usual there's a bridge in the song towards the end. The chord progression changes and the music gets a little sparser, so it's hopefully some good light-and-shade for the audience. Doug and I do a nice synchronised stop at the end of the bridge, putting an offer out there for Trudy and Tom that they happily pick up.I'm sad that Doug and Trudy no longer perform; they're both legends of the Brisbane impro scene. Tom is more of a living legend, currently performing with several groups in Brisbane and Sydney, and with some great projects on the boil.Soap Gets In Your Eyes, the Arena SpectacularYou may have heard improvised songs before, but you haven't heard anything like this. Listen to Soap Gets In Your Eyes - the Arena Mix Powered by Podbean.comFor some reason we decided this song would have been fantastic if it was a real stadium rock song. To make this come true, we secured the services of David Lovell (guitarist and bass player extraordinaire) and his friend Mr Drums (who I'm sure has a name, lost in the sands of time) to put down band parts in a studio. Because we recorded the original performance with isolated microphones, we had a nice clean recording with Doug lead vocals, and a slightly less-clean recording with Tom and Trudy's backing.Overlay some crowd noise, chop and arrange the vocals, add way more echo/delay than any self-respecting sound engineer would add... Hey presto - Doug, Trudy and Tom performing to thousands of screaming fans. Performing to thousands of screaming fans? The way impro should be. ;)Download Soap Gets In Your Eyes (mp3)Download Soap Gets In Your Eyes - The Arena Mix (mp3)That's it!That's all for this series of Lightning Doubles songs. I hope to bring you more improvised stuff from Brisbane in future posts, hopefully with less tape hiss and more video! If you live in Brisbane, you can catch the great-great-grandchild of Lightning Doubles: Impro Gladiators, running at the Paddo Tavern on Wednesday nights in 2009 from April to August. See you there!

Adam Couper, Rebecca Riggs and Simon Palomares perform a song from the Haircut Challenge show that generated a few of the tracks in this series. (In this show - two teams, two team captains, losing team captain had his head shaved at the end of the show. Sadly, the day before the Haircut Challenge, one of the team captains scored a role in a movie. The scores were neck and neck entering the last game, and the non-movie-role-scoring team graciously threw the last game and submitted their captain for shaving.)Listen to Big Chief No Friends Powered by Podbean.comI seem to recall a style suggestion of "Bubblegum Pop". (That said, I can't remember what colour socks I have on right now, so my memory is anything but reliable.)The trio had a very strong start to define the style of the song. Again, this is one of those times when I think the song really benefitted from getting its start from everyone and not just the musician.Coup is once again in the drivers seat for this one. Adam has a tremendous talent for weaving together a coherent melody in a verse and chorus, pulling together a great story, and managing to rhyme. He's one of my favourite players to work with. (You should see him in a Shakespearean scene; he's unbelievable.)I'm accompaning on keyboard-drums and, eventually, bass. It took me a long time to come in for this one, I suspect I spent way more time hunting for the key than I should have.I wonder how fast Adam's mind really works. I'm intrigued by the turn of events right at the end of the song:Adam:Big Chief, he's got a friendMC (interjecting from offstage): 10 seconds!Adam:Which brings this story almost to an endWas that line in the plan? Or did he alter his rhyme and story at the last second?Adam and I found a nice ending for this song; I love it when the music just drops out in the last seconds of the song, leaving the singer to finish it with a great tag. I had a feeling Coup was going to find a marvelous ending, and he didn't disappoint.Download Big Chief No Friends (mp3)This is the sixth entry in a series of recordings of Songs and Operas from Brisbane's Lightning Doubles Theatresports from 1992/1993.

Two songs for the price of one today. Neither of them are going to make it on to a greatest hits album. Both of them make me cringe a little... but both of them are special to me, for one reason or another.Don't Call Me Jack, MonRoger Beames and Andy Foreman trade verses in this reggae song about mistaken identity. I'm on a sort-of steel drum piano, while Adam Couper jumps in with some keyboard drums. (I tell you, the man is everywhere!)Listen to Don't Call Me Jack, Mon Powered by Podbean.comI'm certain this came from the offer "Don't call me Jack", with the MC giving reggae as a style.A few times the music halts. I can tell you this was probably at points where I thought the music was out of time with the singers, and I needed to resynch. On reflection, I should have just barrelled through; the singers needed the structure and they didn't need me to bail on them.Roger is... well, look, I love the man, he MC'ed at my wedding, he's known my wife and I for close on 20 years, he's a talented MC and improviser and a great friend. And handsome. And can use his mad Aikido skillz to knock folks on their butt. But in this one he's a bit lyrically challenged. (Sorry, Rog.) One thing he absolutely does in this song is hold on tight to it and see it through. He knows it's not necessarily going to plan. You can hear his resolve crack for an instant right at the end of the third verse. But he holds on and continues to deliver, riding the song to wherever it was taking him.That chorus! It's easy and charming and simple. Don't call me Jack monJack monJack mon Jack monDon't call me Jack monThat thing gets stuck in my head.Andy's interplay with Roger makes me smile no matter how many times I hear this song. (I can just imagine him rolling his eyes when he says "Oh good" in the third verse.) And the audience loved it too. It wasn't the most well crafted song ever, but they just go wild.I'm Short, Shirty and I Want to ShoutFedele Crisci and Rebecca Riggs take this song, supported by David Lovell (one of my university lecturers) on bass and myself on keyboard drums.Listen to I'm Short, Shirty and Want To Shout Powered by Podbean.comFedele may not have an opera singer's voice. His rhythm might be a little challenged. But he absolutely committed himself 100% to this song. He knew the wheels were falling off, and even with minimal backing from two supposedly supportive musicians, he carried on. You can hear the point where Dave and I just say "Let's go!" and decide that we should (finally) give Fedele strong backing. And then Rebecca jumped on to that backing. And she completed the second half of the song by basically singing to Fedele about his singing and dancing skills, and how she wants him anyway. I thought Rebecca's handling of that was great; she made light of the first part of the song without being mean, and had a go at Fedele's skills while still professing her love.There's a good amount of light and shade in the music (once it got going, anyway). Right towards the end there's a nice sparse section that lets Rebecca have some fun, before ending quite strongly.And, once again, the audience goes wild. Do they care that the song might not have been as strong as it could have been? Not really - the performers gave it their all, and the audience stayed with them to the end, rain or shine.EpilogueRoger and Fedele now run one of the most successful comedy agencies in the country, the Sit Down Comedy Club. Will they still be able to sleep at night, knowing they were responsible for these two songs? I think they'll be fine.Download Don't Call Me Jack, Mon (mp3)Download I'm Short, Shirty and I Want To Shout (mp3)This is the fifth entry in a series of recordings of Songs and Operas from Brisbane's Lightning Doubles Theatresports from 1992/1993.

Tommy's Little Boat is a rock-opera, featuring Adam Couper as Tommy, Rebecca Riggs as Tommy's mother, and Simon Palomares as the father/narrator. Listen to Tommy's Little Boat Powered by Podbean.comNormally we'll do an opera in more traditional operatic style. I suspect (given the title and the obvious connection to The Who's Tommy) this was offered as a rock opera. I find it challenging to do a rock opera, and try and give the same sort of feeling as you'd get from a heavy guitar-bass-drums format, using just a piano.Adam is a very strong singer, confident and clear. He doesn't wait for a musical offer to set a key, and he changes keys/feels at the perfect time. I managed to find his opening key pretty quickly, but there are other times (eg when his dad first makes an appearance) where you can clearly hear me hunting for his key. Adam carries on confidently, but I think the absence of music lets the opera down for a while. Once again, what I wouldn't give for perfect pitch.This is not a textbook-perfect opera, but there are a few magical moments that I really love. My favourite is the piece that takes place around 2:30, just at the point where Tommy begins to understand why he can't read. The "I Can't Tell My Left From My Right" song is a great example of counterpoint, where each singer sets up a particular melody and rhythm for themselves. This is quite similar to the counterpoint technique Michael Pollock describes in his book Musical Improv Comedy: Creating Songs in the Moment. Adam's melody is complex, well patterned, and it is phrased very quickly; Rebecca's is soaring and holds for longer; Simon's is phrased somewhere between the two, and kind of injects itself around the others.Haven't read Michael Pollock's books? Here's a short review: Buy them. If you need more convincing than that, I'll be reviewing both of his improv books soon.Something I harp on about is making sure as a musician you're changed by what is on stage; if you get lost in your own momentum, you're hurting the scene. There's a good example of being changed at 2:20, as Rebecca sings "Tommy I told you" - I had just started to set up the next section, sort of a minor version of the previous section after Tommy figures out he can't read. Rebecca slowed it down with her vocal, so the music discarded that staccato rhythm to match what she was doing.Right at the end, Simon does a really nice narrator voiceover to close the opera. Sadly he used the shotgun microphone, so Adam and Rebecca's closing song (which I suspect was another lovely counterpoint) is lost forever.Download Tommy's Little Boat (mp3, 3.8 mb)This is the fourth entry in a series of recordings of Songs and Operas from Brisbane's Lightning Doubles Theatresports from 1992/1993.

Danny Murphy delivers a great reggae song on the perils of being a kid with a cop for a mother. He is ably supported by Jamie Rowe and Andrew Nason.Listen to My Mother Was An Undercover Cop Powered by Podbean.comAdam Couper leads the music on guitar, with me supporting on keyboard-drums. This is one where the musicians started the music, laying the basic support for the players to sit in. As much as I love having the actors start first, starting with the music does give the song a lot more polish.The verses are nicely structured with A-B-A-B rhyming. Actually, Danny's rhyming is excellent in this song; his rhymes are perfectly in context and don't feel forced at all.Well I'm a pretty straight kind of guyI'm the kind of guy you know where he's coming fromYou can look at me, right in the eyeBut don't come up and look at my mumCause she's an UndercoverUndercover copThis is a good example of a song where the chorus is just a tag on the end of a verse. Very simple, and very effective.Once again, the final "verse" is chorded as a bridge. It keeps the style of the music consistent, but the change in chord progression freshens things up for the audience, and gives the singer a little more scope to be adventurous. A good bridge tilts the story, and this one is no exception.It's amazing to hear the audience go wild at the end of the first chorus. The chorus-tag was about as simple as it gets ("She was an/Undercover/Undercover cop"), not very clever or challenging, but when the audience got a whiff of the actors actually using the words from the offer in a song, they went crazy. It doesn't take much in a musical game to get the audience on-side.Download My Mother Was An Undercover Cop (mp3, 2.1 mb)This is the third entry in a series of recordings of Songs and Operas from Brisbane's Lightning Doubles Theatresports from 1992/1993.