Whilst many of the improv troupes from London are up at the Edinburgh Fringe performing, there are still a handful of them that are performing in London at the Improv Pub, The Miller. This week, our Improv Show of the week is ABOB – we sat down with the troupe to talk about their up and coming show.

When: 18th August

Where: The Miller, London Bridge

Price: Free

Hello guys! Tell us about The ABOB! Who you all are and a little bit about yourselves?

We are:

Emma Tribe – She has studied at the amazing UCB school in New York and has brought all that wonderful knowledge back to share with us. Emma’s scenes are usually the highlights of the show.

Jane Timberlake – A writer by trade, Jane brings some hilarious scenes to life with her infectious joy. After studying under Dave Razowsky, the Maydays, iO with Colleen Doyle, she is currently in L.A. as we speak to soak up even more improv knowledge. Jane has also appeared in The Playground Swingers.

Meredith Annex – Having also studied under Colleen Doyle of iO, appeared in The Playground Swingers on a number of occasions and featuring in Open Roads by Michael Such, she has a wonderful grasp of characters. She also has the best American accent amongst us.

Rob Webb – Rob has studied under some fantastic U.S. talent such as Will Hines and Zeke Nicholson. He brings a fun energy to our shows and is the one most likely to bring enjoyable chaos to our set.

Zara Swanton – Zara brings real acting chops to our group and having studied under Annie Sertich at the Groundlings, she helps to keep our scenes grounded.

Steve Howe – A Hoopla protégé, Steve brings charm and smiles to each of our scenes. He has studied under a host of wonderful U.K. and U.S. names, and also has a taste for the narrative formats.

ABOB met through a Hoopla course with Chris Mead who really inspired us to keep going once the course finished. We’ve all studied under the best teachers that London has to offer including C3? ( including being coached primarily by the lovely Keith Malda), Steve Roe, Katy Schutte, Maria Peters and more.

How did you come up with the name ABOB?

We were settled on ‘A Bag of Bees’ until we realised that this was similar to a couple of other groups already in London. So we decided to just abbreviate it, instead of changing again. We have a running joke still that anything funny that comes up in practice or conversation is suggested as a new team name.

Tell us all about the show that you are bringing to the Miller?

We’re so excited to be putting this show on with some of our favourite acts. It’s going to be a really fun night of improvised comedy with a bunch of teams we’ve come to know. Most of us formed through Hoopla courses, so it’s a bit of a homecoming to the Miller. We’ve got Pretenders Assemble who bring wonderful characters to life, Nerd Salad who bring stories to stage with loads of fun energy and Doctor Twoprov who recount some of the Doctors greatest adventures in time and space. Plus, of course, ABOB and we’ll do something dark and adorable, probably with ridiculous accents.

What are your favourite things about performing improv to an audience at the and why?

The Miller always has such a wonderful crowd and you can really feel how excited they are to be there. It’s supportive because of the nature of the place , and because of the number of improvisers that tend to be in the crowd – we really can’t stay away! It is like a spiritual home. Wherever we are, the crowd’s energy really feeds us. That we get to create something unique just for them makes it even more special.

What have been the highlights of the shows you have performed previously?

For me, I’ve loved this scene with Emma and Zara, where a creepy child plays with her irradiated teddy bear come to life. We’ve also seen Steve as a middle aged son trying to get his mother to stop being so overly affectionate, and Zara discovering with Rob that mohair comes from Mo’s.

What other improv groups do you find inspiring and why?

I think we all have slightly different influences but we all look up to the people such as Amy Poehler, Tina Fey and acts such as Project 2, Breaking and Entering and Showstoppers. The wonderful thing about improv is the diversity you can find in it’s acts, so there is always someone to admire no matter what your tastes.

What do you find the most challenging thing about improv?

This is a tough question to answer because what comes easy can change not just from person to person but also from night to night . The wonderful thing about improv is that you are creating something that just lasts for that one show, and this will be affected not just by who’s performing but also by the specific experiences and mindset those people have had that day. So something that challenges you one day could come so easily the next.

If people want to find out more about you where can they follow you on social media?

They can find us on Facebook at ABOBimprov and on Twitter @ABOB_improv

And Finally – in three words, why should people come and see you at the Miller? Fun, funny, free