This improv season, there has been a lot of brand new shoes available for fans to watch. One of those shows has been created by the teachers of Hoopla. Their next show is 18th November at The Miller. Even though he isn’t performing at this months show, I caught up with one of the Founders of Hoopla Steve Roe to find out more!

Hello Steve! Tell us a little bit about your show with The Faculty?

We aim to put on a totally different format and show every month to try and expand improv horizons and keep our show line up brave and experimental.

How did the Faculty form?

Katy Schutte who teaches with Hoopla thought it would be great to get all the Hoopla teachers together performing new things and learning from each other.

Who are your comedy inspirations and why?

Baby Wants Candy, One Night Stand Improvised Musical, Comedy Store Players, The Mischief, Showstoppers and lots more, because they all create a great show and have fun in the process. They care about what they are doing but also don’t take it too seriously.

What are your favourite things about performing comedy to an audience and why?

I know it sounds obvious but making people laugh!

Tell us a little bit about how you rehearse for this show?

We have a different person directing each time and they can do what they want in rehearsal, as we are putting on a different show each time. I have to take my running hoopla hat off and put my go with the flow hat on. The two hats get muddled up sometimes so I need to chill out!

Whats the best piece of advice you have been given about performing comedy?

Don’t try so hard to be funny just be honest. And you will never be more interesting than a waiter bringing in a bowl of chips.

If anyone wants to find out any more about you or the show where can they visit?

www.HooplaImpro.com

in three words why should people come to your show?

See new things.

Quick fire round Teacher themed!

The best at school?

I was the best at school! Is that what you meant? I was indeed a swot!

The worst subject at school?

I was bad at German and all languages, I just couldn’t learn anything in that subject for some reason and it wasn’t from lack of trying.

Naughty kid or well behaved?

Well behaved except when drunk.

Best school yard game?

Wall ball! All line up along a wall. Kid throws ball at you. If it hits you you are out. I miss that game!

School dinners – yum or yuck?

Sandwiches so yum. I love a sandwich.

The silliest reason you got a detention?

Ummmm, I was really good and boring sorry. I was always in detention for being late though and that didn’t seem fair. Some other kid had punched someone in the head, I wasn’t good at mornings, and somehow that ended up being the same punishment. Mr MacMillan said I would never hold down a job if I couldn’t get up in the mornings, so I grew up to run a comedy company that doesn’t start until 7pm, so he can fuck off.

Best school memory?

Best school memory is all of our drama lessons they were always great Miss Price was amazing I still don’t know how she ran such a magical oasis of drama in an otherwise rough school.

Your nickname at school?

Roezone! There were about 100 Steves so any Steve ended up being known by a version of his surname.