As part of ImproFestUK 2019 “How to Be Human” explores an audience-generated emotion through comedy, tragedy and relationships. I caught up with the team to find out all about their first hour long show.

Hello tell us a bit about your troupe?

Hello Holly! We’re Swipe Right and we’ve been performing as a group around London since 2016. Between us we’ve trained mostly at the Spontaneity Shop, Hoopla and the Nursery with a bit of Chicago thrown in, and we like the kind of improv that’s heavily grounded in relationships but not afraid to be either silly or dark; to be whatever the scene requires it to be, hopefully.

You are performing at impro fest this month how are you feeling?

A mixture of anxiety and excitement as with all shows I guess, but this is bigger than we’ve done before so those feelings are bigger, too. Excited to be doing it where we’re doing it, at the core, so that’s the dominant feeling.

Have you performed at the festival before?

Two of us were at Punderfest earlier this year, but this our first time performing as a full group in a full-length show at a festival.

What do you have in store for the audience?

The idea of the show, How To Be Human, is that we play Humanity Consultants – self help gurus, but probably not the best ones you’ve ever met – and the show is an improvised voyage into the right and wrongs and causes and consequences of emotion, as if it were a role-playing workshop at some corporate retreat. So there’s a mix of scenes and games and, occasionally, we might ask an audience member to spin the wheel of our emotometer (not a euphemism) to help decide the direction of that voyage, but no-one will be asked to get up on stage and fall backwards or anything like that.

There are a lot of great acts performing what other ones are you hoping to see?

I’m a great fan of twoprov and there’s a lot of that on, so I’d pick out Mordsaga, Ghost Couple and Derek’s Mojo. I saw Love And Misinformation when it was at the Nursery, too, and that was lovely. Also, I haven’t seen Improbotics since it was in the early stages and have heard very cool things about it now. So a lot, I guess. They’re all here: http://www.improfestuk.co.uk/index.html

It’s near Christmas as well – are you aiming to bring a bit of festive cheer to your set?

Possibly, but not deliberately – it’s still a little too early for full Christmas in my head. I’m all for the festive period lasting longer, though, and our show at the Miller on January 4th will be much more Christmassy. You can book a FREE ticket for that here:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/swipe-rights-winter-wonderland-tickets-80218478629

What’s the best thing about performing at an improv only festival? Is there any difference between performing at that to a normal comedy festival?

I suppose if it’s an improv-only festival you don’t have to explain what improv is in the same way you might at a general comedy festival.

If people want to know more about you where can they follow you on social?

https://www.facebook.com/SwipeRightImprov

@swiperightimpro on twitter

https://www.instagram.com/swiperightimprov/

Finish this sentence – you should see us at Impro Fest 2019 because…..

Andy: “You’ll FINALLY have the last piece of the puzzle you’ve been carrying around in your mind for the last decade.”

Carly: “…the moon will be waxing gibbous, 93% visible, what better time to improve on being human.”

Robin: “It’s going to be a lovely night. Also it’s cold outside at the moment – I’m sure the Courtyard has heating. And they definitely have seats, and a bar.”

Rosie: “We’ll make you laugh and cry.”