With Christmas just around the corner many improv groups are celebrating the festive season by performing special themed shows! This month we are talking to acts who are celebrating the season in style! Today we speak to David who is bringing Improv to Camden on Boxing Day with Extreme Improv.

Hello guys tell us all about your troupe?

We are Extreme Improv. We primarily perform a competitive short form comedy show where actors and comedians battle each other with comedy to attempt to win the Extreme Improv championship belt. We also do the Extreme Improv Podcast and the Extreme Improv Kids Show, along with some other bits and bobs online.

What is the show that you are bringing to the stage in this Festive season?

Extreme Improv Christmas Chaos.

Will there be a bit of festivity in your show?

You bet! Beyond a few Christmas jumpers we’ll be added some festive twists to our improv challenges to change up the format, and will be asking for lots of festive suggestions. If we don’t end up making up a scene about Die Hard I’d be really surprised.

What are your favourite things about the festive season and why?

I love Christmas. For me it’s all about seeing friends and family, spending time laughing and doing nice things together, creating happy memories and enjoying good food, gifts and Christmas music and telly. I’ll attempt not to answer every second question with Die hard, but the short answer is Die Hard.

This time of year the venues tend to be a bit busier as well – do you find that the audience changes at all?

This will be our very first Christmas Improv Show, so we may be able to answer what an improv audience is like at Christmas better come next year. That said I think most if not all of us have done panto before, and a few have done adult pantos, so I’m expecting an interactive atmosphere and more then a few people who are a bit merry to fit the occasion.

What advice would you give for people performing around the festive season – is it important to drop a Christmas related theme into it?

I wouldn’t say it’s important to do so, but it’s an easy selling point to try to capture people who may be in the Christmas mood. Naturally there’ll be lots of Christmas themed competition, but unless your angle is that you’re specifically avoiding Christmas to be the ‘if you want to dodge Christmas come see us’ show

What is the best thing about a night at your show for the audience?

The atmosphere. We really pride ourselves on creating an inclusive and interactive show that the audience can really get into.

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

We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok and our user name on all of them is Extreme Improv.

What is YOUR favourite show you have done this year and why?

That would be a tie between our July show at Zeal The Pride Improv Festival, and our show at the Alaska State Improv Festival in April. Both had fantastic audiences and were very funny shows where we were on great form. The Zeal Festival probably had the audience who were most into a show we’ve done this year. By the end the audience reaction was so loud and continuous it was difficult to wrap up the show on time. And the Alaska show because of the strangeness of performing in Alaska. Also that at the last second I decided to live stream our entrance/intro and when the Alaskan audience realised they were greeting our fans back in England they loved it.

And Finally in three words – Why should people come and see the show?

Die. Hard. Improv

CHRISTMAS QUICK FIRE ROUND

For this years Christmas Quick fire I am going to give you a handful of song titles and film titles related to the season and I want you to tell me the first improv scenario that comes to your brain and what you would do with this suggestion?

Mixed Nuts

(Suggestion inspired by this  1994 film)

I love this movie with Steve Martin in, so I’d find it difficult not to launch into the film reference, but I imagine Mixed Nuts would end up rude or about allergies…or both.

Christmas With The Kranks

(Suggestion inspired by this 2004 film)

I only really know a crank to be a handle to raise a manual lift etc, so I think it would become about cranky people, so within a Christmas show we’d soon end up in Scrooge territory.

Silent Night

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

Trying to burgle a place without being heard.

Mad World

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

Arkham Asylum. Batman villains escaping.

Jack Frost

(Suggestion inspired by this 1998 film)

Starting point would be the snow man and take it from there. Off the top of my head it’s become one of those old 1980s adverts about older people in winter and if you see several milk bottles building up outside. Not sure this is the best or cheeriest scenario, but it was the first my brain came up with.

Blue Christmas

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

The Avatar Holiday Special.

The Family Stone

(Suggestion inspired by this 2005 film)

Gallstones all the way.

 Christmas In Blobbyland

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

Mr Blobby becoming a Walter White drug lord type of figure. Obvious I know, but it writes itself.

A Wombling Merry Christmas

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

Uncle Bulgaria becoming a Walter White drug lord type of figure. Obvious I know, but it writes itself.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

(Suggestion inspired by this song)

Die Hard!!!!!!!!!!