Welcome to this years Phoenix Remix Awards – every year as Editor I like to celebrate the talent that I have witnessed on stage and give that particular group extra promotion to introduce new audience members to them as well as also celebrate their talents. For this years awards, I decided to open it up to the public as well to vote for who they think deserves to win in three different categories including The People’s Choice Improv Group of The Year Award.

In total 1,386 people voted and they chose The Maydays, for their choice for Group of the Year. I spoke to the team that are celebrating 15 years together as a troupe to discuss all things improv.

You have been awarded the Phoenix Remix ‘Peoples Choice Improv Group of The Year’ ’ award – how does this feel?

Lloydie: Wonderful and surreal. It’s always lovely to get credit for your work so we are thrilled about this. Equally, like anything in improv, it’s about more than just us. It’s about the amazing teachers and mentors we have been lucky enough to have, the incredible people who take our courses and come to our intensives and retreats. We’ve also been around a while so that’s a factor too. Basically, it’s lovely, we feel super lucky and we hope to be good ambassadors for improv because we really love it.

How did you come up with the name of your troupe The Maydays ? Was it difficult?

John: Our first show was in the 2004 Brighton fringe. I got a call asking for the name of the company. We didn’t have one. They gave us 30 minutes to get back to them to be in the brochure. I called Rebecca and we were stuck, clock ticking. I said oh no it’s an emergency, we’re going down. Mayday Mayday. So we called ourselves the Mayday Players and had an Edwardian look. A few years later Katy kept saying it was a crap name so we changed to the Maydays

How do you go about planning show ideas? Some of your shows such as Happily Never After have gone down a storm! Two of your shows were nominated in the other category Show of the year.

Rhi: Whoever has an idea usually gets to work it up. Happily Never After is Joe’s baby, so we workshopped it to his vision. But we always all add in ideas too. There’s always room for more ideas and the opportunity to direct something new.

For those who have not seen your set – what suggestions do you ask for and what is your style of improv?

Rhi: HNA is narrative, genre based and gothic in look and feel. We honour that by asking the audience for a real profession of one of their grandparents. Our style is playful, honest supportive.

What have been some of your favourite moments on stage this year?

Jen: Most recent was probably doing an improv poo whilst headlining the Saturday show on the stage of the National Theatre of Bucharest in front of the UK Ambassador and his wife. It was the highest of highbrows.

Rhi: At our retreat we did a ‘rock opera’ for the first time, as suggested by one of our students. We had an epic time and it seemed to translate that way too!

This year you are also celebrating fifteen years as an improv troupe! That is a huge achievement in itself!

Rhi: You are right! Thank you

What is the secret to longevity of an improv group?

Lloydie: In super basic terms it’s “keep showing up” which probably sounds a bit like a joke answer but that is a large part of it. Any group will hit bumps in the road and those bumps vary in shape and size. If you keep showing up, keep committing not only to improv but to your teammates, then that takes you a long way on the journey

Rhi: Have the same goals. Hang out as friends. Care about each other on stage and off

As a group you do a lot for the community – teaching drop ins, courses and even businesses – what are some of your favourite things about teaching?

Rhi: Favorite thing about teaching – seeing beginners having that lightbulb moment where they know this improv malarkey is going to change their whole life and outlook. Also seeing introverts flourish on stage

 We have to talk about The Maydays retreat as well. For those who do not know what it is tell us all about it?

Jen: It’s a glorious buffet of improv classes (between 16 and 20, to choose 4 or 5 from a day) but also shows and jams and other stuff like bonfires and experimental stuff as well. You tend to leave not quite knowing what are real and what are improv memories. We all love it, though it’s hard work (and tremendous fun!).

We have a lot of Improvisers who read this site – what is the best piece of advice you would give any improviser, experienced or new?

Jen: Remember that you do it for fun, AND have another hobby, i don’t think it’s healthy to do nothing but improv because improv is inspired by real life experiences.

Rhi: Be kind to each other. No one is Santa Claus. This is a team event. Inspire and support one another. No cheap shots!

How did you all get into improv? Which improvisers inspire you?

Rhi: I watched GTI & got very jealous & wanted a part of this fun world. But I’ve always loved character comedy & doing sketches with my school friends. Aside from Maydays, Maria Peters & Lauren Shearing inspire me for creating & hosting The Playground – a brilliant sell-out night celebrating female improvisers. I also am inspired by the Impromptu Shakespeare crew. I honestly think they have the best genre show out there and I love how everyone flips gender with no stereotyping whatsoever. The nuance and care with which they play flaws me.

What are your three favourite things about doing improv?

Rhi: Community. Spontaneous laughter. Getting surprised by your friends & your own brain.

How do you warm up before every show?

Jen: If it’s a musical show we’ll do a musical warm up or run an opening (if it’s HNA). If it’s Confessions or Tonight’s Top Story, we’ll either just hang out together, do some sound checks based on the room accoustics and maybe a few quickfire scenes. But in all cases, we’ll do an ‘Eeee-sah’ (a weird energy-raiser ritual) and 1-20 (counting between us) then make eye contact and connect somehow with everyone there (often saying ‘i’ve got your back’). The latter things we’ve done ever since i joined in 2006.

Rhi: I’m probably in the minority, but I’ve never been into warm ups! My fave way to warm up is to just sit & natter with my team, maybe do some physical stretches. That’s kinda it! Different brains need different things I suppose. It’s very interesting. I wonder if it’s because doing a show is so fun, frantic, full on, bright, loud & brilliant, the time spent before the show ideally for me is chill, peaceful & low key. Humans, eh!

What’s your most memorable character that you have created on stage this year?

Jen: I rather enjoyed playing the Blood Angel in Happily Never After at Hoopla.

Rhi: I loved playing Liz’s character’s evil inner critic. We waltzed together.

Improv is ever changing at the moment – what would you like to see happen to improv in the new year?

Rhi: More inclusivity, more diversity

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

Instagram: @themaydays and Twitter @maydays

What can we expect from the Maydays in the next 15 years?

Rhi: Hopefully life. We all want to be alive

And Finally in three words – Why are The Maydays so unique?

Rhi: Inclusive, unique, weird.

QUICK FIRE ROUND

What makes your smile?

Lloydie: dogs

Rhi: Good health, a freezing cold sunny day and a well timed in-joke

What is your biggest strength as an improviser?

Lloydie: The people around me

Rhi – Nerves. I like being a bit nervous before a show or my mind wanders. I worry when I don’t get even remotely excited! It’s happened a few times with things on my mind & it’s always a meh show

Dream venue to perform at and why?

Lloydie: Any lovely intimate blackbox theatre space. I like to feel close to the audience

Are you a dog or cat person?

Rhi: Cats. They are our gods

What is the most delightful suggestion for a scene you can think of?

Lloydie: Anything mundane. I love creating fun and comedy from something seemingly dull

Rhi: Or an emotion. Nice n broad

 If you had to have a tattoo to represent improv what would you have and why?

Lloydie: I’d need a tattoo that was able to evolve in the same way improv does

Rhi: A temporary tattoo of a tree as it changes with the seasons

Who is your improv hero and why?

Lloydie: Tina Fey. She is smart and funny

Rhi: Christopher Guest because he made room for improv in his films. What a joy for those actors.

What is the last thing you liked on social media?

Lloydie: Almost certainly a post from a friend about their improv show

Rhi: Probably a tree

Something on your bucket list

Rhi: A very long and happy life. We just want every day to be fun & awesome!

Lloydie: A larger bucket