This month I will be talking to different acts that are taking part in the Brighton Fringe Festival. Today there has been a murder and there is one team that can solve it….Pinch Punch Improv

Location: Brighton Open Air Theatre
Date: 26th May
Time: 7pm
Ticket Price: £12 / £10 Concession
Link: https://www.brightonopenairtheatre.co.uk/event/murder-on-the-improvised-express/

Hello Pinch Punch! Tell us about your act? 

Pinch Punch presents Murder on the Improvised Express! Have you ever watched a murder mystery and thought ‘I could solve this’? This show is for armchair detectives everywhere, as you control who gets on the train, who gets killed off and who we accuse at the end. We play fair, and the only person onstage who knows whodunnit is the murderer themselves – the detective and other suspects are playing the guessing game along with the audience. It’s a raucous and very funny Agatha Christie style romp where anything can happen.

How did you come up with the name of your show that you are taking to the Brighton fringe?

We wanted something that sounded like the Agatha Christie style that we’re going for, so what better way to do that than some word play on one of her most famous stories? So all aboard for Murder on the Improvised Express!

Tell us a little bit about your style of show?

We are fast paced and never leave an unusual thing alone, so our long-form comedies are always packed full of jokes and logic bending to the nth degree. We’re set very firmly in the 1920’s and our combined love of Agatha Christie stories really shine through.

What can people expect from your Brighton Fringe performance?

Expect fast paced comedy, fiendish motives supplied by the audience, alibis that are as rock solid as an ice cream on a hot day and some excellent time-period appropriate names. We bounce off the audience, so don’t be surprised if you find some version of yourself boarding the train too!

What other acts are you looking forward to seeing at the fringe?

We can’t wait to see Planet of the Grapes and IMDP: Improvised Movie Director Podcast. You might also spot a handful of us on the Silent Disco and the Ghost Walks of the Lanes.

How are the rehearsals going?

Great! We’re doing a mix of in person and the dreaded Zoom rehearsals, but working on the show is fantastic fun and we feel really happy with how it’s looking. There have been no real murders yet, so that’s a bonus, but we did have a baby used as a murder weapon last week so that derailed us for a bit – it really killed us in the room. (NB we cannot be held liable for terrible puns, you attend our show at your own risk).

Have you done the fringe before? What have been some of your favourite shows to date and why?

Our members have appeared in shows at the Brighton Fringe before, but this is Pinch Punch’s first trip to Brighton!

what advice would you give to others who want to perform at Brighton Fringe next year?

Do it! It’s a great festival without the pressures of Edinburgh, and with the seaside too, what could be better?

What is the best thing about performing at the Brighton fringe?

The audiences! We’re super excited to show you all our show, it went down well last year and with the extra tweaks we’ve made this Spring, we’re sure you’ll have a great time killing one of us off and then solving our murder!

What are your three favourite things about Brighton?

The waltzers on the pier, walking around The Lanes, and the Seven Dials Murders, solved by Miss Marple herself.

Leafleting and promotion through the streets of Brighton is a huge part of the festival – what are your tips for flyering?

Volume in short bursts. The more people who can hear you, the better, right? Well not for too long, or you’ll be damaging your show, no one wants to become ‘that show with the annoying promoters’. Keep it short and effective, and you’ll save your vocal chords too!

Tell us about your average day on a festival show run?

We’ll be having some sort of a non-chaotic company breakfast (this is a lie, we’ll be grabbing toast on the way out) and heading out to flyer before the show. We’ll make sure we’ve put some time aside to go and see other shows as well, before heading to our lovely venue and setting up. We always make sure to have a thorough warm up and to play some improv games with each other to make sure we’re firing on all cylinders. Then it’s just a case of warming up the audience, doing our show and heading back home with a cheeky dinner stop along the way (there’s more than a 50% chance this will involve a beer and a burger). Talk about a perfect day!

Performing by the sea as well, that surely makes the fringe all that much more fun?

Absolutely! I know there are a few of our members who will be heading straight down to the pier to go on those waltzers, we’ll have to drag them off to do the show but I’m sure we can find time for some fish and chips along the way too.

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member?

Hercule Poirot himself! Or maybe Sherlock Holmes accompanying Miss Marple on a double date with Tommy and Tuppence. We’d definitely settle for Morse and Lewis if they brought Inspector Barnaby and Troy from Midsummer Murders though. Drinks are on us if they guess the murderer.

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

They can find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with the handle @PinchPunchImpro

And Finally finish this sentence – ‘you should see our show at Brighton Fringe because….

if you don’t find out whodunnit, who will?!?!?!