Welcome to the feature which we are going to feature ever so often as part of Improv Corner. Ever so often, we are going to talk to improv acts about some of their favourite things about the comedy form. Today we are speaking to the Gämez, a short form team in London that are launching their own night this month on the 24th March at Shoreditch Balls. The show starts at 7:30pm and features Magic Improvable, Comediasians and Play It Again. I spoke to the team to find out all about their favourite things.

What is your Favourite:

Improv Style:

Ryan: I love all styles of improv – each one works different parts of the brain and builds different skills. I do, however, love seeing improvisers at the top of their game make short-form look effortless.

Short form game:

Nell: Written lines is one of my favourites for pure surprise and delight. When occasionally the written line fits the mood of the scene perfectly, it feels like wizardry.

Nadine: Party Quirks! I love juggling guessing who the rest of the Gämez cast are and also keeping the scene moving. If I host, I’ll lay out Doritos as a nod to Colin Mochrie’s similar habit on Whose Line Is It Anyway?

Improv Act:

Nell: Showstoppers never fails to make me feel good, and the Yes Queens do funny, charming, effortless short-form – both are brilliant.

Television Show:

Ella: The show Mum is incredibly witty and thought provoking. It goes from making you laugh one moment to having you close to tears the next.

Jack: Friday Night Dinner is my favourite TV show – brilliant characters, lovely relationships and super catchphrases. A lot of Gämez have also recently become big fans of The Traitors!

Venue to perform at:

Tom: It’s got to be Hoopla Impro at The Miller. Gämez was born there as a Hoopla House team 5 years ago. It’s got a great stage and lighting set-up and all the techs, front of house and pub staff are brilliant. It’s also where I did my first ever improv show!

Way to wind down:

Jessie:  Post-show we’ll go through games and say our favourite bits, a great way to remember what on earth just happened and have a good laugh! Then we grab a drink, and enjoy the rest of the night.

Way to warm up:

Dave: Anything quick tempo like Electric Company. It gets my head in the game quickly and generates ideas. It’s also great fun when you really get the pace going and make it tough for each other.

Suggestion:

Stephen: I love suggestions that get the audience to reveal something about themselves. Asking “What did you want to be when you grew up?” gives better suggestions than “Can I get an occupation?”.

Show by another improv act:

Ryan: Two shows come to mind. One was Hebecky Drysbell, by American improv duo Heather Anne-Campbell and Becky Drysdale. It was the most consistently hilarious one hour show I’ve ever seen. Another is ChuckleImprov (improvised ChuckleVision) featuring Will Naameh, Mara Joy, Paul Connolly. I laughed until I was practically crying – brilliant slapstick silliness with nostalgia mixed in.

Memory of a show:

Charlotte: We once played a charity show and were last on. By the interval the audience had gone from 1 to 100 on the tipsy scale. We came on with loads of energy and had them laughing straight away and all the way through our set. By the end we managed to get them back down to under double figures!

Part of rehearsing a show:

Alastair: It’s making each other laugh, especially when it’s unintentional. The rehearsal scene where Martin and Morgan Freeman got mixed up, meant we got one of the funniest versions of Lord of the Rings I’ve ever witnessed.

Thing about performing

Tom: The laughter from the crowd. It’s so pure in improv as they don’t know what to expect.

Quote:

Alastair: “Just say yes and you’ll figure it out afterwards” by Tina Fey I think perfectly sums up what to do on stage.

Thing about the improv industry at the moment:

Stephen: How much it’s growing. We were worried how improv would respond after the lockdowns, but it’s exploded since then – everyone’s looking for ways to connect and try new things, and it’s such an exciting time for improv!

Ella: Just how supportive everyone is! As someone who is slightly newer to improv, it feels very special to be a part of this community.

Thing about this year so far:

Ryan: It’s how excitingly busy we’ve been! We’ve played loads of shows, we’ve been working on our Fringe format and a load of us went on holiday together. Best of all, we’re starting our own night – GÄMEZ NIGHT – And it’s only March!

If you are an improvisers or want your improv troupe to feature get in contact by emailing us at phoenixremixcomedy@gmail.com