This month I will be talking to different acts that are taking part in the Brighton Fringe Festival. Today I speak to Leamprov about the two shows they have this weekend.

Shows: The Elephant in the Room/ Flopbusters 
Location: The Caxton Arms / The Caxton Arms
Date: 27th and 28th May / 27th May
Time: 16:15 / 18:45
Ticket Price: £5 / £5
Link:  https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/the-elephant-in-the-room-an-improvised-comedy-show/ / https://www.brightonfringe.org/events/flopbusters-improvised-comedy-movie/

Tell us about your act ?  

We are bringing two shows this year! Firstly we have ‘The Elephant in the Room’. It’s a quick-fire sketch show where we will be performing comedy sketches and theatre games, all created from suggestions from the audience completely on the fly.We also have “Flopbusters: An Improvised Movie”, where we will be creating an entire improvised film. Any and all genres are possible, and every show is a world premiere.

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

The Elephant in the room is… We don’t know what each show will be about! The scenes and theatre games will be made up from suggestions from the audience on the night. The show is also named after Leamington Spa’s much loved unofficial mascots, the three elephants who lived in a circus in the town in the late 19th century. 

We hope every one of our Flopbusters improvised films would be a blockbuster hit if they made it to the silver screen, but it’s always possible for things to become silly and unravelled…

 Tell us a little bit about your style of show? 

The Elephant in the Room is full of  fast-paced sketches and scenes using short-form improv games. It’s similar to a sketch show. A great show if you’ve never seen improv before. Flopbusters will be bringing all the classic movie tropes of whatever genre materialises on the night, and usually poking fun at them! Romantic sub-plots, training montages, action sequences, nothing is off the table.

What can people expect from your Brighton Fringe performance? 

Our shows creates a fun and relaxed atmosphere, excellent for people’s first foray into the world of Improvised comedy. There’s no pressure to shout out suggestions if that’s not your thing. Even though the show is improvised, we can guarantee plenty of laughs and lots of absurdity and silliness.

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

We’re looking forward to be able to see other improvised comedy shows, as they don’t come up as often as more traditional comedy performances. Sex, Lies and Improvisation use realistic situations and dark humour to great effect, I’d love to be able to see them again!

 How are the rehearsals going? 

Even though the show is improvised, we do still practice! Rehearsals are going well, we regularly perform sell out shows in our home town of Leamington Spa.. It’s always interesting to see what suggestions the audience give out. We nearly always get a suggestion we’ve never had before in a show; those are lot of fun to play with!

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

Brighton is our favourite comedy festival to go to, and this is the first year we have taken Flopbusters to the Brighton fringe. Last year the whole troupe went to see “After Dark: The Improvised Twilight Zone”, which was everything we hoped it to be and more.

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

The Fringe academy webinars have helped us pick up tricks and tips and there is always support available if you have any issues have any issues. Brighton Fringe is such a support community.

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

The sheer variety of audiences and performances. There’s always something to surprise you.

What are your three favourite things about Brighton?

The seaside, the excuse for fish and Chips, and the very warm and welcoming atmosphere that seems to permeate the city when the fringe is on.

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

Though it’s pretty obvious, try to stand out. Nearly every act in Brighton will be flyering at some point, so making your promotions memorable and different from the rest is a must. Making it clear what your show actually is about is also massively helpful.

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

Flyering, performing, and trying to see as many other shows as possible in the mean-time. Always trying to make the most of our limited time in Brighton.

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

Yes! We are from the Midlands and we get very excited just to be beside the sea-side, It’s always a proper adventure for us. Let’s just hope the sea air doesn’t get to our heads too much.

Who would be your ultimate dream audience member? 

If we can get people interested in Improvised Comedy who have never seen it before, then I’ll consider the show a great success! For a specific person, Broden Kelly from Aunty Donna would be amazing.

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

We have our own website, https://www.leamprov.com/ Facebook Page:                       https://www.facebook.com/LeamingtonSpaImprov          @LeamingtonSpaImprov

Instagram:   @ leamprov

Meetup:                                  https://www.meetup.com/leamprov/                                      

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

It’s a wonderful introduction to Improvised Comedy, and it’s very, very silly.