I have become addicted to Pedro Pascal – no, not in the way that most of the internet has with the whole ‘daddy’ thing, eating memes or the ‘slutty little knee’ . Instead, I am more interested in the conversations that were not made specifically to gain the social media hits. I find that the more ‘raw’ and ‘slightly edited / unedited’ conversations with the actor are far more interesting as they are incredibly insightful, fascinating and a lot of the time, incredibly captivating.

I have discussed this further on the article Podcast Episodes That Changed My Life, but I think one of the reasons I always find myself being drawn to interviews with him is because I know that there is going to be a lot of emotion expressed even if sometimes it is not meant to happen.

“…Talk Art […] is something you should be checking out because it is a show that is incredibly insightful, makes you think of art in a different way and is hosted by two terrific presenters…”

Another thing that I really like about listening to conversations with Pedro Pascal is that it really inspires me, I don’t know why but I think because his passion for his art and craft always comes through so vividly in the conversations that it ends up pushing me to do something, usually write, as yet again this is another article that has been inspired by me listening to the actor for another hour in my life. Luckily, this time I was not waiting for a delayed plane but was replanting vegetables for the garden and hoping the whole time they grow and will not be terrorised by slugs. ( I have no idea what I am doing, I am making up how to garden as I go, I suppose that is relevant for an article about improv, eh?).

So why am I using an Improv feature to talk about a podcast and the Last Of Us Actor? Well, the other day I decided to give the podcast Talk Art a try because I was on the hunt to listen to something new. Whenever I start a new podcast I always start from the beginning, if you don’t you can miss out on a lot of the makings of a great show.

Funnily enough, one of the first episodes was with none other then Mr Pascal so I decided to give it a listen and there was topics that were discussed that were so relevant to improv it inspired me write about it and delve into this topic in a much more in depth analysis.

Let’s Talk Art…

Firstly, let’s talk about the podcast Talk Art in it’s own right because it is something you should be checking out because it is a show that is incredibly insightful, makes you think of art in a different way and is hosted by two terrific presenters. Here is a description for you as to what the Podcast Talk Art is about…

“…Actor Russell Tovey and gallerist Robert Diament host Talk Art, a podcast dedicated to the world of art featuring exclusive interviews with leading artists, curators & gallerists, and even occasionally their talented friends from other industries like acting, music and journalism...”

Apple Music

Now before we go on, let’s talk about my own experience with the concept of ‘art’. I was introduced to creative things from a very early age, my mum was told very early on, I think about the age of three, that I had a natural ear for music and should learn instruments. Whilst I had lessons, I gave up with tutors very early on in life and instead I have ended up teaching myself how to play (jack of trades, master of none.) keyboard, guitar, banjo and violin.

I have always been surrounded by drawing and painting, my uncle used to paint oil pictures as a hobby ( I think he sold them too) and I have very early memories of drawing all the time. One thing we used to do a lot when I was a kid was sit there for hours drawing cartoons off of Disney VHS sets. I used to spend hours drawing The Simpsons as well, so much so I can draw a lot of the characters now by visual memory and tend to do them when I ‘doodle’. In lockdown, I tried painting, I found it relaxing but not sure if I have the patience to do it as a hobby. I started this picture of Lyon – painted from a photo I took when I was there but trying to find the effort to finish it is very difficult.

I knew I was going to be in a creative job as my head was (and still is) always in the clouds ‘dreaming’ and I always loved doing something that required imagination. I initially thought I was going to be a music or travel journalist as I was obsessed with music, learning about different cultures, writing and magazine layouts but then I was introduced to the world of editing at 16 and it changed. my. life.

The one thing I loved about the podcast Talk Art is that it discusses what art has an impact you. I will quickly answer this as I know I am going off topic as to what is the point of this article so before we continue:

“…I have gone on to listen to a lot more episodes of Talk Art and I absolutely love it and if you are a creative individual I cannot recommend it enough...”

+ Artist / Piece of Art –
Van Gogh Starry Night has always been something that can help me feel positive at times when life is hard. Stars are very magical to me and I can look at this picture and just feel inspired and it makes me want to constantly reach for the stars as there is always so much to experience in life. Whether you do it with someone or on your own.

Maman Sculpture, Louise Bourgeois – this is an art sculpture that I remember seeing at the Tate Modern and always stood out vividly in my memory, it was tall, it was big and it was so impressive. In 2015 I visited Bilbao in Spain and it was there in front of the Guggenheim and it was as impressive as the first time I saw it. It is just such a powerful model and I cannot explain why.

+ Architecture –
Chicago – I fell in love with the windy city when I visited, the architecture was like nothing I had ever seen before and I loved the way they combined modern with old. The coffee bean blew me away, the way that it is positioned in such a specific place in the centre of the city just amazed me, I could stand there for ages just observing life and the shapes that it creates from the bottom.

London – There is no place in the world like London, it is unique and whenever I am away from the capital I miss it. I always will walk from Southbank to London Bridge when I go back – I have walked it hundred of times but the feeling of London and seeing the architecture around me feels like a comfort blanket and with the right music in my ears it is magical, and a sense of belonging and romantic ideologies.

New York City – I lived in NYC for 3 months and could not get over how grand everything is, you feel like a small ant in a big world, it is pretty intimidating but amazing. One of my favourite memories is sitting on the floor in Grand Central station, waiting for a train at night and just taking in just how wonderful the inside was, it was like walking into a film.Another memory was walking through downtown on a quiet Sunday morning and it being so empty, it was bizarre but so magical at the same time. I would love to live there again one day as just like London there is always something new to see.

“…As soon as I heard this quote [on the podcast Talk Art] I felt like it was such an interesting topic to discuss I had to write a feature, I had to talk to others about it, I had to explore it…”

+ Entertainment –

Tom Delonge has been my hero most of my life, not because of the silly song lyrics that sometimes Blink-182 have, it is so much more then that. It is the dedication he has to new projects, it is the poetry in the lyrics that he writes and the musical construction of his songs. It is the way his music of the bands he has lead, has got me through a lot, the happy, the sad and the adventures. He has been an inspiration to me since the age of 14 and whilst I have met other members of Blink by chance thanks to my job, I don’t think I could ever meet him I would be just lost for words whilst also staring blankly at him speechless.

Old Hollywood The world of Old Hollywood has inspired so much as to what I have become in regards to how I write, how I am inspired, how I see the world and I think in some ways how I edit or approach life creatively. It was always about creating a show, a unique approach and magic. I can watch films and television shows that are made these days and know how they edited or made something happen because I am a Video Editor and Motion Graphics Designer, it is sort of what I do as a career. However, I can watch an old film from the 1920’s to 1950s and deliberately ignore it, the magic still lives. Charlie Chaplin, Gene Kelly and Donald O’Connor were always magical to me on the screen.

Opening Title Sequences – I am addicted with the opening title sequences of shows and films, they are an inspiration and I am convinced they are also one of the reasons why I became an editor. Some of my all time favourite opening title sequences are Spiderman 2, Sherlock, Chuck and the short lived Bear Gryll’s Mission Survive (remember that show? No, all I remember the title sequence as I loved it so much).

The reason I decided to discuss this is because it gives you just a hint and a tiny introduction into the sort of things that are discussed on this podcast. It is delving into the world of art and the connections that guests have with it. There are a lot of guests who discuss this in a much more in depth way then I do but you can understand why this podcast appealed to me.

How Pedro Pascal and Talk Art Inspired This Improv Article…

From reading this, you are probably still wondering how this podcast led me to improv, we will get there, I promise. I was listening to this podcast for my own enjoyment, but then a subject was discussed and it inspired me so much that I literally dropped what I was doing (bye shovel, bye soil now scattered on the floor) and ran into my office to open my laptop and wrote down the words I was hearing from Pedro’s response to a question as it made me have a real in depth discussion with myself about improv. Here is the quote.

‘…The more you investigate a thing, the more you break it down, the more it can surprise you and disappoint you and disillusion you and inspire you. [it can cause] an array of contradicting feelings. I think that with art, whenever it gets into something that feels too intellectual or part of an industry it kind of […] corrupts what art means / how I experience art. I would rather be in a place of ignorance in a way…”

Pedro Pascal, Talk Art, 23rd November 2018

This quote opened up a minefield in my head and got me lost into thinking about firstly, my experiences with improv and also how other acts feel about this topic. As soon as I heard this quote I felt like it was such an interesting topic to discuss I had to write a feature, I had to talk to others about it, I had to explore it.

Since 2015, when I started this site (and started performing improv) my life has become more and more saturated with the world of improv. I used to rehearse every single week between 2015 – 2020 up to when the pandemic hit, I was writing this site, I was interviewing well over 500 acts from all over the world. everywhere from the United Kingdom, United States, to Singapore to Australia, I was producing and directing shows, I was working as a light tech on other shows, I was MC’ing shows, I was reviewing shows, I was performing at Fringe Festivals, I was directing and creating short films about improv acts as I was learning about the new ways that technology is adapting the way it is portrayed on stage. As you can see from that list, I was so involved by the medium and I was drowning.

In Improv, when you are surrounded by it and there are also many teams that you are competing with, there can be a lot of the time when you want to build on the format and try and stand out from the crowd. This can be anything from turning the idea on it’s head and creating something new, remixing another media to transfer it into an improv world or it could be just the way you interact with the audience and understanding how to ‘play the game.’

I love improv, I was doing a lot of it but then I started to get burn out and I was on the edge of debating whether I had completely fallen out of love with it. This was an incredibly scary thought as I really used to enjoy it, the laughter it brought to my life, the people I met, the way it inspired me to write about it all the time. The pandemic gave me time to have the much needed break that I needed but it also kept raising all the questions about the topics Pedro mentioned above. Improv was starting to become ‘corrupted’ because I was not enjoying it the way I used to.

Every time I was backstage waiting for a show to start I was constantly worried, I would get stuck in my head and I would get anxiety that I would not be able to perform to my best potential. I felt that I had to keep pushing and developing what improv was to feel some sort of fulfilment and when I was producing shows I would always aim to try and make production a key thing I suppose rather then the ‘meat and bones’.

“…This episode of Talk Art, gave me a lot of inspiration and things to think about and whilst I was listening to their conversation develop on this subject, it got me thinking…how do well established improv acts feel about this topic…”

It felt like the joy and fun I was once experiencing with improv was ‘wilting’ I was finding that because I had become so knowledgeable about the comedy form I felt that I was corrupting the joy I once had of it. This was happening in such a crazy degree, that what I started to feel was a sense of loneliness. At the time, I thought it was other things making me feel this way but over time I have realised that the emotion was due to the fact the comedy form I once loved so much was dying within me and creating this horrible feeling. I guess similar to what you get when you know a breakup is on the cards…

I used to love going to see improv acts perform and be in the moment, enjoy the laughter and silliness along the way. That was fading away as I was too ‘intellectual’ in understanding what was coming next, how the player was going to approach the scene. In other ways, it was starting to feel like a job, like my work, not escapism, it was becoming about how to create for the audience and not about creating the actual improv for the joy.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I love being on stage, the ability of performing and making someone laugh is like an adrenaline rush and I will return but I will do it on my own terms and I want to fall back in love with the joy that it used to bring me. That feeling that when I saw acts like Noise Next Door (when I initially started to take an interest in improv) I would sit there with bright sparks in my eyes falling in love with the magic of the show and my ribs physically hurting from laughing too much.

This episode of Talk Art, gave me a lot of inspiration and things to think about and whilst I was listening to their conversation develop on this subject, it got me thinking…how do well established improv acts feel about this topic…so I reached out to a few to find out.

Talking About The Discussion on Talk Art With Improv Acts…

The first act I spoke to was Avocado Improv, a London based comedy duo called Hamza and Jake. The reason why I was so interested in speaking to this team was because just like myself they are also surrounded by the art form. They are not just performing shows, they are also hosting their own regular nights in London at Barons Court Theatre. As well as this, they create playlists for Spotify that are relevant to improv for their fans as well as also training teams. The first thing I asked them was about the ‘magic’ of improv and how it impacts them when they perform.

“…Improv isn’t magic, it just looks like magic when it’s done well. Getting to that point takes a ton of practice, insight, trust, so yes, the more we perform the more we love it…”

Avocado Improv

This was a really interesting point for the team to make, that I decided to expand on it more. I wanted to find out all about how you keep this feeling alive and why they believe that constant performing helps them keep the art form ‘fresh.’ They go onto discuss that the more you rehearse or perform in a show then the better that you get. They also go onto explain that you never ‘master’ improv because of the fact that it is made up on the spot. They left me with this quote that really defines their experience with the art form.

“…There’s a big misconception that improvising is easy or that practicing will take away the spontaneous factor, when really it’s the opposite...”

Avocado Improv

The next improviser I spoke to was Julie Flower. It is one thing to be performing improv on a regular basis but what if you are part of a team that doesn’t just work with the basic formats but instead also apply those ideologies to a show that combines AI and takes the experience to a completely different level.

Improbotics is a multinational AI and theatre that is lead by Piotr in the United Kingdom, Kory in Canada, Jenny in Sweden and Ben in Belgium. They perform shows on a regular basis at festivals both in Great Britain and abroad showcasing just how AI can be a part of Improv and how it can improvise just as well as humans. Julie is one of the players in the United Kingdom team.

For my discussion with Julie, I wanted to focus on the section of Pedro Pascal’s quote in regards to breaking down an art form and whether it can surprise you or disappoint you. I feel a member of Improbotics would be a great player to ask because if there is one thing the team are doing then that is breaking the rules or normal improv and taking it to a whole new level. The first thing that we discussed was this point and this is part of the response I received from Julie.

“…For me, performance is the ultimate creative experience.  I also believe it’s important to evolve shows and formats, both for the art form and for the audience…” 

Julie Flower, Improbotcis

I found this quote fascinating and it is completely understandable why Julie is part of a show that includes AI. I have been a fan of the team since the very early years in 2018 and since then I have watched their show evolve into something more and more complex in the ways in which they communicate with the technology. Allowing the improvisers to interact with this computer coding means that it can constantly evolve and turn improv into something that we may not of understood or realised it could be before.

“… I always delight in being in the moment, creating something that didn’t exist before and will never exist again.…”

Julie Flower, Improbotics

Damian Smith has performed much improv and was part of the Cambridge Impronauts for many years. I really wanted to gain more of an understanding about whether performing improv on a regular basis can ‘corrupt’ the way that you initially used to enjoy improv. Is it something that has become structured because of the knowledge of improv or is it something that you can still enjoy even when you now everything inside out? Since Damian has performed and Directed many shows I wanted to get his view on this:

“…I do sometimes find myself watching a show and thinking about its mechanics, or wishing a performer wouldn’t make the mistakes I make!“

Damian, Ex-Cambridge Impronauts Player

With that in mind, I wanted to expand this conversation. Damian has recently takem a break from performing improv on a regular basis. He is about to take a show up to the Edinburgh Fringe that is called 50 Midlife Crisis to try before you die. Unlike, me Damian had to change pause performing for a different reason:

“…I moved from Cambridge (lots of improv opportunities) to a village in Hampshire (nada) and have been too lazy and indecisive to advertise for, and form a team! I have managed to do other types of comedy though…”

Damian, Ex-Cambridge Impronauts Player

Having to walk away from an ‘art form’ that you are a huge fan of for reasons outside of your control, can be a very difficult thing to do so I wanted to find out how Damian kept involved in improv. He went onto explore other areas of comedy such as partaking in comedy that was accessible such as open-mics, science themed stand-up and panel shows with The Variables. By exploring different genres in the world of comedy, it has allowed him to:

“…retain my joy, and perhaps expanded my interest...”

Damian, Ex-Cambridge Impronauts Player

The final thing I wanted to know from Damian was how the break from improv has helped him and what it has allowed him to do when he returns to improv. I wanted to understand if this break away from performing this style of comedy on a regular basis had any impact:

“…It’s forced me to broaden my influences, which has definitely helped me to reflect and develop both as an improviser and as a person...”

Damian, Ex-Cambridge Impronauts Player

From my own experiences and talking to other improvisers I think it has allowed me to gain more of an understanding as to why I was gaining burnout from improv. Unlike the players above, I was starting to look at improv from a different angle, which as an editor in broadcast who also has a major interest in producing more then likely will always do.

In my job, it’s all about bringing an idea to life, working with directors and producers to turn rushes into something entertaining and eye catching. It is about making something appeal to the masses not just select audiences. Due to the fact that I was producing shows I was starting to approach improv from a sort of business approach instead of the initial fun approach because I love thinking out the box and creating a production.

The last show I produced was actually a Phoenix Remix Live show which was raising money for The Douglas Bader Foundation just before COVID. I was spending ages creating a show which was accessible for all with stand up, theatre and everything in between. I created such a complex running order that my improv team would perform tiny 5 minute skits throughout to welcome new people to the ideology of improv. The show got really good reviews and praisen for it’s unique approach. I wonder if all the producing / business side of improv is what was damaging my love for it.

A Final Word about Talk Art, Pedro Pascal and even Noel Fielding …

I have a lot to thank this one episode of Talk Art for – I was lacking creativity recently, I feel like at the moment I do not know where to channel my creative side and I feel that this episode has ignited a fire underneath me again . I didn’t realise that hearing others talk about their art and how it impacts their own lives could have such an effect on me. Russell Tovey and Robert Diament are fantastic at interviewing their guests as they can get the best out of them as they create this relaxed and welcoming environment.

Over the last three years, my feelings towards improv are starting to develop once again. For me, writing has been the key thing that has kept me connected to the comedy form and whilst I have not performed, I have loved writing about it. Writing has always been something I love doing as it is a way to write down feelings I have trapped inside and write down emotions that I can find very hard to express vocally ( I have recently learnt that this is apparently a trait that a lot of Aquarians have – who knew, I am a stereotype!). I aim to return to the stage because I love making people laugh, meeting people and the community as a whole is very welcoming.

“…There was topics that were discussed that were so relevant to improv it inspired me write about it and delve into this topic in a much more in depth analysis…”

From talking to improvisers above, I think one thing I would love to do is go abroad and meet more improvisers. I am fascinated by geography and cultures, in my spare time I am addicted to learning languages and currently improving my French, learning Italian, Arabic and Spanish (which again Pedro is great here because listening to Spanish interviews is helping me to understand it more).

Since listening to this episode, I have gone on to listen to a lot more episodes of Talk Art and I absolutely love it and if you are a creative individual I cannot recommend it enough. There are some fantastic episodes, a recent favourite of mine is Noel Fielding’s as yet again it is a fun conversation. The weirdest thing is that this was the episode I listened straight after Pedro’s and it is on that I chose completely at random and they BOTH discuss their love for the painting The Dream by Henri Rousseau.

This will not be the last time that I write about Talk Art on this website ( I already have an article inspiration already in the works from another interview I just listened to) as there is so much fantastic content that it actually is fuelling me to write a lot more about their discussions.