All this month we are having a weekly conversation with the improviser Lee Aspey. If you have not heard of Lee you would of definitely of heard of the groups that he is a part of – CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation and Your Flaws The Musical – both these two shows are proving to be a success at comedy festivals over and over again. Today we discuss talk about CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation

You are part of Crime Scene Impro tell us a little bit about each member?

Sarah Kempton is a creative powerhouse and prolific voice (and irl) actor. She’s currently crushing it with her scripted show Cordelia Butters Investigates and new treachery based game show Sabotage!

Nicola Lucey is an actor with the unworldly yin-yang of being both a great, emotive improviser and the most organised person I’ve ever met.

James Cann was once the 3rd best laser tag player in Wales.

Steve Bond stands tallest both literally and academically as he holds a doctorate in atmospheric science. He’s been improvising for a long time and it still inspires me how passionate and active he is in seeking out more skills to pick up.

Danielle Downey is the most naturally funny person who has ever lived.

Kayleigh Cassidy has the energy and soulfulness of one hundred people packed into a singular fabulous improviser, artist, and comedy performer. She has all kinds of workshops and coaching on offer so look her up and get arting.

Michael Kunze is in pretty much every improv show I see advertised, which he should be because he has an incredible warmth and giddy wit. His show Lil’ Saffron was one of the best things I saw in a full year spent at Fringe festivals and his new show Infinity Mirror comes to the Etcetera Theatre in Camden this month. June 11th and 18th.

I’m also there.

And we recently grew our pool of additional players to include some absolute powerhouses in Izzy Glinn, Kelsey Yuhara, Gareth O’Connor and Jenet Le Lacheur.

“…Some audience members surprise you with genuinely Sherlock levels of observation and deduction...”

Lee Apsey

What inspires the show?

My background is screenwriting so the initial interest in creating a who-dunnit was structural. How do we make the most of the improv medium and have a guarantied climax? In a who-dunnit (which Blake Snyder loves to point out is really a “why-dunnit”), you know we’re going to catch a killer in the end and you know we’re going to have to ask questions and uncover some secrets along the way. So let’s allow the audience to be fully involved as detectives and drive those moments. They throw us into the chaos they want and it’s right where we want to be.

 We’re inspired by the real world investigation of crime scenes as well as the full breadth of crime based media: from modern procedurals to Raymond Chandler (which is why the group name is “The Chandeliers!”) We know, love, and play with the tropes. Primarily though, Crime Scene Improvisation is built from the audience-up.

Favourite type of story you enjoy performing in this format?

The funniest shows are where it looks like we have some well developed themes and retroactive character arcs coming together and then the audience throw up something so entertaining in the interrogation that we make a sharp left turn and fully commit to it. Danielle Downey once justified an entire murder based around an audience member mistaking her for having a wooden leg.

What is your favourite part of the show with CSI?

It’s got to be the interrogation scene. The audience get to ask any questions they like and I never tire of finding out what type of audience they are. Some audience members surprise you with genuinely Sherlock levels of observation and deduction. Some audience members are smiling before they speak in a way that lets you know they’re either about to be very in character or they’re sitting on a ridiculous pun. Occasionally the audience experiences an improv awakening as they realise we’re going to embrace whatever they’re inferring… the number of workplace affairs gets very high in those shows.

You have a lot of shows coming up as well? What can you tell us about them?

June 16th we’re at Wonderville, London.July 8th we head to The Star Arms for GuildfordAugust 4th -27th we head to our summer home at Underbelly for Edinburgh FringeSeptember 30th we’re presenting a mixed bill of awesomeness at 2Northdown near King’s Cross.

October 22nd we go to Banbury.

November 19th  we go to Hangar Farm, Southampton

and December 2nd is our Christmas Special (with some absurd and festive format change) at 2Northdown.

Details on ALL of those can be found through www.crimesceneimpro.com

“…We’re inspired by the real world investigation of crime scenes as well as the full breadth of crime based media: from modern procedurals to Raymond Chandler…”

Lee Apsey

Where can people find out more information?

We’re on all good social media platforms @crimesceneimpro and http://www.crimesceneimpro.com. You can also email us at detective@crimesceneimpro.com if you want to book us for a festival/venue/event.

Out of all the CSI based shows what one is your favourite and why?

In the TV sense? I’m honestly in love with NCIS. It feels like a Simpsons gag that each episode has to reach for a tenuous justification as to why this crime is specifically naval. “That obstetrician once sold paint to a sailor. This is our case now.”

What has being part of a show like CSI taught you about improv that you may not of known before?

CSI was my first improv show (not counting student shows at the Tokyo Comedy Store) so it’s been tied into my entire improv journey. Most unique to my experience with CSI, which is now in its tenth year, has been being part of an evolving creative team for this long. And I mean us individually evolving, not just new members joining. We’ve passed the point at which none of the atoms that made up our bodies when we first played Edinburgh are still part of us. It gives me a lot of perspective on the different phases we’ve gone through and how we’ve all changed to support each other and the show.