All this month, we are interviewing the improv team Canny Funny. A troupe that is located in Northampton who have monthly shows as well as some huge ones coming up in the next month. They have their Halloween show on the 27th October and then have two shows at the same location, Pomfret Arms in Northampton on the 24th November and 15th December. All this month we are going behind the scenes of the team to find out all about them. This week we are celebrating everything is Halloween!

It is the month of Halloween and you have a spooky themed show! Tell us about that!

We will be putting a Canny Funny twist on your favourite games 

Will you be in a fancy dress – if so what can you tell us about your outfits?

You will have to come and see what we come up with , but we do love a fancy dress opportunity . 

“...see us squirm at having to do something with the most horrible gruesome suggestions you can come up with...”

DAvid P, Canny Funny

What is the best thing about performing a show at this time of year?

Toni: Being able to mix up our games with “seasonal humour” AND wearing costumes of course!

Autumn :The smell of autumnal evenings when you leave the venue.

David P: The show becomes a little more of an event, getting new audience members in looking for something that they get to tailor to their particular seasonal interests.

Craig: Sweets

Jen: Fancy dress and making up terrible puns for our usual games ! ” Interview switch”

Neesha: People love to give outlandish, ghoulish suggestions, and Halloween is perfect for stories/ sketches that can take an unexpected eerie turn!

What is the best spooky suggestion you have been given before?

Toni :Visiting a haunted house

Autumn: Headless horseman.

David P: This will be my first Halloween show so I’m just looking forward to what gets thrown at us.

Craig: Possessed cookbook

Jen: We did a Playbook using the script of the Exorcist which was incredible

Neesha A Halloween party where the kids were banished to a tree house ( they were 40 years old) and the grandparents were ghosts who lived in the basement.

What is your favorite horror film?

Toni :I’m not a big “horror film” fan, so spoof horror like “Scream” etc.

Autum: Genuinely tough. The original Bosch Christmas is great. If tremors counts, tremors wins though.

David P: Alien

Craig: Candyman (1992)

Jen: Not a massive fan of horror but do like The Evil Dead

Neesha: There’s too many too choose from. The most recent is Get Out.

Favourite spooky thing to create on stage and why?

Toni: Unlikely conversations between say Dracula and an escaped parrot

Autumn I massive spider. I can’t remember when or why, but it was genuinely creepy. Four improvisers all moving as one, creating a cursed image on stage

David P Exploring a museum of haunted objects

Craig General dread and foreboding. In improv, I think the unknown is far scarier than the specific.

Jen It would have to be a musical number based on Halloween

Neesha Opening squeaky gates and plodding footsteps, as I love doing sound effects.

Tell us about previous Halloween shows what has been the highlight?

Toni Seeing how the audience got in the mood, and started feeding us fun suggestions

David P Not mine, but the musical about the Whitby Goth Festival was amazing

“…Halloween is perfect for stories/ sketches that can take an unexpected eerie turn!“

Neesha, Canny Funny

What do you think will be the most popular suggestion for this show?

Toni Probably werewolves, ghosts and pumpkins

Autumn Pumpkin

David P Pumpkin dildo.

Craig Broomstick

Jen witches ( Northampton had some people tried as witches and hung in the local park – that’s a cheery thought)

Neesha Vampires and pumpkins

What would be your favourite suggestion to be given?

Toni: A witch’s cat interviewing a prospective “owner”

David P: Scooby Doo

Craig: Telekinesis

Jen: Black cats

Neesha: Transformation into a werewolf at the hairdresser.

Finally why should people come to this show?

Toni:  For an unforgettable (never to be repeated) evening’s entertainment

Autumn: Because there’s nothing like it. It’s a guaranteed evening of laughs and madness

David P: To see us squirm at having to do something with the most horrible gruesome suggestions you can come up with.

Craig :Hugely fun cheap night out.

Jen:You will never see this show again so don’t miss out!

Neesha: To have a great laugh and forget their troubles for a few hours.