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 speak to Comic Harmonic. Comic Harmonic are a musical improv trio based in Nottingham. They comprise Gary on keys, and Orla and Dave on vocals.The improv team have a double bill with Flower Freedom at Leicester Comedy Festival this Wednesday the 14th February from 9pm. Today we find out all about their favourite things about the improv world.

What is your Favourite:

Improv style

Dave: All the music!

Orla: Musical improv, but I also love a good longform narrative show.

Short form game:

Orla: I love watching Letter Replacement Therapy, and Should Have Said/New Choice.

Improv act :

Orla: Spontaneous Players, the group behind Spontaneous Potter and Spontaneous Sherlock.

Dave: Professional – Showstopper; Amateur – Improvabunga.

Film or television show:

Gary: Narrate/Film Noir is an old improv favourite, so It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia’s film noir episode was really special – beautiful and gross and clever and stupid all at the same time.

Orla: The Matrix. I took up Taekwondo way back when mainly because I thought the cast  looked so cool doing all those elaborately choreographed fight scenes. I think it’s for the best that Comic Harmonic don’t do musical improv stage fighting though… (yet?)

Venue to perform at:

Dave: The Nottingham Playhouse was pretty cool. As was getting to début Flower Freedom in Berlin…

Way to wind down:

Orla: These days, listening to the Off Menu Podcast. Comedians talking about food is pretty relaxing.

Way to warm up:

Gary: Run around the venue looking for the cable I’ve forgotten to bring.

Dave: Trying to stop punters from chatting to me/us (as nicely as possible!), so we can get on with some warm-ups…then I find Triplet is the best exercise for getting my ideas going…

Orla: If it’s a show, some time-efficient improv exercises that warm up vocals, brain, and limbs ideally at the same time, followed by crazy 8’s just before I go on stage to expel a little nervous energy.

If we have more time, say during a rehearsal, I enjoy ‘Story Story Rap.’ Gary lays down a beat on the keys and Dave and I collectively tell the story of a famous character of Gary’s choice through freestyle rap. Eminem can rest assured I won’t be taking his freestyle rap crown, but it helps wake my brain up, which for me is the most difficult thing to get into gear.

Suggestion:

Gary: I think it was what errands have you done today, ‘buying porcelain knobs’ the suggestion, this turned into a banger entitled ‘Put a Knob On It’. Orla’s withering sigh of ‘Oh God’ said it all… I regretted not having a cowbell to hand.

Dave: “Put knobs on it! Then have some fun…”

Orla:  I enjoyed obliging an audience members’ suggestion of creating a new ‘National Anthem,’ slightly more dignified than ‘Put a knob on it’, but not much!

Show by another improv act:

Gary: I was really impressed by Giddy Aunt who played at Leicester Comedy Festival last year – never seen so much energy on stage, and their keyboard player did a great beatboxing turn during the rap. Not going to happen with me!

Dave: I once saw The Maydays do a “rock opera journey through hell” – it was staggeringly good!

Orla: I was at that Maydays show, it was awesome! However I also stand by my previous answer of Spontaneous Potter by the Spontaneous Players.

Memory of a show:

Orla: Dave rapping about Peppa Pig, with encyclopaedic knowledge of the series.

Dave: It’s nice when you get a suggestion on something you know about…

Part of rehearsing a show:

Dave: Seeing the hard yards we’ve put in show through in what we produce.

Gary: Sometimes I just sit there enjoying these two putting on a brilliant show just for me, for free! Orla’s got a belting voice and Dave’s got a fantastic improv brain, both great at devising some great new games and twists on old ones.

Orla: Aw, thanks Gary, that’s lovely <3! I laugh a LOT at what these two come up with during rehearsals. 

Dave: I fear I might’ve given the wrong answer here…!

Thing about performing:

Dave: Knowing a room full of people have enjoyed their evening, and I’ve done my bit towards that.

Orla: I love it when the audience joins in, whether they’re singing the chorus for a song we only just made up, making sound effects at just the right bits, and of course their suggestions inspire the songs in the first place!

Quote:

Dave: “Here’s your lasagne, Dave.”

Orla: ‘Everything that has a beginning has an end.’ –  Agent Smith, the Matrix.
Bonus points if you say it with maximum gravitas after something mundane like finishing your ice cream.

Thing about the improv industry at the moment

Orla: The emergence of new improv festivals, that’s nice.

Dave: The variety in acts and the innovation in styles / formats.

Thing about this year so far?

Orla: The fact that there’s a lot left of it still!

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