With the festival season over, there is one improv group where the show must go on and that is Showstopper! The Olivier Award winning improvised musical is set to travel to many locations around the United Kingdom this autumn which you can find out more about by clicking here. I spoke to cast members Lucy, Ruth and Phillip to find out more about it.

Hello Showstoppers, it is so lovely to meet you! Considering I am an improviser myself, I am very inspired by your work! So I am going to start off this interview with what are your favourite things about improv?

Hello there! This is Lucy, Ruth and Philip driving home from Derby Theatre after a lovely show. We love loads of different things about improv. Lucy loves how improv shows are co-created with the audience. Ruth loves that improv is the ultimate ephemera, created in that moment for that moment and could never be done again. And Philip likes getting paid to clown about.

What have been some of your favourite suggestions over the years?

Inside my mother’s head. Inside a snow globe. Greggs.

You are going on tour! What can you tell us about it?

Well right now we are in a car at 11pm, still 2 hours from home. It is as glamorous as it sounds. Improv is a great way to cope with long journeys and delays, but avoid the M1 late at night on weekends.

What is a suggestion you have not been given yet that you really want?

We love the suggestion of starring in our own film. Not on stage. An actual film so we can get a tour bus and be driven like Bon Jovi.

How do you warm up for a show?

We do a vocal warm up, a few lunges and have a piece of chewing gum or a cup of tea. The journey to the gig is a good warm up too – singing in the car and sharing silly stories.

How do you wind down afterwards?

After the get-out, we drive home and talk it through. We love how you remember little moments of the show throughout the journey.

What is your favourite thing about going on tour?

It’s great to see different parts of the country, to meet new and old fans, to hear accents and stories. Philip and Ruth like wearing crowns in Burger King whilst they eat. Lucy likes car games.

What is the most challenging?

Missing family. Missing pets. Traffic. Cost of travel. Finding a hotel that’s in budget. Timing your dinner and getting hangry. Finding a fork in the green room.

Finally – why should people come to see you live?

You can’t see us anywhere else! When you see us live you get to be part of the show, and every show is totally different. (Also we need the money please!).