Tell Us about:

Your latest improv show:

We’re hosting a free night at Shoreditch Balls in East London every last Tuesday of the month, and you can get free tickets here – it’s three acts with a jam that’s open to all

In terms of the actual improv we do at those shows, here are some recent examples:

Rosie: There were bees causing trouble, death by the patriarchy and a cancelled half-marathon. 

Robin: And Carly did some inspired writhing around the base of chair when her character was confronted by Rosie’s character’s deeply unfeminist approach to relationships. It was like watching some one drop a basket of snakes onto the stage, quite extraordinary.

Andy: We just started doing something called “But what are we really talking about?” Where the subtext of the scene will get called out at some point by one of the performers. It’s a lovely way of flipping a scene and getting to the heart of the matter at the same time. Most of our formats are really just improv exercises with a lick of paint and fresh, funky branding. You should see our 90 minute improv show: “Ship, Shap, Gloing”

Your favourite suggestion you have been given?

Andy: “Put crisps in that sandwich”. But that was my bf at home, not at an improv show.

Carly: The character name “Dodge Matrix” 

Your favourite venue to perform at: 

Andy: I’ve been really loving Shoreditch Balls, where we host monthly and are occasionally lucky enough to guest when others are kind enough to invite us.

Robin: Oh yes, to the Balls. That’s my current answer, split with the Miller – the walls are just soaked with so much improv there, and the floors with beer. My old answer was the dearly departed Nursery Theatre at Broadgate. Ah, memories.

Carly: The Miller definitely feels like improv home.

Improv hero:

Rosie: Katy Schutte

Andy: Too many. But saw TJ and Dave at the Soho Theatre the other week and their effortless creation of a world made me so happy.

Carly: Oh there’s many, but I’ll mention Matthew Cosgrove from the Descendants for his commitment to a point of view or character without any inhibitions, and somehow never corpsing at his own hilariousness.

Dream venue to play at:

Robin: I went to a play at Soho Place Theatre recently and god the theatre is lovely. The lighting is awesome and it’s in the round. I’d love to have the ambition to try to fill a place like that but I don’t, so I think my actual answer is to experiment in a much, much smaller venue that allows you to play in the round. I find that really interesting, people being able to see the improv from so many angles.

Andy: I’d love to join Austentatious on stage somehow.

Carly: The Comedy Store Players at the Comedy Store! 

Describe the feeling you get when you walk on stage to do a show:

Rosie: Oh s*** I have nothing right now but these guys (Robin, Andy and Carly) are awesome and I trust we will make this great.

Robin: Right at the start of the show it’s a mix of, I would like to be in this first scene but I would also be quite happy watching it. Which sometimes leads to lazy editing on my part. Part of me just loves seeing how long things can go on for but it’s not always helpful. What will the next beat be??!?

Andy: Usually calm excitement. Unless I’ve not had enough to eat that day. In which case: empty headed panic. In those cases, I’m glad I have a team to support me.

Carly: A thrill of anticipation and big gratitude that I get to be creative on stage with super people.

The hardest improv suggestion to perform and why:

Robin: I think the first answer that comes to mind are the classics, like ‘gynaecologist’, but to be fair I’m not sure that’s ever actually happened to me. I think anything that has the potential to make anyone on stage (or the audience, for that matter) uncomfortable would be my actual answer, although there’s a challenge there, in turning it into something you can play with – it’s not a challenge I personally relish, though. I did make a mess of that one time and it haunts me a little.

Andy: Honestly, I’m not sure. Suggestions are just that. They’re tools we use to honour the audience, rather than rules to beat ourselves to death with. Though, sometimes a suggestion that gives me a really really clear idea can be hard, as I can get hyper fixated on it and then I don’t listen as well to other performers.

Carly: There’s always something that can be done with every suggestion! 

Essential items you always take with you to a show?

Rosie: My mime mascara is always in my pocket in case I run out of inspiration. 

Robin: I have worn the same pair of black and white Vans for literally every in-person improv show I’ve done since the late 2010s. I don’t use them for anything else. They’re starting to fray a little, they’re both old and new at the same time.

Andy: Recently, a sandwich, a pint and a bag of fortune cookies. The sandwich and pint are for me. The cookies are for the performers in our monthly jam.

Describe your fans in three words:

Rosie: we have fans?

Andy: We have fans?

Carly: Swipe Right’s fans. 

What we can look forward to from you this year: 

Robin: We’ve really enjoyed running our monthly night at Shoreditch Balls, especially when you see people out and about elsewhere that you’ve seen at the night (it happened at TJ & Dave in August). A highpoint recently was our August show, when we had Razowsky & Munns and Peasoup Comedy in, two very delightful acts in very different ways and the first pairing are, of course, walking talking improv legends. Every night has something special about it but that one was definitely a highlight and we were really pleased it came off as well as it did. We have a lot of great acts booked for later in the year, including Ten Thousand Million Love Stories in November – that’s a rare chance to see that show and I’d really recommend it.

Andy: Hopefully a greater capacity to listen. Definitely, more monthly improv at Shoreditch Balls. And my country album drops in November.

Carly: We will be supporting Oasish, the number 1 Oasis tribute band, at Towngate Theatre Basildon. 

IF YOU ARE A COMEDIAN OR IMPROV ACT WANTING TO FEATURE IN THIS ARTICLE THEN EMAIL PHOENIXREMIXCOMEDY@GMAIL.COM FOR MORE INFORMATION