Tell us about:

Your latest improv show:

Degrees of (T)error present: Murder, She Didn’t Fright! We are spine-tinglingly excited to be bringing back our Halloween special version of our classic improvised murder mystery, with a spooky twist. Instead of your classic murder mystery characters, what if a mummy, the wolfman, and a vampire found themselves in a whodunnit?

For us as performers, it’s a chance to play with the boundaries of our format and dress up in ridiculous costumes! It’s become a Halloween tradition and one of our favourite times of the year.

Your favourite suggestion you have been given?

Last year, we had some wonderful suggestions that resulted in some truly brilliant (and of course very scary) shows! Last year one of our audiences suggested The Case of the Edible Cursed Tutu, which took place at a grave robbing. Priscilla (Daughter of Satan, Dark Queen of the Admin) was murdered by Wendy the Witch!

Your favourite venue to perform at:

Our home is the Bristol Improv Theatre, and for the run of this show we are transforming it into a haunted manor! Complete with tricks, treats, and a costume competition for the audience. I’m particularly proud of our themed signature cocktail – the Agatha Whiskey!

Improv hero:

Emily: We as a company have so many influences, it seems unfair to leave any out! But for me, I think a big influence for this version of the show is improv that plays around with horror and tension. Katy Schutte is a big inspiration for how I play these shows, as her scripted and improvised work often pushes at the boundaries between the funny and the frightening!

Dream venue to play at:

We would like to rent an actual haunted house in the middle of nowhere, where we are tormented by increasingly violent ghosts as we attempt to perform improvised comedy. If you feel like you own a suitable cursed dwelling, please do get in touch.

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

Our Halloween special has an extra element of excitement, as we are in full Halloween costume and makeup! So not only do you get the rush of knowing that you are about to jump into some improvised mischief with your friends, you also get the added sensation of delighting the audience immediately with your (frankly) absurd outfits.

The hardest improv suggestion to perform and why:

We try to base our murder mysteries in the classic period of the Agatha Christie whodunnit, so roughly the 1920s-40s. Suggestions that involve modern technology can require a bit of extra justification!

Essential items you always take with you to a show?

For our Halloween special, we have such a pre-show ritual of all getting made-up together. Therefore, our crate of Halloween makeup, hats and costumes is a must-have! (Last year we also made use of some blood packets…)

Describe your fans in three words:

Discerning, intelligent, spooky.

What we can look forward to from you this year:

As well as our Halloween special from the 31st of October to the 2nd of November, we are also bringing a Christmas special to the Bristol Improv Theatre! I Saw Mommy Killing Santa Claus brings you an improvised festive whodunnit, where a dysfunctional family have to figure out which one of them killed Santa! We’ll be performing from the 18th – 21st of December.

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