Posts Tagged ‘Improv’

‘Tis the season to be jolly & there’s nothing like a good Panto to get you smiling so when we heard that ITSA Theatre Company were bringing their unique pantomime idea back to Cork we had to share the good news!

I’ll be honest. Improv scares me. It’s not that I don’t like or respect it as an art form it’s just that because of the nature of it’s very being you end up with a situation that means it is never going to be consistent. It will range from the purely awful to the wonderful via the awkward and puerile. It can’t always be “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” or can it?

Our MC for the evening was Neil Curran. He started the night off with that beloved choice of all improvisational comedians out there; the dragging of a poor unfortunate audience member up on stage. I can’t fault Neil for what was to follow as it didn’t make me laugh as much as I had hoped because the options given to him by the audience member weren’t great. But that’s not to outright blame the girl who came up on stage. It’s one of those things that will work this week and not the next. It was an example of what can go wrong at an improv. Neil tried… boy did he try. Having been one of those audience members in the past I know the feeling of it not working and the tension it causes within the venue. Oddly… it’s a lot more enjoyable up on stage in those instances I found.

On the night we had two improv troupes that were put together over the course of 2-3 months by Neil at his improv comedy classes. It was the quality of some of the content on the night that showed that Neil really is good at what he does and is a credit to getting these guys up on stage after such a short period.

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After a triumphant showing at the Craic Attack Final, the Princes Of Lagos are back doing what they do best, IMPROVISING a full two-hour show.For some of the best improvisers in the business are let loose and will be penetrating your ears with hilarity! They’ll be playing games a la Whose Line Is It Anyway and possibly doing a bit of Asssssssscat 3000 – if you are unfamiliar with these terms, then I’ll be posting stuff intermittently to show you what they are all about!

Excited? No? Well maybe watching these examples of what to expect will help…

Bet you’re excited now! Check out the Princes tonight in 4Dame Lane @ 9pm!

Where: 4Dame Lane

When: TONIGHT 29th Nov2012

Time: 9.05pm

We love to support new comedy here so when we heard about a free gig containing not one but Two new improv troupes we simply had to share it with you!

Having recently taken their own journey into the world of improvisation and humour, this showcase features performers who will take the audience on a journey into unscripted, unrehearsed long form improv comedy!

MC and tutor, Neil Curran, will be warming up the audience with a performance of his “Neil+1″ which features Neil and a random stranger from the audience!

Following this, we will see improvised performances from 2 improv troupes who will be creating audience inspired stories on stage:

“Laura’s Lads”
* Laura Lynham
* Johann Fox
* Peter Kilmeade
* Kevin Neary
* Doug Hinds
* Brian Worrell
* Eoin Carney

“Pipe Dream”
* Erin Hug
* Pearl O’Rourke
* Brenda Laffan
* Fiona Walsh
* Fiona Buckley

Entry to the event is free and we will be holding a fundraiser in aid of the Children’s Medical & Research Foundation in Crumlin Children’s Hospital. http://www.cmrf.org/main/index

The Bankers resident Improv troupe ‘The Craic Pack’ are celebrating their 10year anniversary this year & their experience certainly shone through during their performance on Friday last. As a first time visitor to The Bankers I was a little lost when I entered the bar but the staff were more than happy to direct me to the downstairs room that plays host to the weekly improv show. The room was intimate to say the least, you certainly wouldn’t want to be claustrophobic, but there was a very relaxed & warm atmosphere which meant the lack of space/comfort was quickly forgotten.

Performing on the night were Peter O’Byrne, Danny Kehoe, Sharon Mannion & Dermot Byrne. Each of them brought a unique flavour to the nights sketches but their true strength lay in their ability to support & challenge each other during the improv games they shared with us.  In particular the “murder mystery” game demonstrated how well the performers work together with Danny having to figure out who he had killed along with where and how the crime was committed by piecing together subtle clues from the ‘Gardaí’ (played by Peter and Dermot).

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