One Night at the Roxbury

It's a cool winter Thursday night on the street of Glebe. I am walking to the Roxbury hotel, using my phone to tell me where to go. It's about 13 degrees, which isn't too bad considering the time of year, and I'm really, really excited. I'm getting to perform as part of the Roxbury Festival of Awesome Improv tonight.

Due to crazy shenanigans, I'm in Sydney for the comic convention, but have come down early after arranging to get some stage time with the sydneysiders. Im excited because of the chance to perform with these guys, but fearful of doing a sub-standard performance and sullying the good name of Brisbane impro. I've had bad experiences previously with traveling impro, and am keen to avoid a repeat showing.

But enough about me - I'm only in the late, late show - there are three performances to get to before I get on stage.

I meet up with my friend Ben, who has come well out of his way to come and see me strut my stuff, and we move into the welcoming heat of the Roxbury. Upstairs, I see some familiar faces and say "Hi" to the sydney crowd. Jason Geary is there from Melbourne as well, also for one night only, and there are some great folks to see - Rebecca diunamuno is vivacious as ever, Marko Mustac and her are directing the show I'm in, called 'the conversation'. But that's a fair way off.

First up is a all women troupe called Pink Lady - they do a Harold riff with a director, framed as an independent film. I enjoy it, although there is a moment of confusion in the final act - everyone just breezes past it, so it's cool. I am taking notes furiously during the performance - I gotta mine these guys for new impro tech.

Speaking of new impro tech, the next performance is a format that Jason has come up with called "How About This". It's ingenious in it's simplicity, and comes from a solid base of inspiring the players. So naturally, the players provide some inspired scenes from the ideas.

I am totally going to rip this idea off for my next impro jam. 

There's some quality performers on show, and Daniel Cordeaux is tearing the house down (in my mind). Or maybe just tearing my mind down, in the house. There's a particularly old scene about superheroes at high school, where when one young hero lam ants the loss of his wingman in getting a date, another trainee hero flaps his way onto stage - it's wingman, of course.

Overall I really enjoy the show - it didn't threaten to become high art at any point, but it was still great entertainment.

Following this is "The Wishing Tree" and I am very excited about seeing this, as we did the format a few years back, and although I have rehearsed and performed in the show, I have never seen it performed.

I put my wish on the tree, hoping it gets picked, and then settle in to watch.

The players are still settling in to the format, and I think I detect a subtle bit of uncertainty in some sections, but overall these guys know their stuff, and I am very entertained and amused by the performance. Once again, Daniel is kicking the impro ass... I think I've developed an impro crush on him.

The Wishing Tree remains an excellent format - I truly hope we get to do it again sometime soon. The performers pick wishes (written by the audience before the show) from a tree, and make them true (through impro). Wether the wish is to make glances speak volumes or that they don't have to move back with their parents, they go unexpected and sometimes delightful places.

Next up is the show I'm performing in, and the last show of the night. I had been fretting all week about this - I've had a few really bad experience with performing out of the "safety zone" of Brisbane, and although the last interstate show I was a part of was truly a highlight of my performance career (for me, at least, I can't speak for the audience), I still had lingering doubts about how things would go.

It's always tough being injected into a play environment where you don't know the other players, their strengths, foibles and the "metagame" as you were. And they, of course, don't know your style of play.

However, in the end I should not have worried. The show go well, and Marko & Rebecca (the directors) seemed happy with how it went. I was a little reticent to get on stage to begin with, but after a little while I was hogging the stage with the best of them.

The format is "The Conversation" - basically two people (not performers, per se) have a conversation. Previously this had been an interview with a celebrity guest, but this night their celeb pulled out so it was just a conversation between Marko Mustac and Dave Bloustien.

Do some support work for Jason who ends up doing a solo song, somewhat unexpectedly. I then go with my inspiration and start a few scenes... I expect they'll actually go a bit longer than they did, but I guess they told all the story they needed.

I particularly enjoy being a concerned patron at a strip club ("Aren't you cold?! Would you like to borrow my jacket!?!" )

After the show, Marko and a few others comment that it was the best “Conversation“ yet, and I was really happy to be part of it. After a few more back slaps and goodbyes, I help the musician move his stuff to his car (it's the least you can do for someone who adds so much to the show), and head off the Ben's place.

I have a long weekend of selling comics and scmoozing at Supanova to come, and sleep would be great. But I did have a fantastic time and am already looking forward to the week long improvisation orgy that is "Improvention” - coming in just over a month's time.

This festival was a great chance to connect with some fellow impro heads from around Sydney (and Australia), and if the rest of the nights of the Festival of Awesome Improv were as enjoyable as this one, then it can only be considered an unqualified success!