Whisked Away
I didn't post throughout all of October! Where did the time go?
The Season of the Witch was indeed a tricky one. This past week I have felt exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally. Perhaps the best reason to work out why is to look back at the whirlwind that was last month.
Improv Rules and How to Break Them
Starting at the end of September and running for six weeks, this was the very first of what I hope will be a series of projects that I’m running as research for my book. I learned a lot and I feel those who participated also did, although maybe not in the ways we expected. I think this is going to need to be its own blog post!
In the meantime though, tickets and details for the next project starting in February have just been released: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/charlieveromartin/1450949
These sessions will take place on Thursday afternoons and as well as experienced improvisers, these sessions are also open to experienced actors and comedians with no previous improv training but would like to learn how to perform improv comedy. All participants must be able to commit to the six sessions, be comfortable taking direction/feedback and open to trying a range of exercises from different art forms.
Hoopla Level 1
I’m only teaching one course for Hoopla this term but it’s been a good un. A really enthusiastic and committed group of improv newbies who have thrown themselves into it. There are a lot of different languages, cultures and nationalities in this group and it’s been so fun to watch them discover improv together.
Eggbox with Joz Norris
This was a fantastic night! Lots of comedians trying out new scripts and showcasing short films and sketches. It was lovely to bump into so many old friends and new. There is so much talent and exciting stuff going on in comedy… if only someone would commission some of it.
I also saw a WIP of Joz’s show You Wait. Time Passes which was a delight. It’s always interesting to watch comedians you love doing WIPs of their next big thing, especially when you’re not stressed about writing a show yourself!
I recommend subscribing to Joz’s substack for future dates and Eggboxes.
One of the homework options I gave my Improv Rules and How to Break Them students was to “Experience music in a new way by either listening to a whole album straight through, trying a new genre or going to watch live music”. When I lived in Edinburgh I used to love going to gigs in grubby bars and cellars but since moving to London (and especially since the pandemic) I barely see any bands. Soooo when my former Level 3 improv student Gad invited me to watch his band, I decided to do my own homework and marched on up to Camden. I’ve always felt there’s a lot of overlap between musicians and comedians so it was nice to reconnect with that scene. And his band were brilliant! Give them a go if you like your rock music with a bit of country and blues.
Bellinis and Belly Laughs - Jollity at The Hearth
It was such a joy to host a workshop at The Hearth, which is a beautiful space full of incredibly supportive and inspiring women. Many were nervous and had no idea what to expect but everyone got involved and by the end of the 90 minutes were full of confidence and giggles. It was great fun and I’m so excited that some of them have now signed up to my Improv for Business and Personal Development course in January! There are still offers and an early bird discount until the end of the month so book your place now before it’s too late:
Oppela!
Yes, I am now in an Italian improv group. No, I’m not Italian. It has definitely given me even more respect for ESL improv students. That said it has also reminded me how to improvise without depending on words all the time, which is something I’d like to make clearer in my teaching.
Whilst I’ve missed gigging and writing a show, it’s been really nice to go watch a lot of shows and particularly new writing. It was lovely to see Katy’s play at the Omnibus Theatre. I know Katy pretty much exclusively as an improviser so I was excited to see what she had in store. It was a really engaging and original play with a brilliant cast and stunning visuals.
I loved creating this bespoke team building and communication workshop for Adobe. It’s really motivating and refreshing to work with managers who can recognise the benefits of practising improv and sharing that with their team. Why not find out for yourself by booking a free consultation with me now: www.jollitycoaching.com/services
A lot of you will remember Daniella from that time I locked her in a dog cage and covered her in fake blood for a month. But did you know she is also a very talented writer/actor/director?? This trio that makes up Five Pigeons Pecking a Bin Bag are a brilliant theatre company creating original, bold, funny work. I saw an earlier version of this play last year in an “eco-friendly” venue in the centre of Canary Wharf that was pretty much only lit by the empty office buildings surrounding it. It was nice to see them in their full glory in the Central Film School and also to see how much the show had evolved. Definitely follow them if you care about supporting new theatre.
I was very honoured to be asked by Mikey Bligh-Smith to be a director/mentor on this project. This was the last in a series of four workshops funded by Arts Council England that Mikey had organised in which he pairs up new comedy acts who with directors. He did a great job of setting up a playful yet productive atmosphere and matching the acts that had applied with relevant practitioners. I had a fab time working with Hannah Whyte who is a wonderful artist, writer and stand-up who was interested in taking her first forays into character comedy. By the end of the session she had created the hilarious persona of Roger Prick. Sadly I couldn’t make the showcase but it sounds like she smashed it!
I’m loving doing more 1-1 directing and coaching so please get in touch if you’d like help with your latest act or project. You can also sign-up to my next Character Comedy Course in February - tickets are selling fast!
I’ve heard about this show so many times over the years and was glad I finally booked it - and with Ralph Little! This is a “solo” play in which every night a different actor who has never seen the show or read the script performs it for the first time live. The actor enters the stage and pulls the script from a sealed envelope. From then on they are reading as the actor and the playwright, occasionally pulling people up from the audience to act out other parts. It’s an interesting experiment that also reflects upon themes of social responsibility and censorship as the script acts as a direct link to the playwright writing from Iran in 2010.
We have finally reached number 12, witching hour, and how better to finish off the post and the month with a Weirdos finale. This was chaotic, cathartic and very fun. I love performing with Weirdos and after working on my own for so long it was comforting to be back in the buzz of such warm and creative people. This was a true Weirdos show in that it was a cast of thousands, high concept, big characters and no one knew what was going on. In many ways stressful but you can’t help but revel in it.
I loved getting to play Van Helsing and go all out with face paint and accents and dumb jokes. The Weirdos is the closest I think I’ll ever feel to being in the Muppets and Adam Larter is 100% Kermit the Frog - and we love him for that.
So that was October. No wonder I’m tired.