Edinburgh Preview (Cardiff): Emblem Spontaneous Thoughts on Perception

It was 6:45pm and we had just got into our warm-up when I, Nathan took on to see who may well be turning up. I looked outside to see a vast crowd of air. However when visiting the crowd downstairs I found our audience. The loveliest fact was that the numbers kept coming in making our cameraman become an usher. Due to this rather premature fetching of our audience we did start five or so minute too early. No one that came in at seven o’clock missed much of the opening exploration of the suggestion.

So I, Nathan opened the show like any other improvisation show. Apart from keeping them waiting in a semi-amused state beforehand with a meet and greet of who we had. Even managed to get a doorstep, sorry I was corrected doorstop. What is one little letter in a word anyway. A ship is still a ship with a little letter changed? We began with enough energy to start a wind turbine and plenty of interaction. Warming their suggestions up with the norm: names, colour, and holiday destination. Wasting no more time we started the show.

Our suggestion was ice cream, and they were amused, shocked that the next hour would be all on ice cream. To be quite honest in a normal long-form show that would be one of the best suggestions ever! Our show isn’t normal, but the stuff we got was pretty cool.

The show comprises of drawing, processworks*, scenes and alternative skills. Using the content of what we have done in the past we surpassed my expectations of the preview production ‘s possibilities by far. The cast worked well and hard and picked up on the offers and utilised alsorts of wonderful ‘adds’ to scenes that enhanced them tremendously. Recently we saw a return of a game we played once in rehearsal months ago and it turned up in the show too. These moments of agreeing and doing are wonderful to watch and definitely beautiful to be in.

Well done cast for such an amazing production to be in and great to be onstage with you all.

We have one more preview booked currently:

The Ballroom in The Bedford, Balham, South London – Saturday 30th July 2011, 1pm.
It’s a part of a mini-festival of Edinburgh Previews.

We are in Edinburgh for PBH’s Free Fringe:

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout, Omni Centre, Leith Street – Sunday 14th August – Saturday 20th August 2011, 8.45pm (1 hour show)

~ Nathan Keates

* Processworks is based on Improbable's 2007 show where they used it as a freeing method of discussing.

Young Spontaneity

It is human nature to be spontaneous. When we are young toddlers we are intrigued by a lot. This state of being is useful. We learn we discover and we don't hold any prejudice over what we discover or see. As adults it is remarkably the opposite. However we still have no choice to be spontaneous.

What changes the inquisitive nature of the child as we grow up? Keith Johnstone blames the education system. This could well be true, but what I see is more than that. Its the social implications of being seen as a bit too risky, a bit too wild. A person that can and will do anything at any point is too much to comprehend. In a romantic relationship its a common request that, I want my partner to be more spontaneous. Why is this a request? You play too safe and we get bored. What life can be when we are more spontaneous is therefore not boring.

Even as an audience in watching an improv show, if the players keep doing the safe games in the same roles in a classic format, then it does become more tedious and too safe. (Short-form improvisational comedy shows are classically formatted by various games played which have players in certain roles in the game the scenes that are created are never the same; however the format can be).

We do not like feeling safe: What is a mid-life crisis? Is it someone who has lived their life without risk and change? If this is an agreeable statement, then perhaps our young community needs more spontaneity to allow this to continue through their lives. If its not an agreeable statement, then we can further the connection, but lets leave that to another time.

The reason that this article is written is due to Ludus Ludius Youth having been run for awhile now and the experience of the young improvisational players having sporadic imaginations or the polar opposite. We are in fact aiming for the more difficult task not because of a personal choice, but as its the more suitable option for the players. Tight, restrictive rules are seemingly always too much. Freer scene work is preferable. Personally, every time that we explore something new, be it a new group or age range then we all learn and discover something new.

Young spontaneity in these days is highly interesting. Do you want to watch? Do you want to participate? Do you think we should keep spontaneity flowing through all our life, not just the very young?

Its easy to share your thoughts and get involved with this, email nathan@ludusludius.co.uk and join our mailing list or share thoughts and ask to part-take.

FREE Improv Jam in Cardiff

Hello,
FREE Improvisation workshop (To take part or watch).
On Monday 30th March 09, at 6pm in the Meeting room of Cathays Youth and Community Centre, 36 Cathays Terrace in Cardiff; Ludus Ludius Improv Theatre Co will be running a free improv workshop. To improvise we spontaneosly create and in the workshops we play towards creating theatre through improvised playfulness.
Thank you for your time,
Nathan Keates
nathan@ludusludius.co.uk
www.ludusludius.co.uk

Free Improv Workshops Deal

Refer a Friend and get a free improv workshop with Ludus Ludius.

New promotion especially for you and your friends. Start improvising playfulness and have a great time with your pals.

Book your workshops now to get this offer. Wednesdays at 7PM in Cardiff, we shall improvise!

For more information visit: www.ludusludius.co.uk
Alternatively email nathan@ludusludius.co.uk