Manila Improv Festival has invited us! Help us get there.

We have opened a Kickstarter. http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/491970635/improv-musical-madness-to-manila-improv-festival-a-0 Please goto the link and share it, back us and hope that we get all the backing needed to get us there! We have ONLY 9 days. Thank you, Nathan

Ludus Ludius' perform 20 minute improvised musical (the rehearsal songs)

In our rehearsal for the Newport Comedy Festival where we performed our 20 minute improv comedy musical, Ludus Ludius Improv do songs based on a couple of suggestions.

In this song we had just stolen a melody and reeling off that we go into this tune, "Two Pints o Guiness"



In this song we started again as we lost inspiration, but we got a song out after. Not the best song, but certainly catchy.



In this song we found and lost our feet, but I blame... "Radiation Sickness"

A big thank you goes to the improvisers that gave so much effort into this show, Charlie Hammond, Osian Llew and Nathan Keates. Each improviser showed a tremendous amount of energy in the festival too for Tin Shed Production's Launch Pad 2011, as apart of the Newport Comedy Festival. Our "Racoon's Fishy G**ch" blew them away that night and we can be glad to gain such comments as "...you've been the best in this half..." We were in the first half, just in case you were wondering.

Check out www.ludusludius.co.uk for more details of workshops and performances.

11th Week of Rehearsals

This week it was back to Nathan, the person now typing, to be the director. With the knowledge that we are rapidly running out of foreseen time together before other projects and journeys have to happen, I had to make the exploration concise and productive.
Focusing on complicité and also concluding any issues and format queries that we were encountering. The first rehearsal of the week was okay and we had troubles with losing interest making the run all on one player to keep the whole piece together. Clearly not fair on that person nor productive on trying to ‘follow the follower’ instead of have one player leading.
Using the games we had been using with Ana, we added in some complicité games too. We couldn’t rehearse as much this week, but with one player’s confusion of times and venues we stumbled upon some wonderful energy and playfulness: Which has always been the key to Ludus Ludius. Using this, seemingly, we couldn’t play the usual rules to a warm-up game... ‘Crack’. It ended up being about delivering spontaneous objects to one player who either took it or gave it to another. We discovered 80s rap in the style of Beastie Boys and how sticking to the rules of that are difficult but crucial. We also had fun with ‘What are you doing?’ and ‘Questions Only’. Initiating with some nostalgic memories of what we have liked from the past. There was so much.
From the weariness of the first rehearsal of the week we needed to remember all the great moments we have had even in times where we were nowhere near the format itself. Now we were doing half runs, exploring the opening of the show and how that runs into the rest. We used TV Channel to get us in the mindset of exploring ‘perception’. We tried a ‘Rupert’ opening stolen from MissImp in Nottingham. We also used improvising art game that I thought I had invented, but I’ve played it from someone else’s facilitation too now. Thus it’s a common game that been around for ages.
All in all we ended on a good run. Now to slot it all together and name it cooked, ready to serve and be eaten.

What's happening now?

With some big projects on the go at the moment, we take the time to enjoy the beauty of sharing.

Improvisation is a shared experience. With an audience its a wider sharing too. Tales of great depth and lovely humour can be in conjunction with the trauma of being spontaneous. Spectators revel and improvisers play. All from a suggestion that may have been grabbed from the onlookers.

Instead of grabbing some form of suggestion from NTW for this blog though, I shall just type. And thus share.

A little about us: As you may know or may not, Ludus Ludius Improvisation Theatre Company was founded in 2007 by Nathan Keates and Matt Mills. We began to create theatre through improvised playfulness. Now we are a collective. Various performers, artists, actors, dancers, musicians and obviously improvisers are called upon when a project could be ideal for whom ever. Ludus Ludius are moving towards applying improvisation skill and techniques to those that may benefit personally, socially, emotionally and collaboratively. This therefore means that along with productions that we explore and workshops we share, move to applied improv.

A workshop that is coming that we are sharing the art form through is open to all. People in the theatrical world and those that aren't. This generally makes for better improvisation in any case and is always really interesting. In a weekend workshop we shall cover the basics of improvisation. Covering topics from Keith Johnstone, Viola Spolin, John Wright, Chris Johnston and some from the infamous Nathan Keates (amongst others). By the end of the weekend you should have a good understanding of the art form of improvisation and can stroll through the wonders that is your journey to the unknown.

We call the process the 'journey to the unknown' because no one can tell you how to improvise and everyone has a different 'journey' or process to finding their approach that suits them.

Next Weekend is planned for: Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July '11, 10am - 5pm @ Rummer Tavern
(14 Duke Street - Opposite the castle)

Book via: www.ludusludius.co.uk > Workshops (tab)

Or Skiddle, Brown Paper Tickets or Eventbrite

And the ALMIGHTY Edinburgh Fringe production that we are rehearsing for too. Read about it on Ideastap or our Blog. Initially set out as aiming to explore an emblem or theme/issue spontaneously and improvisationally as a free-form long-form improvisation and now after months of processing we are nearing the stage where we can state what it is. This very day we opened the rehearsal sentimentally and reflectively. It was nice to recall what we have done in the past and use that energy to look to the future.

Subsequently we are previewing the production, 'Emblem: Spontaneous Thoughts on Perception' in ATRium Studio (CB218) on Wednesday 8th June, 7pm. Its free, but it is a fundraiser so help us out and come support a welsh-based production get to Edinburgh. (I know there are more than just this show that is going from Wales). There is some welsh in the show too, perhaps. It may not arrive on the preview - lets see.

Do not panic if you are busy as we are also previewing in London near the end of June. With a lot of other Edinburgh Fringe previews. That will take place in Balham in South London. The Bedford is the home of great shows and some massive famous names have played in the venue. Even great improv has been shown there. The likes of Hoopla have used the venue a lot in the past.

Once more if you do not make that date either, then there is always the run itself in Edinburgh to come to. It would be advised that you come anyway, whether or not you saw a preview. Mainly advisable as the previews are where we fine tune it for the fringe itself and thus not the complete finished product.

Kiwi Bar @ Walkabout (Venue #344), Leith St nr the railway. From Sunday 14th August - Saturday 20th August, 20.45pm - 21.45pm. Free entry there too, but donations welcome to make sure we survive doing the fringe.

So what's happening with Ludus Ludius? A lot, big projects.

10th Week of Rehearsals

Still with the lovely Ana Diaz directing and as with last week the focus has been ironing out (and sometimes bashing out until we get the idea) the small problems. One of the games which we all seem to have gone the hang of is to die in 30 seconds. Exactly. This has given us all a sense of time, for some being too quick but mainly a certain tendency to drag things out has been noted. Unfortunately this came into this weeks game of 5,4,3,2,1 where we used half of our time limit in the first round, but we certainly picked up the pace after that.

Some further exploration of the perception idea and the start of the show has led to the possibility of opening with a combined drawing from all of us of an ideal object (probably one suggested from the audience) such as ideal women, car, home, and then a discussion around this. Then we hope to incorporate some of our perception based questions to the audience as well to allow us plenty of material and spontaneous ideas to work with.

However, at this stage there seems to be a drop in energy levels, we seem to go from highs to lows, and there is a need to revitalise our improvisation skills by pushing into new boundaries, new situations and new risks. The known and comfortable are dull; the risky and spontaneous is compelling.

- Charlie Hammond

Edinburgh Fringe Photoshoot 2

This last Wednesday we had a small photoshoot. These images are going to be adapted to suit the purpose, obviously. However there was a huge amount of fun with these and some great moments can be seen in them.

And now for some more of the pictures... Thank you Matt Mills, who took these.

Last two now!

Here...

Our Edinburgh Fringe Production

After three weekends of rehearsals and a photo shoot for a title image we have...

Weekend One we played with some Portuguese in Bute Park and killed off a middle aged man with a baby wolf whilst the rabbits flooded the village of South America. Also the baboon didn't get his smelly way!

Weekend Two we had a transgender politician who had to come to terms with his or her original desires of playing the piano.

Weekend Three we had more politics when we had a chair law which became rebelled against by a murmuring Scottish rapper. Also, how artist like Gainsborough are nothing to children. Nonetheless they who grow up to the same struggle and unemployment in fits of jealousy and raging pains towards the successful.

Photographer: Stefani Johnson Photography

Ludus Ludius Launches TV stream

Improvised telly online from the Playful Cardiff Improvisers, Ludus Ludius.

With a 24/7 stream of improvised archived television programming and live events too, you can enjoy the jollity of improv all day every day.

Visit us now to have a look, www.ludusludius.co.uk

We are always building new programmes for you to catch, so soon enough we can have a daily schedule of when a programme is showing.

The start of Ludus Ludius Youth

For young people aged 11 to 18, the workshops will delve into the unknown with hilarity and jollity. Developing performers spontaneity and ensemble skills for the purpose of improvised performances.
Creating theatre through improvised playfulness.

All Change in Cardiff with Improv

Now Ludus Ludius Improvisation Theatre Company are going crazy with projects.

Check out our newly updated website for the full details. With new developing shows and great new projects like voluntary workshops for people with learning difficulties upcoming. Possibly developing into a more permanent scheme rather than what it currently stands at.

• Connect with Other Theatre Artists or Improvisers
• Street Jams
• Learning Difficulties
• Weekend Intensive Improv
• Glamorgan Improv Troupe
• Afterschool Club still available
• Physical Improv with sound
• And many more...

So visit: http://www.ludusludius.co.uk/ or email nathan@ludusludius.co.uk for details.