The Pun

Sitdown not Standup: The Crew

By Jenny Wynter ⋅ May 25, 2006 ⋅  Email This Post ⋅  Print This Post ⋅ Post a comment

Since its inception in 2001, The Crew has performed over two-hundred shows, seen its members proceed to successful performing careers and in the process established itself as the longest running and most successful weekly improv show in Australia.

But this is hardly the time to get lazy.

‘We’ve spent the majority of the last four years doing short-form, which is often described as ‘jumping through hoops for the audience’,’ says Rob Lloyd, The Crew’s Artistic Director. ‘Then late last year we decided to use 2005 to explore new and challenging forms of improv, to plant some seeds for experimentation and make things more interesting for us and our audiences.’

Such was the inspiration behind Instant Musical Odyssey, The Crew’s festival show. Evolving from a ten minute warm-up game, the show blends several different short-form improv formats with song to produce an hour of musical storytelling.

From an initial collection of scenes where actors take turns offering a character, the audience decides which character’s story they’d like to see fleshed out. Narrated by Musical Director Dan Walmsley, a musically charged story ensues with genres, styles and other ideas all being audience led.

‘So far we’ve done a musical presenting the story of a vampire and its arch-nemeses the slayers, and another about a goat on a quest to find its name…so really it can go anywhere!’

Started after the 2001 Comedy Festival as a playful Sunday hang-out for comedians at The Comic’s Lounge, The Crew quickly gathered unexpected momentum until, Rob says, ‘we realised we could achieve some goals from this.’ Five years later and their weekly show Impro Sundae still attracts regular fans.

‘I think what excites audiences is that it is all completely made up on the spot, and there’s a real danger in that, which we really embrace. We like to show the mechanics of it, show the minds working and the challenge of it. I think there’s a temptation to make impro look too perfect’but the audience doesn’t want to see perfection, they want to see the challenge. That’s the thrill.’

And what makes a good improviser? ‘Those who make the the other person look good, who just ‘do’ and don’t ‘think’ too much, and above all, who aren’t afraid to show their personality on stage. Audiences don’t want airs and graces, then there’s nothing to relate to. You have to be smart, confident and funny’and yourself.’