There is a brand new powerhouse-roundhouse of improvised comedy hijinks in London. It is made-up magic in between bouts of banter. Independently, we are Dave Waller and Ryan Millar, but together we are Marbles.
I first met Dave back in April, at a workshop given by Abandoman’s Rob Broderick. Shortly afterwards I wrote that he and I “are now not far from doing a hip-hop/improv/stand-up show. Seeds have been planted, are sprouting.”
On Tuesday evening we debuted that project. Marbles.
It involved much less hip-hop than I had predicted, but a whole lot of improvised scenes and banter and also, quite a lot of cupcakes.
We presented a forty minute show of scenes and bantered riffs. It was unpolished and new, but contained plenty of gems and potential. We mined some comedy seams of unchased dreams, jealousy and smells, among other things. Some in scenic form, some in improvised chatter. We felt good about the blend. It augured good things.
The second half of the show was Katy & Rach, a two-person improv show that was remarkably assured and polished. They were a perfect foil for our disheveled debut.
Thanks to Steve Roe of Hoopla for putting it on. Thanks to Katy & Rach for their hilarious and inspiring show. Hoopla does shows every Tuesday at The Miller. There’s something new every week, check them out.
And also thanks to The Hummingbird Bakery for the cupcakes.
