INTERVIEW | 'KEEPING UP WITH THE KIMPROV'. EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE

The countdown to the world's biggest arts festival Edinburgh Festival Fringe is on and arrives this month for its 75th anniversary. Between 5 - 29 August you can enjoy a diverse selection of work from across the UK in Scotland's capital city. 

Ahead of the festival, I have fantastic interviews coming up from some of the acts who will be heading there to showcase their work.

Today's interview comes from The Cambridge Impronauts. They discuss their improvised comedy, Keeping Up with the Kimprov, which plays homage to reality TV. The piece heads to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe this month. 

Can you begin by sharing the journey of The Cambridge Impronauts for those who know little about you?

The Cambridge Impronauts are nearly 20 years old (formed in 2003) and we’re the oldest improvised comedy troupe in Cambridge! We run weekly free open workshops, which act as a great pipeline for scouting new members, and we’re made up of both students, people who live in Cambridge and alumni!

Why do you use improvised comedy in your work compared to other styles of comedy?

Improv is just SO much fun. I always think of it as akin to playing when you were a child but with more techniques and more actively using your imagination. The other thing that is so enticing is that it’s really funny for us too (although we may not show it!). Watching your stage partner decide to skeleton-ski down a multi-tiered stage can never not tickle you. 

Why do you think audiences find the idea of improvised comedy intriguing to come and watch?

I think watching improv is an experience different from any other type of comedic performance. The audience is entertained on double layers: by the storyline created by performers as well as by the hilarity that comes from the awareness that this is all being conjured on the spot. It’s also a type of comedy that you can influence which people love as it’s your prompts that cause our havoc. Just please try to refrain from the temptation to prompt ‘penis’. It isn’t as original as it seems at the time. 

Keeping Up with Kimprov is heading to Edinburgh Fringe this year - how does it feel to be a part of the festival? 

Oh my gosh it feels incredibly exciting! The impronauts have performed at Fringe before, but for me, I’ve only just come out of school, this feels like stepping into a world which I always looked up to and have always been entertained by - now I can’t wait to (hopefully) return the favour! 

You’ve used reality TV for the foundations of your work - what made you decide to do this and how do you develop it?

This was our director (Persephone Emily’s) choice - and we all think it’s a fantastic one! It provides so many dramatic opportunities - and by dramatic I mean yelling, humphing off, getting hysterical over your sister’s disgusting new perfume. It’s silly and entertaining and provides a great source of de-stressing haha! We developed it through doing our own research - watching some reality TV if that wasn’t our regular cup of tea, and then just workshopping, creating scenes through random prompts, and developing our exaggerated, sometimes superficial characters. 

Your work is largely about involving the audience - what do you enjoy about this style of work? 

I think improv properly honours the audience. As I’ve said, part of the hilarity comes from the mutual awareness of the audience that you are making this up. I think it always feels quite special to end a performance because obviously it can never be recreated again and this creates a lovely in-the-moment bond between audience and performers, as we’ve all shared in this show. 

How much influence does the audience actually have on the overall piece? 

You decide both our family name, a family event that we will end up at, and a pet peeve - we’ll then make sure to take this and centre our scenes around such prompts. As we’re working towards an ending you’ve decided, this is spurred along by the pet peeve you’ve decided too - so it does have a lot of influence! 

Was it difficult to build a piece of work that will develop largely on what the audience chooses?  

I’d say it’s more exciting than difficult - sometimes audience members can come up with the wackiest things - hope you’re doing well Jill with the discombobulated trouser press - and we’ll take it and just go for it!

Are you all fans of reality TV? Does this influence the work you create?

A few are! A few had homework. But the homework was worth it as since studying a few of the shows, we’ve been able to make more ridiculous characters!

Why is this festival important for people to see and support during August?

The Fringe is a fulcrum of British comedy culture - and it’s open to all! There are free shows, cheap shows, cool shows - I think if you’re able to afford a trip to Edinburgh, supporting all acts from startups to big names is incredibly important to give the arts back the support, enthusiasm and funding that it often lacks from the government, and has certainly lacked due to the pandemic lately!  

Besides your show, are there any that you’d recommend that families should go and watch during the festival?

We’re also taking part in a Cage-match : which is a show between two improv groups where they both perform based on a prompt and the audience decide their favourite! So if you catch the improv-bug after us (and I promise you will) - then come and check this out! It's at Venue 56 - Subway (69 Cowgate, EH1 1JW), under George Bridge, 20:45, Thurs 18th Aug - Sat 20th Aug. 

Where can people come and see you during the festival?

We’ll be at the Gilded Balloon, from 11pm, Patter Hoose, 3rd-28th August.