Broadway Baby chats to Notflix.
Although there are plenty of other improv shows at the fringe we are one of the few long form musical groups, working in the style of A Harold, so with scenes split up into seemingly disconnected ‘beats’ that combine at the last minute to join the plot together.
Tell us about your show
Our show is called Notflix and is a long form improvised musical, based around the premise that Netflix selects movies for the individual viewer based on their previous viewing choices. Our show spoofs that premise by getting the audience to suggest ideas based on the most awful movies they have ever seen and we then use these elements to create the worst possible show ever in terms of plot and character based on the choices given by the audience. We add an extra dimension of awful by adding songs.
Why did you decide to take your show to Space UK this year?
We wanted to work in a venue that celebrates performance in all its most diverse forms. We loved the idea of being one of the first companies to work in the new Space Triplex, a great cabaret space that suits our style and allows us to break the 4th wall easily. Also, the staff at Space are some of the nicest and most accommodating of all the fringe venues.
Have you brought a show to the festival before?
Waiting for the Call have enjoyed two highly successful 4* Edinburgh Fringe Festival runs and this year are delighted to be appearing in association with The Space at SpaceTriplex. The team have also been interviewed on two national musical theatre podcasts for Musicaltalk, and regularly play The Kings Head Theatre Islington, The Hen & Chickens, Islington, The Etcetera Theatre, Camden, The Leicester Square Theatre Lounge, with regular headline appearances for City Impro at the Water Poet Shoreditch and Duck Duck Goose at L'Eklectick, Waterloo. Waiting for the Call were recently delighted to perform onstage alongside the legendary Pippa Evans from Showstoppers, as part of the incredible 24hr improv marathon.
What makes your show unique amongst the thousands of others at the festival?
Although there are plenty of other improv shows at the fringe we are one of the few long form musical groups, working in the style of A Harold, so with scenes split up into seemingly disconnected ‘beats’ that combine at the last minute to join the plot together. It’s a style rarely performed by musical improv groups as it’s very hard to sustain a continuous story over 60 minutes, and most groups start and stop and take suggestions throughout, giving the improvisers thinking time. We don't allow our cast that luxury, once the show starts there are no breaks for the performers and they sustain the musical for an hour non-stop. We have been lucky enough to be mentored by the masters of the form Baby wants Candy, who have helped us develop this traditional Chicago style of improvising. Showstoppers have also been incredibly supportive.
Can you tell us a bit about your company’s background?
Waiting for the Call Limited was formed in 2012 by Sarah Spencer and Joshua Asiko, self confessed improv nerds, who wanted to fill the gap in the market for American style spontaneous improvisation and musical improvisation training for young people. Sarah, Josh and Huw have trained extensively over a number of years with American musical long form superstars Baby Wants Candy, received one on one support from UK musical improvisation experts Showstopper, and been mentored by short form maestro Neil Mullarkey, founder of The Comedy Store Players, all of whom have regularly provided training workshops and on-going support for our young team.
If your show does well in Edinburgh, what do you want to do with it next?
We would love a London run for Notflix. We are also in the process of trying to fund our own improv venue, much like UCB in New York, in which we can promote improvisation as a high profile theatrical form, with an in house company and workshops during the day. If any readers have an empty building lying around, it would be gratefully received.
Show Name: Notflix
Production Company: Waiting for the Call: The Improvised Musical
Venue:Spacetriplex
Dates: 24th - 29th August
Times: 3pm - 4pm
Twitter Handle: @WFTCimprov
