Although we return to the Edinburgh Fringe in August, and shall traipse around all corners of the nation come autumn, we have been restricting our recent activities to a monthly spectacular in London’s glittering West End.
How have we been filling our diaries in the meantime, we hear you incredulously demand?
Well, funny you should ask. Here are the myriad other performative places our eight proficient players are popping up:
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The endlessly diverting Miss Rachel Parris will be performing a solo musical cabaret show on a grand piano (no less!) in the heart of London’s theatreland. Make your way to the gilded galleries of Zedel to hear her sparkling melodies on the 18th July.
Ever the oracular equilibrist, Miss Charlotte Gittins has been gallivanting all over Europe to grace the stages at international improv festivals in France and Austria, and shall shortly materialise closer to home at various fixtures of the London improvised comedy calendar.
Our very own smouldering cardsharp Mr Graham Dickson is currently perfecting a new solo show for Edinburgh, titled Timber. This Hollywood-set dystopian character-comedy fantasia will be playing at the Fringe at 5.30pm every day, and in the meantime London previews can be descried on 24th May, 9th June, 13th July, and 25th July.
In a stroke as appropriate as it is unheralded, the audaciously unblenching Miss Amy Cooke-Hodgson could recently be stumbled upon teaching MPs how to improvise at the Houses of Parliament this month, as part of a campaign to Save Arts Subjects in the school curriculum. Sans state duties she can also be caught devising the magnificent Bumper Blyton – An Improvised Enid Blyton Adventure at the Brighton Fringe this May ahead of their Edinburgh Fringe run.
Bashful grandee Mr Daniel Nils Roberts can be occasionally glimpsed at such comic evenings as Criminal Improv, Stand Up History and Bright Club in the near future, and is setting his house in order in fevered anticipation of a full Edinburgh Fringe foray with returning improv anarchists Racing Minds.
Spirited farceur Miss Cariad Lloyd, meanwhile, has been setting the airwaves alight with her snowballing success story Griefcast, which has graced the inky pages of The Times, The Independent and The Telegraph, no less. Not content with her own hit podcast, she has also popped up on another – guesting on Adam Buxton’s prestigious audio effort for good measure.
Angualar fabulist Mr Joseph Morpurgo is on the road throughout the hazy summer months with his critically acclaimed solo show Hammerhead: part Frankenstein adaption, part lunatic spoof of the post-show Q&A. After a sell-out Edinburgh Festival run, and a month’s residency at London’s Soho Theatre, this “uproariously funny” (The Guardian) comic extravaganza will be touring cities and shires alike.
And finally, brazen inveigler Mr Andrew Hunter Murray has this to say: “I’m in Australia with No Such Thing As A Fish. Don’t touch my stuff while I’m gone.”
Can’t get enough of the Austentatious players? Dying to know what we’re all up to?
Well, it’s your lucky day – here’s all the latest activity from our magnificent eight:
Miss Amy Cooke-Hodgson has been wearing a boiler suit and wrangling zombies for a new comedy film – Z-Hab (out very soon), and in the mean time she guest appears in Off the Top, an improvised cabaret show, alongside Jason Kravits off-Broadway this month.
Mr Andrew Hunter Murray can be seen weekly in the latest series of satirical juggernaut The Mash Report on BBC 2, and is preparing to leap into action on tour with fact-toting gallants No Such Thing As A Fish.
Our dear Lady Cariad Lloyd continues her series of melancholy and yet surprisingly cheery chats about death with various comedian of note. You can listen to these marvellous and touching talks here.
Miss Charlotte Gittins is working behind the scenes on a major documentary, travelling across Germany, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine and Russia. Let us hope she avoids Napoleon’s forces on her travels.
Mr Daniel Nils Roberts recently directed, edited and lent his voice to a short documentary about universal languages for BBC online – “Should We All Write In Chinese?” We’re not sure quite what Jane would think about that idea…
Mr Graham Dickson is developing a brand new solo Edinburgh Fringe show for 2018, whilst jetting off to LA for pilot season (and a healthy dose of improv performances at iO West and UCB). You can catch him in London weekly with the Free Association, who will likewise wend their way to Scotland in August.
Mr Joseph Morpurgo’s acclaimed solo show Hammerhead is embarking on tour around the UK in May and June, and if you are stuck in our smoggy capital it will also return to the Soho Theatre for a week-long residency.
Miss Rachel Parris is currently spreading satire like wildfire, in The Mash Report, and she will be touring the land in Spring with her solo comedy venture, Keynote, for which tickets are available now!
We are in fits of excitement, for this month we are to record our very own radio show for the delightful Lord BBC! We are recording on the 5th of the month of May. Sadly, tickets are sold out ~ but you will be able to hear the programme itself on the wireless in June. We only hope you have enough smelling salts with you at the time to contain your joy.
Amongst ourselves, plans gather apace for the Edinburgh Festival. Messrs. Dickson, Morpurgo and Roberts and Dames Parris and Gittins will have solo shows, which you may see in ‘preview’ format beforehand if you are in the Capital.
Or, if you have a spare shilling, you may see Captain Hunter Murray’s last Edinburgh show in the heart of Soho’s hunting grounds. Extra dates have been added and you may purchase a billet here.
Miss Amy Cooke-Hodgson was to be found not only in modern dress, but also on the ‘television’ this month, where she appeared in Little Boy Blue on ITV. Although she has survived the scandal of being seen without a bonnet so far.
Ms. Cariad Lloyd has launched the second series of her ‘pod’ cast, the ardent and delightful GriefCast. You may subscribe to it on iTunes or Acast, and it was recently reviewed on Saturday Review for the Radio Four.