The Director's Mind
Impro Australia's Cale Bain explains the thinking behind the made-up-on-the-night comedy-drama The Director's Mind to Andrew P Street
Is this an attempt to escape the limitations of having to be funny? We don't really feel that comedy places limitations on our performances. This show just lets us do comedy and maybe a little bit more. It's letting us be dramatic and theatrical, obscure and oblique, trippy and fucked up. Or heartfelt and insightful.
So this isn't an attempt to change the perception of Impro Australia as being a straight 'comedy' group? It's still definitely going to be comedy, but it'll have dramatic elements. It's something that's taken to further extents in other parts of the world. In Scandinavia, there are improvised theatre companies that do entirely heavy-duty pieces that sometimes make you want to shoot yourself with your improv gun, they're so gut-wrenching.
Even here in Sydney, Playback Theatre are not particularly bent towards comedy but more towards telling a story. That's what we're going for without compromising our comedic wares. Fuck it: we're funny and we're going to stay funny. We wet pants and eyes at the same time.
How do you imagine audiences will respond? I know that audiences are going to love it because it's an awesome fucking show. I know that this is a sure-fire format with a tight cast and it's going to be a pleasure that everyone will enjoy.
The Director's Mind plays from Wed 20 to Sat 30 Aug. at the Newtown Theatre.