INTERVIEW on Improv

Jake Migicovsky is an award-winning screenwriter and film director. His career in improv started in his hometown of Toronto, at the epicentre of the artform, Second City (with alums like John Candy, Bill Murray, Tina Fey and Steve Carrell). From there, he studied in Boston, NY, and LA, and got to London just as the improv scene was expanding to long form (an American style that focusses more on scene work than games). All of Jake’s work is inspired by improv and the freedom it brings, including his first film, an absurd comedy called ‘Liars & Cheats’, streaming on Amazon Prime, iTunes, and Google Play… check it out!

Hamza Mohsin is an actor, writer and director.  He explains that his interest in improv started early when he was a budding young actor, trying out a lot of improv games and running workshops and shows with other actors - teaching himself the skills. He is speaking as someone “always doing Michael Jackson routines in front of the parents” and spending more time at university “doing plays and student films” than his English literature degree, it was an inevitable development.

The pair explain that they discovered improv from different places but they “both wanted to do the same kind of stuff”. They met at an improv course in 2011 and they started “hanging out together at shows and parties”. It took them a year to decide that they “should just hire a room and muck around to see what was there” and it became a weekly “thing”.  It's great escapism and anything is possible with improv.  “If I want to be an actress…” shrugs Hamza, then he recalls with a start, “I played Ophelia in a rehearsal room once.”  

The name Avocado was an inspired choice, people never stop asking about it. “I like the sound of it, it’s just fun to say” says Hamza. With Jake’s background in film and Hamza’s in theatre, their brand of improv has a lot of thought given to composition in each of their scenes. They are both thinking of the “stage picture and the viewpoints, like it’s a dance” explains Hamza. Sometimes this is where the pair start, by walking around the space and “finding the relationship” between themselves and the stage. They are also looking for what is happening in their heads.  “Feeling any energy, or tension… if I stand here or there” says Jake, “anything could be the catalyst, perhaps Hamza coughs, and then he’s got the flu or a cold for the rest of the scene.” 

They don’t “think about story” or “worry about where the scene is going”.  It’s more about responding to each other. “How do I feel about what he said to me?”  They surprise each other when one of them reveals himself to be, say a brother or an ex, and then the whole drama takes another turn. “The story is a bi-product” they say, and it emerges as they continue “exploring a relationship.”

Improv isn’t always strong on themes, but Hamza and Jake find that in their case, connections naturally emerge. “It’s often similar to a problem that one of us might be working through” explains Hamza. “A lot of subconscious stuff comes out” they explain. One of them was ripped off by a builder recently and “that just kind of seeps in”. It might also touch on past experiences, for example if the story involves school or teachers, “it can become a can of worms about school,” says Hamza.

Audiences also affect the story and the show as though they are involved. Hamza explains that “though we don’t take suggestions, different audiences change the energy of the show.” If they start with “20 people clapping and whooping” it’s a different show to having “an audience that is just silent, we have to get on their wavelength and get them on ours.” The pair both agree that “some audiences are quick to laugh” and that it’s “sometimes a better show if you have to win them over”. 

Then there’s also the input on the technical side, from Julia Miller-Bakewell (better known as Jules) who along with her incredible experience working the lights for shows in London, Edinburgh and beyond, is the third member of Avocado. Jules has a playlist of Avocado’s favourite songs (and they do LOVE their music), probably about 100 tracks deep, so Hamza and Jake never know what they’re getting.  Of course, it works the other way as well. Jules has to have immense skill to respond to the improv. She might have to ‘turn on a radio’ or make ‘the sound of rain’, so she has split second responses.  Naturally she’s looking for cues, and the three have built up a relationship in which each has their own area of expertise and creativity.  

Another inspiration is the playing space itself as Avocado must work with whatever is set by the company currently playing at the venue. On one occasion they took inspiration from the writing on the wall (literally) but it could just as easily come from the lighting rig or a permanent set.

Improv is currently really hip in London, but it isn’t all about making the audience laugh, it goes beyond that.  “We’re present and, in the moment and the audience is there with us discovering this thing together; that’s where the laughter and smiles come along.” says Hamza. Jake agrees and adds that “It’s the experience of feeling connected to the show and feeling connected to the audience, sharing this one night that will never be repeated.”



They are so successful in creating a new play every evening that audiences sometimes cannot believe it’s improvised. Although flattering, it is a source of cheeky frustration for the pair. “Every single show, someone says you had something planned, right, you knew it was going to be about school, etc” says Hamza. Jake comes in with “All we can say is we’re doing this every week so come back next time”.

As well as their regular show, the pair also offer WORKSHOPS. Part of the popularity of the artform is the fact that anyone can do it, explains Jake. “You don’t need expensive sets or costumes… you can do it anywhere…  a 3-year-old can do it… a 90-year-old can do it.” The pair even theorise that children instinctively get it because they have no filter, quoting Picasso who said “everyone is born an artist.” 

There are Improv shows all over London and all kinds of individuals are performing, from people working in finance to squatters to aristocrats. Social status doesn’t come into it, everyone is on stage together.  It’s challenging and beneficial for people to get out of their comfort zones, and Hamza and Jake are the living example of how practising improv can make people just that little bit sharper and more prepared for the complex situations in life, (Hamza said I must have been talking about him here, but that I should leave Jake’s name in to make him feel good).

“It’s really about who wins”, jokes Jake with a huge grin on his face.  “That, and whoever wears the more kick ass tee” laughs Hamza, showing off his Bruce Lee t-shirt. Jake looks down at his own shirt, a simple white shirt with a sandwich on it… guess Hamza wins this round.

WORKSHOPS

Avocado have run countless workshops for performers and businesses. They don’t teach acting or stagecraft, but rather, guide their students down the path of least resistance, to stop thinking so much and trust and respect their own original (and great) ideas. They’re confident that they can teach anyone, because everyone can express themselves and learn to live moment to moment, no matter who you are and what you do:

· Trust yourself and your colleagues

· Collaborate like never before

· Communicate with confidence and energy

· Entertain from the performer inside

· Worry Less by focussing on the moment at hand

https://www.avocadoimprov.com/training