Improv Ad Nauseum is billed as the most fun you can legally have on a Saturday night and Serious Moonlight Productions' artistic director Bas Rynsewyn insists it's true.
Over the years Rynsewyn said it has become apparent this kind of theatre adventure lends itself nicely to a restaurant as the ideal venue, and so Improv Ad Nauseum will now take place at the Twisted Cork restaurant on Fifth Avenue.
"People like to kick back instead of sitting in a theatre, so now it's more of a cabaret style," said Rynsewyn. "People can have drinks and food and it's just a lot more fun."
Rynsewyn said he's been in the improvisation game for a long time, 11 years, as a matter of fact.
"There's some new faces and still some old faces - I think I'm the oldest face," he added. "I have a corral of performers and there are two teams of three or four involved in a friendly competition and the audience decides who wins. Audience members are picked at random - sort of - to be police officers who send the offending party to sit in the corner if they're behaviour is untoward."
Even audience members are at risk of getting punished for misbehaving, because Rynsewyn wants to keep the show family friendly.
There are judges and a timekeeper and it's all in good fun, he said.
"I'm not sure who has more fun, the audience or the performers," Rynsewyn said. "Many times during the improv I'm left shaking my head and without words because I am laughing too hard."
As with anything else, people get better with practice and the same goes with improv. People need the opportunity to hone their skills, become adept at thinking on their feet and be able to put thoughts into actions, so the Ad Nauseum group gets together every Sunday at 3 p.m. at Studio 2880. Enter through the doors for the daycare. Newcomers are welcome to join.
"Technically you can't rehearse improv but you have to keep the brain cells active, so we play the games and do several different exercises to keep things flowing in our heads, because if you don't use it, you lose it."
Tickets for Saturday's show are available at Studio 2880 and Twisted Cork and are $10 in advance, $12.50 at the door.
For more information visit www.seriousmoonlight.ca.
