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Paul Merton's Impro Chums
''Paul Merton's Impro Chums'' is an improvisational comedy stage show, consisting of comedian Paul Merton heading a cast of Richard Vranch, Suki Webster, Mike McShane and Lee Simpson, as well as a special guest performer. The show is in a similar format to that given by the Comedy Store Players and its television compatriot, Whose Line Is It Anyway?. The performers act scenes which are suggested by the theatre audience. They perform without scripts, autocue or props, and rely on their wit and speed of thought to create amusing scenarios with the given characters. Many guests have appeared on the show, including Neil Mullarkey, and Josie Lawrence. References * * External links * {{official, https://www.paulmerton.com/impro-chums-richard-vranch-mike-mcshane-suki-webster-lee-simpson British comedy troupes ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Improvisational Comedy
Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, action, story, and characters are created collaboratively by the players as the improvisation unfolds in present time, without use of an already prepared, written Play (theatre), script. Improvisational theatre exists in performance as a range of styles of improvisational comedy as well as some non-comedic theatrical performances. It is sometimes used in film and television, both to develop characters and scripts and occasionally as part of the final product. Improvisational techniques are often used extensively in drama programs to train actors for stage, film, and television and can be an important part of the rehearsal process. However, the skills and processes of improvisation are also used outside the context of performing arts. This ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Paul Merton
Paul James Martin (born 9 July 1957), known under the stage name Paul Merton, is an English writer, actor, comedian and radio and television presenter. Known for his improvisation skill, Merton's humour is rooted in deadpan, surreal and sometimes dark comedy. He has been ranked by critics, fellow comedians and viewers to be among Britain's greatest comedians. He is well known for his regular appearances as a team captain on the BBC panel game '' Have I Got News for You'', and as the former host of '' Room 101'', as well as for several appearances on the original British version of the improvisational comedy television show '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' Merton appears as a panellist regularly on Radio 4's '' Just a Minute'', first appearing in 1989, and became the only remaining regular panellist in 2009 following the death of Clement Freud. He has also appeared as one of the Comedy Store's Comedy Store Players. Early life Paul James Martin was born on 9 July 1957 in P ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Vranch
Richard Leslie Vranch (born 29 June 1959) is an English actor, improviser, comedian, writer and musician. He is known for providing the music for the British TV series ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' Early life Vranch graduated from Cambridge University with a PhD in physics. While a first-year doctoral student, he joined the Footlights in 1981 and was a contemporary of Stephen Fry, Hugh Laurie, Morwenna Banks, Tony Slattery and Neil Mullarkey. He was a researcher at the Cavendish Laboratory and a research fellow at St John's College, Oxford for nine months before going into comedy full-time. Career Richard Vranch improvises comedy on stage with the Comedy Store Players every Sunday at The Comedy Store in London. He performs as a stand-up comedian, and with Pippa the Ripper he is half of the hula-hoop/science double act Dr Hula. He has voiced TV and radio commercials for companies including British Airways, Lidl and Saab and he narrates TV documentaries, including the first serie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mike McShane
Michael McShane is an American actor, singer, and improvisational comedian. He appeared on the original British television show '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' (1988–97) and went on to appear in films such as '' Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)'', '' Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves'' (1991), '' Richie Rich'' (1994), and ''Office Space'' (1999). McShane has also been involved in several Disney productions, including ''Tom and Huck'' (1995), the television series '' Brotherly Love'' (1995–97), and '' Tower of Terror'' (1997). He also voiced the Revolting Slob in the Canadian-American variety television series ''Crashbox''. McShane voiced Marlon, Caracticus P. Doom and various other characters in Cosgrove Hall Films's '' Avenger Penguins'' (1993–94), Gareb in ''Todd McFarlane's Spawn'' (1997–99), and Quosmir in '' Dave The Barbarian'' (2004–05). Career McShane studied drama at San Joaquin Delta College and San Francisco State University, performing with Faultline Theat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Press (York)
''The Press'' is a local, daily, paid for, newspaper, for North and East Yorkshire. It is published in the City of York by Newsquest Media Group Ltd, a subsidiary of Gannett Company Inc. The ''Yorkshire Evening Press'' was established in 1882. It changed from broadsheet to compact format in 2004 and shortly afterwards dropped "Yorkshire" from the title. Morning printing began on 24 April 2006, and the paper was given its present name. William Wallace Hargrove printed at 9 Coney Street. Paper was delivered by barge Barge nowadays generally refers to a flat-bottomed inland waterway vessel which does not have its own means of mechanical propulsion. The first modern barges were pulled by tugs, but nowadays most are pushed by pusher boats, or other vessels. ... along the River Ouse. In 1989, publication moved to Walmgate. ''The Press'' has run campaigns including their ''Guardian Angels Appeal'' and ''Change It''. Circulation ABC print circulation for second half ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comedy Store Players
The Comedy Store Players is a group of improvisational comedians who perform at The Comedy Store in London. The group first came into being in October 1985. Members of the group have included: *Dave Cohen *Jeremy Hardy * Kit Hollerbach *Josie Lawrence *Paul Merton *Neil Mullarkey *Mike Myers *Lee Simpson *Andy Smart * Jim Sweeney *Sandi Toksvig * Richard Vranch Currently there are five regular cast members; Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey, Lee Simpson, Andy Smart, and Richard Vranch. Sweeney retired from performing in 2008 but is still listed as a member and is also the group's President. The Players currently perform once a week on Sunday, but have also in recent times performed once each on Wednesdays and Sundays. Performances are usually with the regular cast, although occasionally a guest performer will appear, which have in the past included the likes of Niall Ashdown, Marcus Brigstocke, Stephen Frost, Eddie Izzard, Greg Proops, Steve Steen and Phill Jupitus. Shows sta ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whose Line Is It Anyway? (UK TV Series)
''Whose Line is it Anyway?'' (shortened to ''Whose Line?'' or ''WLIIA'') is a short-form improvisational comedy television series, created by Dan Patterson and Mark Leveson, presented by Clive Anderson, and produced for Channel 4 between 23 September 1988 and 4 February 1999. The programme's format was on a panel of four performers conducting a series of short-form improvisation games, creating comedic scenes per pre-determined situations made by the host or from suggestions by the audience. Such games include creating sound effects, performing a scene to different television and film styles, using props, and making up a song on the spot. The programme originally began as a short-lived BBC radio programme, before the concept was adapted for television. During its history, the programme featured a variety of noted comedians from Britain, Canada and the United States. While initial series were frequented with performances by John Sessions, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Mike M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neil Mullarkey
Neil Mullarkey is an English actor, writer and comedian. Early life and education From 1972—1979, Mullarkey was educated at Kingston Grammar School, an independent school for boys (now coeducational), in Kingston upon Thames, followed by Robinson College at the University of Cambridge, where he was a member of the Footlights and was Junior Treasurer during Tony Slattery's term as president. He became president in 1982 with Nick Hancock, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis as his contemporaries. Mullarkey formed ''Hancock & Mullarkey'' with Hancock, performing their act (which consisted of spoofing television shows' title sequences to that show's accompanying theme music) several times on television. This included '' Doctor Who'', ''Kojak'', and ''Dad's Army''. Career Mullarkey has been in a double act with Tony Hawks called the Timid Twins. In the mid-1980s, he teamed up with Mike Myers as 'Mullarkey and Myers'. They would perform sketches based on their shared love of cartoons, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Josie Lawrence
Josie Lawrence (born Wendy Lawrence; 6 June 1959) is an English actress and comedian. She is best known for her work with the Comedy Store Players improvisational troupe, the television series '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' and as Manda Best in ''EastEnders''. Early life Lawrence was born Wendy Lawrence on 6 June 1959 in Old Hill, Staffordshire. Her parents were Bert Lawrence and Kathleen Lawrence, née Griffin, who were married in 1948. She has older twin siblings, John and Janet, who are ten years her senior (1949). They were brought up in nearby Cradley Heath, where her father worked for British Leyland and her mother as a dinner lady. She knew she wanted to be an actress at the early age of 5, and by the time she was 16 she joined the Barlow Players in Oldbury. She studied at Dartington College of Arts from 1978 to 1981, receiving a Bachelor of Arts honours degree. Career Stage Her first acting role was as a young boy in a production of '' The Ragged Trousered Philan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was published on Saturday 26 March 2016, leaving only the online edition. The newspaper was controlled by Tony O'Reilly's Irish Independent News & Media from 1997 until it was sold to the Russian oligarch and former KGB Officer Alexander Lebedev in 2010. In 2017, Sultan Muhammad Abuljadayel bought a 30% stake in it. The daily edition was named National Newspaper of the Year at the 2004 British Press Awards. The website and mobile app had a combined monthly reach of 19,826,000 in 2021. History 1986 to 1990 Launched in 1986, the first issue of ''The Independent'' was published on 7 October in broadsheet format.Dennis Griffiths (ed.) ''The Encyclopedia of the British Press, 1422–1992'', London & Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1992, p. 330 It was prod ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Evening Standard
The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after being purchased by Russian businessman Alexander Lebedev, the paper ended a 180-year history of paid circulation and became a free newspaper, doubling its circulation as part of a change in its business plan. Emily Sheffield became editor in July 2020 but resigned in October 2021. History From 1827 to 2009 The newspaper was founded by barrister Stanley Lees Giffard on 21 May 1827 as ''The Standard''. The early owner of the paper was Charles Baldwin. Under the ownership of James Johnstone, ''The Standard'' became a morning paper from 29 June 1857. ''The Evening Standard'' was published from 11 June 1859. ''The Standard'' gained eminence for its detailed foreign news, notably its reporting of events of the American Civil War (1861–186 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
