Musical comedy

Just before I took off for Greece we staged a terrific one-off improv show at a pub near Southwark called The Miller. I got to work with three of my favourite performers: Rob Broderick, Gemma Whelan and Rachel Parris.

From a standing start The Miller has become the home of London improv, devoting several nights a week to the form under Steve Roe's Hoopla! aegis. Most of the shows are improvised musicals of some form or other.

Musical comedy, both scripted and not, is going through a Renaissance here in London and Rob and Rachel are both part of the scene. As a decidedly unmusical performer I've always maintained that in most cases the music is a crutch; a shiny distraction that diverts the punter's eye away from the paucity of the actual comedy.

As they say in the advertising game: -

If you have something to say, say it. If you have nothing to say, sing it