A primer on post-performance prattle

Let’s set the scene. You’ve just been to see one of our shows. You’re basking in the glow of having seen a life changing theatrical experience and you spy our intrepid performers relaxing, chatting and (likely) enjoying a drink or two. You think to yourself “Wow, they’re even more suave and enchanting up close. I’d love to be able to engage them in meaningful conversation, but gosh, what would I even begin to talk about? “

Firstly, thank you for your kind thoughts. Secondly, come over and say hi, we don’t bite. Thirdly, to assist in your preparation for an ‘after show convo’ with our performers, presented below are some recent topics of conversation that have arisen subsequent to successful shows and may just arise again.

Improv

Well….duh. We’re improvisers. We’re probably going to be talking about Improv. But what a world to explore! Sidle up to us and you’ll hear of all the wonders Improv has to offer - from bold personalities to the (both good and bad) happenings of the festival circuit, from stories of difficult audience members to the financial security that Improv brings (ok, we made that last one up). If you’re really lucky, one of our more experienced members may regale you with tales of the history of Improv Queensland, its past shows and how many of its performers have sometimes (quite literally) suffered for their art.

The Inner Workings of the Australian Taxation Office

A surprising amount of Improv Queensland performers are lawyers. An even more surprising amount of those lawyers happen to work for the ATO. So if you pluck up the courage to converse with our performers, you might just find yourself the beneficiary of some free tax advice. Failing that, you may just be entertained by stories of inner ATO politics or gain an insight into how much work goes into getting multinational companies to pay tax in Australia. You won’t get too many gory details (the ATO has to keep its secrets after all) but you’ll probably find yourself laughing along to stories about how not even the GST office of the ATO understands how GST works.

Bad Dates

First, to clarify, by “Bad Dates” we mean “a bad experience of a time when we engaged in an activity with another individual with the intention of evaluating that person’s suitability as a partner” and not “the fruit that killed that monkey in Raiders of the Lost Ark.” It’s not that our performers are unlucky in love, it’s just that they’re the kind of people who are more likely to share stories of their matchmaking misadventures. Their tales will probably make you laugh, could make you cry, but will definitely make you cringe. What’s more, improvisers make great listeners, so if you’re ever looking for a sympathetic ear or to commiserate over similar, less-than-stellar experiences, then we may just be the people you’re looking for.

The Books of Emily Rodda - Specifically “Deltora Quest”

A few of our performers are of a certain age to have enjoyed reading the Deltora Quest series in their younger days. So if you also enjoyed the adventures of Lief, Barda and Jasmine (18 million worldwide sales can’t be wrong), you will likely find some kindred spirits amongst our performers. But don’t be surprised if the conversation moves on to the other works of Emily Rodda. Your writer was always more of a Rowan of Rin fan anyway. Also, did you know that ‘Emily Rodda’ is a pseudonym? Wild!

1990’s Rugby League

You may consider us theatre folk, but we know sports! Specifically, we love a good chat about Rugby League in the 1990’s. What a time it was. Alfie and Kevvie at the Broncos, teams in Perth and Adelaide, the introduction of the Melbourne Storm and the North Sydney Bears were still around. It was Simply the Best (see what we did there). In particular, we love a good discussion on the Super League War, which was essentially a pissing contest between Rupert Murdoch and Kerry Packer which resulted in there being two separate rugby league competitions being played in 1997. We recommend you come help us explain Super League to young-uns who weren’t around in the 90’s and watch their heads explode.

So now that you know what to potentially expect when you engage us in conversation, don’t be afraid to come up to us after one of our shows and give your two cents worth. We look forward to seeing you.