Big Fork Theatre presents a unique night of improvised comedy and storytelling in their new home at the Room To Play theatre in Paddington.
Within the realm of comedy, improvised comedy seems to be the most maligned. This might be due to the solitary, ego-building nature of traditional comedy, where every comedian is fighting for public adoration for their humour. Improvised comedy, however, is a team experience, where players work together to build a story from the audience. Big Fork Theatre produced the monthly improvised comedy and storytelling show ‘Cool Story, Bro’.
The format of ‘Cool Story, Bro’ is inspired by American style improv, specifically The Armando. The show begins with a guest who tells a story from their life, inspired by a word suggested by the audience. It is from this story that a team of improvisers take inspiration to create hilarious scenes, taking directions both obvious and unexpected. The show is divided in two halves, with a different story teller and team of improvisers performing in each. For tonight’s show, guest storytellers are improv performer Luke Rimmelzwaan, and comedy star Jenny Wynter.
The stories these two performers deliver are funny on their own. Luke delivers odd stories about his own strange mannerisms, and a particularly ticklish story about a hippie ex-girlfriend who believed recycling was “fucking bullshit” thanks to her garbologist father. Jenny’s stories delved into the trials of motherhood, from a particularly difficult birth, to her unawareness that the pretty women babysitting her children may also be ‘Pretty Women’ in the Julia Roberts sense. Rather than re-enacting the stories just told, the performers from Big Fork Theatre took inspiration from certain details within the stories, and built multiple scenes from there. What was amazing was some of the directions these scenes would take, while matching the hilarity of the stories. Jenny’s babysitting story became an infomercial for the ‘Hell’s Angels Guide To Child Rearing’, with advice on entertaining little ones and getting them to sleep, such as suckling on fingers which may have cocaine residue. Luke’s hippie ex story turns into a scene about a parent meeting her daughter’s friendly nudist boyfriend. Jenny’s story of pregnancy difficulties is re-imagined as a bet on whether the 40 Hour Famine is harder than giving birth.
It is also inspiring to see the mixture of experienced and inexperienced performers working together. Each performer utilises their strengths no matter their level as a performer.
Thanks to the temporary nature of improvised comedy, audiences will never see the same show twice. Each month will see new guest storytellers, equipped with different stories and more improvised madness. ‘Cool Story, Bro’ is a unique experience for those who want a different kind of edge to their comedy.
‘Cool Story, Bro’ is a monthly show held in Room To Play Theatre in Paddington, Brisbane. For more information on the next show, visit Big Fork Theatre on Facebook.
