Musicals are a divisive art form. I’ve often wondered at my inability to sit through them. Does it speak to something broken in me? Some lack of joie de vivre? Perhaps I’m dead inside, but the moment a protagonist breaks into song to express their love, heartbreak or recipe for helping the medicine go down, my reflex reaction has been to cringe hard and reach for the remote.
Yet here I am, slapping my thigh, laughing uproariously and feeling mildly – dare I say – starstruck at a Bum Notes practice session, where my life is about to become the subject of a musical. And yours can, too, as part of their shows at this year’s Dublin Fringe Festival.
It’s a practice and not a rehearsal because this is improv, which, for the uninitiated, means everything you see is made up on the spot. It’s a relatively new scene in Dublin, and one that has grown exponentially since I first dipped my toe in it, back in 2016, with a beginners’ improvisation weekend taught by Neil Curran. I walked in feeling painfully shy, awkward and hungover; I walked away feeling like I’d truly played for the first time since childhood. And this is what most people in improv will tell you: it’s all about letting go and playing.
Bum Notes is the hottest comedy ticket in town since they sold out their first proper show at Smock Alley as part of the annual Scene & Heard festival for works in progress. The group consists of John Close, Amy Hughes, Stephen Doughten, Sorcha Jordan, Oisín Moran and Padraig Dooney, with musical accompaniment by the pianist Paul Prior.
How did it feel to end their first show with a standing ovation? “When we performed it in front of a sold-out Smock Alley, the reception was insane,” says Moran, a comedy performer from Bray, who by day runs Lynkmi, a link-based social network. “I think we were all… shocked.”
As well as being entertainment, those in the community wax lyrical about how they use improv in every aspect of their lives, from work to self-development to parenting
The group had spent the previous couple of months deep in rehearsals, having got a last-minute call to be part of Scene & Heard. Applying to the festival was “the drive to get the group off the ground”, says Close, a copywriter from Clontarf in Dublin who started in comedy back in 2015. “It was, like, ‘Okay, let’s get this rolling in October. Maybe we’ll get Seen & Heard. Surely this will be something really interesting and cool, and they’ll give us a spot.’ But they didn’t. So we took the foot off the gas.”
By the time they got the nod in January, it was just eight weeks until the show.
It was a demoralising time until then, with something of a revolving door of members and a lot of uncertainty about whether the group would continue. Not every improv team “sticks”: some form from classes; some form to do a single show or festival, then wane or morph into something new. What kept the Bums together?
“It’s actually a big financial investment from all of us,” says Hughes, an actor born in Wales but raised in Ireland, who has starred in movies such as Who We Love. “And we had no time. At that point myself and Padraig were doing another show as well [in Scene & Heard]. But we knew we had that commitment. And I feel like that’s very bonding – just having that intenseness in adversity. And we had to learn so much in such a short amount of time.”
Jordan, from Dunshaughlin, had decided to travel to Vietnam when the Scene & Heard application was rejected, but she continued to pay for rehearsals and watch them online while she was away. She talks about the importance of a coach in getting the team to the level they’re now at. They started with a Derek Miller workshop and their next stop was Mark Cantan – “he gave us a first workshop for free and just told us everything he knew” – before landing on Ross Curran. “He’s a huge musicals fan and such a good improviser,” says Jordan.
“He’s just so committed to being a really, really great musical coach, even though I don’t think he’d ever done that before,” says Close. “But he really dove into it with us, and it’s kind of like we’ve been learning at the same time.”
He mentions Prior, the pianist, in a similar vein, and the group lights up with admiration. “He’d never done improv before, but after our last show he had so many notes on the improv. It’s just amazing to see that versus last year, when it was very much: this is our Paul time and this is our Ross time in rehearsal.”
This collaborative effort, learning together on the fly, is typical of Dublin improv, which has gone from strength to strength in recent years to become not just a vibrant theatre scene but a real community of learning and socialising. On any night of the week in the capital, you will find people of all ages, from all over the world, practising and performing improv at every level.
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As well as being entertainment, those in the community wax lyrical about how they use improv in every aspect of their lives, from work to self-development to parenting. Personally, it got me from swallowing my own tongue at work meetings to presenting at ease and off-script in front of any audience. Later, it provided a lifeline after the breakdown of my marriage – a space to switch off, be light and make new friends. Daily, it gives me tools for parenting and picking myself up on a bad day.
Is this true of improv internationally? “I think that the Dublin improv scene is incredibly unique for a couple of reasons,” says Doughten, the self-proclaimed “token American” in the group, who moved here from Ohio in 2019 and has plans to set up as an improv coach. “There are incredibly talented people here – which isn’t unique in and of itself, but there’s a lack of people trying to step on each other.
‘Everyone you know has been to a stand-up show, but how many people have been to an improv show?’ asks Oisín Moran. Now’s your chance
“It’s still so small and it’s still so up and coming, and I think there’s something about the Irish attitude towards thinking you’re better than somebody else – you know, notions… I think that has led to a beautiful community where everybody’s on the same team, fundamentally. And I think that’s something that everybody in this community is sort of dedicated to. Compared to a Chicago or a New York, which I have experience with – they’re just a bit more cut-throat, you know?”
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I ask what’s next for Bum Notes, and while the dreams range from breaking even financially, to a regular residency, to touring internationally, one common theme emerges: the need for more support for an art form that is proving itself over and over again in Dublin. “Everyone you know has been to a stand-up show, but how many people have been to an improv show?” asks Moran. Now’s your chance. If it doesn’t change your life, it might at least turn it into a laugh-out-loud musical.
Bum Notes perform at Smock Alley, as part of Dublin Fringe Festival, on September 20th and 21st
Getting started: improv for beginners
Lower the Tone
Improv Level 1, six-week evening course, Tuesdays from November 12th, lowerthetone.com
“Improv is all about connection, acceptance and building in collaboration with others,” says founder Neil Curran.
Stoke Improv
Improv Level 1, 8 week evening course, Mondays from September 9th, stokeimprov.com
“What I love about improv is that it teaches you that you are enough,” says Kelly Shatter. “I’ve seen magical ripple effects from improv in people’s lives.”
MOB
Improv 101, eight-week evening course, Wednesdays from September 11th, mobtheatre.ie
“Our classes allow you to learn, develop as a comedian, meet collaborators, make friends and grow as a person simultaneously in a safe and fun environment,” says co-founder Erin McGathy.
Playground
Drop-in workshops for all levels, Mondays 7-9pm from September 16th, theimprovplayground.com
“What’s lovely about the workshops is how supportive and warm people are to each other, both on- and off-stage,” says co-founder Quinton O’Reilly.
Belfast Improv
Improv Comedy for Beginners, six-week evening course, Thursdays from September 26th, belfastimprov.co.uk
“Improv builds confidence in people and establishes trust within teams – that’s something we love to focus on,” says founder Paul Mone.
Upcoming shows and festivals
Three from Dublin Fringe Festival:
Gather Improv Festival instagram.com/gatherimprov, October 4th-6th
Improv Fest Ireland improvfestireland.com, November 13th-16th
Mob mobtheatre.ie, Thursdays
Dublin Comedy Improv intercomedydublin.com, Sundays
Clubhouse instagram.com/improv_clubhouse, last Sunday of each month
Bag of Cats instagram.com/bagofcatsgroup, improv variety shows in locations around Dublin (next one September 27th at Board and Brewed, Dún Laoghaire)
Bing Bong instagram.com/markcantan, regular improv variety show (next one November 21st at Smock Alley)
Ghost Stories instagram.com/ghoststories_ire, stunning theatrical long-form improv (October 25th-27th at Dot Theatre)
The Goose instagram.com/thegooseimprov, monthly newsletter for improv in Dublin
