What: An hour and a half of fearlessly inventive, exciting and funny sketches and songs, all made up on the spot, all inspired by audience suggestions.
When: Every Thursday from January 26th to March 29th 2012
What Time: 8:30pm -10:15pm (doors open 8:15pm)
Where: Upstairs at The Wheatsheaf, 25 Rathbone Place, London W1T 1JB.
Five minutes walk from Tottenham court road or Goodge Street tubes.
How Much: £7
Bookings: e-mail tickets@grandtheftimpro.com or phone 020 7580 1585 to book - give a name, a date and a number of tickets. You must show up by 8pm on the night to pick up the tickets.
Photographs by Rob Rackstraw
For more on improvisation in the UK, go to The Crunchy Frog Collective website
About GTI
The History of Grand Theft Impro
Grand Theft Impro is a short-form improvised comedy troupe that was set up at the start of 2003 by Alan Marriott and Dylan Emery. It is the performing wing of The Crunchy Frog Collective and regularly performs in and around London.
GTI started with a core team of six players: Alan Marriott, Phil Whelans, Lesley Albiston, Drew Leavy, Duncan Foster and Dylan Emery. They performed every week at The Crown on Brewer Street in Soho.
Moving On
When the pub came under new management a couple of years later, GTI moved to The Black Horse on Rathbone Place. A couple of years later, the same company bought The Black Horse and GTI moved up the road to The Wheatsheaf, also on Rathbone place. We are waiting to see if we are followed again.
Fresh Blood
Over the years, the team has changed with people joining and leaving. Grand Theft Impro now comprises Phil Whelans, Dylan Emery, Cariad Lloyd and Drew Leavy, with guests joining the crew every week.
Joining Us Tonight
Regular guests have been Niall Ashdown, Philip Pellew, Ruth Bratt, Pippa Evans, Luke Sorba, John Bradley.
Other, less regular guests have included Tony Slattery, Phill Jupitus, Suki Webster, David Reed, Humphrey Kerr, Kurt Smeaton, Nick Johne, Shawn Kinley, David Shore, Stewart McCure, Nick Johne, Anthony Ingle, Paul Foxcroft, Kevin Gillese,
Mark Meer, Donovan Workun, Andrew Pugsley, Ryan Millar, John Mawer, Chris Harvey John, Adam Meggido, Rachael Parris, Shawn Kinley, Michelle Owoo, Matt Alden Dykes, Gareth Kane, Andre Vincent, Ian Boothby, Alan Hawkins.
There are many others but I can't currently remember them. If they (you) are reading this (that) please email me and tell me to add you (them) to the list (list).
Biog of Alan Marriott
Alan Marriott co-founded Grand Theft along with Dylan but has now moved back to his native Vancouver. Alan has worked with or taught almost every improvisational theatre group in London including: The Comedy Store Players, Dogs on Holiday, Brickbats Volunteers, South of the River (with Steve Frost and Jeremy Hardy) and The Top Dog Players. He is also the creator of many successful impro shows, including The Impro Musical and Impropera.
Drew Leavy was one of the founder members of Grand Theft Impro. He died on July 27th 2011 and is much missed. He started improvising in1987, when he joined Toronto Theatresports. He had successes in Toronto fringe theatre, as well as understudying the role of Captain Kirk in a series of live improvised Star Trek shows. In 1996, Drew completed studies at the Academy Drama School of Whitechapel. He appeared as the captain of the spaceship in the Channel 4 reality TV programme Space Cadets and was a regular and much loved presence at The London 50-hour Improvathons.
GTI have been on Time Out's recommended list continuously for the past three years, we were in Jim Sweeney's Time Out Comic's Choice and were London Lite's 'Must Go' show in April 2007.
"At the forefront of the revival in impro, Grand Theft recalls the exuberant forays of Not Only But Also or Beyond The Fringe."
William Cook, The Guardian
"Simply marvellous."
Time Out
"A rumbustious night out"
Bruce Dessau, Evening Standard
"A unique brand of extreme theatre - they are always entertaining"
Daily Mirror
"These guys are great, enthusiastic, musical and most importantly funny."
Remote Goat