By Nicola Moyne
PAUL Merton – star of BBC1’s Have I Got News For You and a famed comedian – is what you might call a funny guy. But get him together with his ‘chums’ and the result is hilarious, if a little unpredictable. Which is presumably why his show, Paul Merton’s Impro Chums has proved so successful over the last few years.
Coming to the Cliffs Pavilion on 30 April, the tour will showcase the improvisation skills of Paul Merton, and his Chums Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson, Suki Webster and Mike McShane – and the joy of the show – for both the performers and the audience – lies in the fact that it is totally unplanned.
A dream for any comedian surely? “I haven’t written a joke for 25 years,” agrees a laughing Paul, who is also a member of The Comedy Store Players.
“In Edinburgh one year, we were in a bar 20 minutes before the show was due to begin. We wanted to write down what impro games we would be doing in the show, but we realised we didn’t have a pen or paper. So we had to borrow the waiter’s pen and notepad. That’s the great thing about doing this show – there is no stress involved whatsoever,” the 52-year-old explains.
“We don’t have any scripts or props. On one occasion, I remember the comedian Owen O’Neill was astounded that with absolutely no preparation we were about to do a show in front of 1000 people in Glasgow that would have them cheering from the rafters.
“Now other comedians like Phill Jupitus and Marcus Brigstocke have started doing imrpo with us. ‘Hang on,’ they say, ‘you don’t have to write any jokes and you do it with your mates? Where do we sign?’”
Which is precisely what attracted Suki, who adds: “The only skill you have to learn for impro is: don’t plan and don’t worry. The key is simply listening and reacting to what the other person has just said.”
“It sounds very difficult and crazy to go on stage with nothing planned,” Paul laughs, “but that is actually the show’s strength. We have all worked together for a long time and know we can rely on each other.”
The Chums’ close friendship and mutual understanding, built up over the last 25 years, is almost telepathic and endows the troupe with a wonderful on-stage chemistry. “We have a common language,” reflects Mike, an American who became a star in this country thanks to his mesmerising performances on C4’s Whose Line Is It Anyway?
“We know how to play to each other’s strengths. Also, if it goes belly up, someone will cover you. The show plays very fast and loose, and you know it’ll get a little crazy out there. But deep in your heart you’re always aware that it’ll never fall apart – someone will stick their neck out and help you out.”
He adds that: “it’s a familiarity which helps the show rather than hinders it – it’s never leaden. It’s not a couple of actors getting together and saying, ‘oh darling, do you remember when?’ We all support each other. It’s about constantly reviving the dying patient on stage!”
The Chums certainly have a tremendous capacity for keeping the show fresh. Paul explains that: “as a performer, you can never be bored because you’ve never heard it before and you’re doing something that five seconds ago you didn’t know you were going to do. To paraphrase Samuel Johnson, if you are bored of impro, you’re bored of life!”
Audiences certainly seem to get a rare thrill from the show and revel in the fact that they can make suggestions that the Chums immediately act out. The fact that the performers are clearly enjoying themselves isn’t lost on the audiences either admits Lee.
He says: “We love to muck about on stage. We take risks for fun, drop each other in it and mercilessly ridicule each other.”
Audiences also tend to remember the best routines – even if the Chums don’t. “Someone will describe to you a scene that you did in a previous show, and you simply don’t remember it,” continues Richard, who provides musical accompaniment to some of the Chums’ most memorable routines. “People come up and say, ‘you were so funny as a penguin that time,’ and you have no idea what they’re talking about!”
Indeed, the troupe have established a very loyal following. “You never see tired impro, and that’s what audiences love,” reckons Paul.
“At the Comedy Store Players, we’ve had the same people in the front row for years. We’ve even had marriages between fans. It’s great for them because they know it’ll always be different.”
And the Chums see no reason why the fun should ever end. “Last night we were performing to an audience that stretched from an 18-year-old to someone celebrating his 80th birthday,” Richard recalls. “They were all rocking with laughter at the same jokes. You do not get that with stand-up or TV comedy. I think we’ll have longevity because our humour is not niche, it’s universal.”
Suki concurs that the show will go on. "It's just enormous fun," enthuses the performer, who co-wrote the documentaries, Paul Merton Looks at Alref Hitchcock and Morecambe and Wise: The Show What Paul Merton Did. "We get paid to go on tour in a lovely big bus with all our mates. What could be better than that?"
Paul concludes that: “it’s such a joy performing with the Chums. Our motto is: if it’s funny, it’s justified. That spirit of ‘anything can happen’ will continue. With good health, we can carry on for years. With this show, there is no inbuilt obsolescence – apart from our own inbuilt obsolescence!”
Catch Paul Merton's Impro Chums at the Cliffs Pavilion in Southend on 30 April. Call 01702 351 135 for tickets or visit www.paulmerton.com for tour details.