An improvised documentary comes to Bristol’s screens

“Have you ever wondered what dilemmas face a platypus?

“If someone tried to abolish ice cream what would a documentary about that look like?

“Do you want to see a documentary about the national teeth cleaning championships?”

These are just some of the questions that audience members can ask performers during a new improv show.

The Documentary invites people to suggest ideas for the performance via Zoom’s chat function, which six actors then create a show around.

Directed by Chris Lock, who lives in St Anne’s, the show has been inspired by training sessions with The Nursery & The Maydays and as a way to support people’s mental health during the pandemic.

Having learnt about documentary-style improv and contacted friends from the Bristol Improv Theatre, Chris worked to create a show with six performers that took place at the end of March. It was such a success that the team has organised another show for April 30.

https://www.facebook.com/roughsketchpodcast/videos/501023994213669

“I originally set it up so I could do some performance as I felt like it was good for my own mental health,” says Chris, who works in IT. “I have been missing doing improv since everything was locked down. I found myself taking more of a directorial role but ideally want to not do so much of that so I can join in the fun a bit more.

“Using a platform like Zoom gives us the ability to put on a show for people across the world. It’s given me so much joy to see what we come up with and I want to share that with as many people as I can.”

Many of the six performers taking part in The Documentary have performed with Chris already when he put on a show called Origin of Heroes at the Bristol Improv Theatre.

Alice O’Brien has her own show called The Only Way is Improv, James Cottle is a writer, musician and performer and Jo Whyman is a friend who has done improv with the Bristol Improv Theatre.

Also starring are Laurence Tuck, who Chris met in early 2020, Sara Basso De Marc, who performed in Origin of Heroes and Tom Keegan, who “has the ability to be super silly or very grounded”.

Six performers will star in the show. Image: The Documentary/Chris Lock

The first show, and the upcoming second, operate on a “pay what you can” basis, with profits going to Bristol Mind. Chris says: “I have had and continue to struggle with my mental health from time to time, as now a proud bisexual man it took a lot of hard work and time to work through a lot of it and using Mind was the beginning of that journey for me.

“I think we have all had mental struggles, especially during the lockdown periods. For me a service like Bristol Mind might enable someone else to begin their own journey in a battle with mental health issues.”

The recommended donation for a ticket to the improvised show is £5 but is discretionary.

“If people are still a bit cautious about going out to the pub, then give things like this a try,” says Chris.

“It’s not the same as sitting in a theatre but it’s a pretty good substitute.”

Main image: The Documentary/Chris Lock

Read more: ‘The Bristol Improv Theatre has taught me to embrace the unknown’