Led by the audience choosing the location, decade, and title of the play, two of the UK’s most sought-after improvisers, Lola-Rose Maxwell (Starstruck, The Now Show) and Charlie Kemp (Man Down, Austentatious) perform The Improvised Play, a comedy show entirely made up on the spot. The concept, originated by the duo at The Royal Court in 2022, opens with Lola-Rose and Charlie taking suggestions to form the anatomy of the show and from this they create an entire play. Crafted by the audience, the direction of the play’s narrative could be anything from a two-hander in a 1980s Texan oil rig, to a multiple-role side-splitting farce in a London brothel in the 1600s. With no two shows ever the same, in this spontaneous comedy the possibilities are as varied as the imaginations of the audience.
Co-creators Lola-Rose Maxwell and Charlie Kemp said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be bringing The Improvised Play to Arcola Theatre this Spring! Live improvised comedy is more popular now than ever before in the UK, and it is a privilege to present our favourite show to new audiences. Watching improv is being part of something totally original, spontaneous, and risky! We’re hopeful the theatre goers will fall in love with improv… as well as us personally of course!”
Lola-Rose Maxwell said, “Having been asked to perform an improv show for The Royal Court as part of their one-night stands program in December 2022, I immediately asked my improv best mate Charlie to help me create something that would make the most of the theatre’s stage and standing. From there The Improvised Play was born! We sold out the show and have been fine tuning it for the theatre ever since!”
Lola-Rose Maxwell is an actor, writer, improviser, and director most well known for her sketches with Stevie Martin which have gained over 30 million views across social media. Lola-Rose stars as a series regular in Starstruck (BBC and HBO Max) and has previously appeared in Doctors (BBC). Lola-Rose is one of the most sought-after improvisers in the UK, performing regularly at Soho Theatre with all-star teams They Seem Nice and Kool Story Bro. Lola-Rose has performed in West End theatres including The Harold Pinter and The Royal Court as well as Boom Chicago in Amsterdam.
Charlie Kemp studied at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art before appearing in the Sky One comedy series Is Harry on The Boat. Charlie’s acting credits include playing Max King in Emmerdale (ITV), Judge John Deed (BBC), Casualty (BBC), Holby City (BBC), Doctors (BBC), Man Down (Channel 4), and most recently Netflix’s Bodkin. Charlie has written for Channel 4’s Off Their Rockers and has performed at The Edinburgh Festival, The UCB and iO theatres in Los Angeles, Boom Chicago in Amsterdam and the Royal Court Theatre. Charlie currently performs with Austentatious.
The Improvised Play is at Arcola Theatre 5th – 9th March 2024
