The Free Association

Written by: Si Hawkins
Published: Friday 17th September 2021

Let's face it, everyone became an improvisor over the last 18 months, as life threw up weird new challenges, like a big drunk heckler who'd staggered into the wrong place (Earth).

But now our regular routines are returning it's time to hand improv back to seasoned stage practitioners. Like The Free Association, who are performing every Friday at London's Battersea Arts Centre, as part of BAC's autumn comedy season (on until October 3rd). It's a varied array of game formats, in the courtyard, and all Pay What You Want.

But what do The Free Association want? And how do these shows work? We asked Free Associates Naomi Petersen and Graham Dickson.

"We're thrilled to be showcasing such a huge range of our work at BAC - each of our shows offers something totally different, ranging from a made-up medical drama to an improvised singing talent show," they respond.

"They are all long-form improv shows, which essentially means that they're normally inspired by one single suggestion taken from the audience at the start. Our aim is to bring you hilarious, original improv and our shows feature some of the most established and celebrated improvisers in the UK, as well as an exciting array of special guests."

Yes, and...?

"We hope you enjoy them!"

Lovely. Let's delve into Petersen and Dickson's comedy pasts.

First gig?

Naomi: I remember it pretty vividly given that it was a real-life anxiety dream. At the end of eight weeks of improv classes we had a show at Bethnal Green Working Mens' Club. I invited every single one of my extended family because my teacher told me the show wouldn't be good unless I invited people to it.

All of them came. I said precisely two words and then just pretended to be reading a very big newspaper. I've been doing this for eight years and none of them have ever come back to see me even though I can confidently say I'm pretty good at this now.

Graham: My first proper comedy gig, I suppose, was our first Austentatious show. It was in a tiny room above a pub in Leicester Square, so yes, I suppose we did debut in the West End, what of it? There were approx 12 people there I think. I remember nothing about the show, so I'll assume it was faultless.

Favourite show, ever?

Naomi: I refuse to partake in this Sophie's Choice. I love them all (also I can't remember). The best ones for me are when you're doubled over and as breathless as the audience. Valentine's Day 2019, the SORRY team [another branch of the FA extended universe] had a pretty special show at VAULT with Rose Matafeo. I can't remember anything specific - just the pure joy and mischief of that show and creasing with laughter.

Graham: It really is hard to pick one, or even tell one from the other five minutes after leaving the stage. With my second solo show, I always really believed in the idea behind it, although in the beginning of the run at Soho Theatre I had a largely terrible time with it.

I then took it to Edinburgh and another follow up run in London. By the final night at Soho Theatre, some six months later and with more work, the audience loved it and I felt really vindicated. I remember that gig particularly for its lesson: learn to back yourself. It's a hard lesson to learn, I think. It's very normal to start out hating everything you do.

Worst gig?

Graham: At the beginning of your improv career especially, you will put yourself (and your kindest friends) through some pretty torturous moments. It would be churlish to put any one of those terrible gigs on a pedestal. They were at least all character building, or so we tell ourselves.

Naomi: I once read a review of a show that started with the words 'there is nothing more excruciating than watching bad improv' and I can't stop thinking about it. Bad stand-up is pretty excruciating. Bad violin-playing is torturous. You'd never go to a terrible sketch show and then declare you hated all sketch comedy.

So I won't add fuel to the fire by naming a horrendous gig, but yes there have been a few, and I hope the people watching didn't write off an entire art form just because we sucked that night.

Which one person influenced your comedy life most significantly?

Naomi: If we're keeping this question improv-specific, l remember seeing Austentatious in my early days of improv classes, featuring my old pal Graham here. I was pretty blown away by how amazing they all were, and I didn't realise improv could hit those dizzy heights. I seem to remember Graham was playing an old man who was slowly turning into a shoe. What an inspiration.

Graham: I remember once seeing an old man slowly turn into a shoe. It was so inspiring, and I remember thinking 'one day, I'm going to pay this forward.'

And who's the most disagreeable person you've come across in the business?

Graham: You won't find anyone disagreeable in improv - it's founded on the principle of 'Yes And'! We're a friendly community who support each other, agree and build on each other's offers!

Naomi: No Graham, you're wrong. You're not an improviser. This is a shop.

Is there one idea/bit you loved, that audiences inexplicably didn't?

Graham: It's so hard to pick. I think getting good at improv requires you to develop the ability to move on from icky moments and not let them affect you.

In stand-up, when a joke doesn't land, you work on it until it does. In improv, you don't really get to do this. It involves throwing a lot of sh*t against the wall, and inevitably a lot of it ends up slipping miserably down said wall. Eventually though, you do get a lot better and making sh*t sticky. I regret walking down this road three sentences ago.

Any reviews, heckles or post-gig reactions stick in the mind?

Naomi: I recently did a scripted play where a reviewer from a national newspaper came along, noted in the programme that I was an improviser and wrote in the review that the improv was very weak. Again, I have to stress, this was a scripted piece of theatre.

Graham: Once I was doing a show and I swear I heard someone I recognised stand up and yell, in a really inspired voice, "Hey, that old man is turning into a shoe!" I was just trying to do my job.

How were your lockdowns, creatively and generally? Does improv work over Zoom?

Naomi: I created several successful Sims and then watched some of them burn or drown to death.

Graham: I was not a huge fan of doing improv on Zoom. There are certain things like eye contact and timing required to really make connection work on stage, which I think are fatally undermined on a Zoom call. I think it works fine for teaching, but less so for good shows.

That said, it was valuable to force us all to think how to recreate that feeling in a different medium. There were some fun experiments, and some people found interesting improvised things to do in that format - but I think we're all thrilled to be back in the room with each other.

How do you feel about where your career is at, right now?

Graham: The question every performer longs to be asked...

Naomi: I would like a Netflix special.