TOME is not your average impro theatre; It is ordered chaos, a hurricane in a bottle.
Jhi Rayner, is the artistic director of Freeroam Theatre Inc. Jhi is an improvisation performer and trainer who has been teaching and performing improvisation in New South Wales since 2009.
Tell us about the show in 100 words or less
TOME is not your average impro theatre; It is ordered chaos, a hurricane in a bottle. No prompt from audience, no pre-conceived ideas, no two shows ever the same. Just 5 highly trained actors, an audience, one hour and an evening of raw, adrenaline pumping improvisation. TOME is a once-in-a-lifetime performance, never seen before and never to be seen again, and each performance is completely different to the next!
This image: 'A lost man shares a leg through a portal in time.' Performer: Keeden Hendriks. Credit: Hayley Kotzur.
Cover image: 'After being attacked by ghosts, the survivors read their demands. Performers: (L-R) Sally Jackson, Natasha Shimpf, Haya Arzidin. Credit: Hayley Kotzur
Anywhere Festival takes place anywhere but a theatre. Tell us about your venue. What is it about your space that adds to your audience experience?
The Sideshow is a great space for intimate performance. It’s not your standard theatre, we want to be in amongst the crowd, in front of the audience, even outside of the venue! Is there a large window overlooking a street right next to the audience seating? YES! Limitless opportunities. The whole venue is the stage, and we intend to use it fully!
What is your creative process like?
In a word: Chaos. The question that I constantly get asked when going through rehearsal process is ‘how do you direct an impro show?’, and it’s a good question! Rehearsal for TOME is about developing trust and communication between improvisers, critiquing the technique that the performers use rather than the content of their scenes. During rehearsal process, there are hundreds of incredibly heartbreaking, chaotically funny, and spine-chillingly scary scenes that will never be seen by an outside eye, but after the hours of improvising, team building and technique learning, the quality of the work and comradery of the team is astounding, and every scene is as exciting and thrilling as the next.
Image:' A lone chicken stands against the forces of darkness.' Performer: Charles Sykes. Credit: Hayley Kotzur
Tell us your origin story. How did your show start?
During my Master degree, I was directing ‘Endgame’ by Samuel Beckett. We had a performance where only two audience members turned up, both of which had seen the show before, so I encouraged the actors to try some new stuff out, this was the night for it. What resulted was absolute chaos, and so not to the letter that I’m sure Samuel Beckett would’ve been quite annoyed! Performers adlibbed, laughed and enjoyed themselves, sharing with the audience as they went. Yet, amidst all of this chaos, in the final moments of the show during a powerful monologue, the chaos subsided and opened up for such a tangible moment of vulnerability that I was floored. I’d never felt so strongly for a character in any theatre or film I had watched, ever. This was the genesis for TOME, which performed for the first time a few months later.
Who is your perfect audience member? Who is going to LOVE this event?
If you’re someone that’s eager to be surprised, that enjoys whose line is it anyway or thank god you’re here, that loves unforgettable moments and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, then this show is for you! You will not regret seeing this show, and you’ll be hungry for more.
Is there anything else we simply MUST know about the show?
TOME is weird, wacky, fun, thought-provoking, heartbreaking, reflective, responsive, fear inducing and just about every other word in the dictionary. It’s a thrill ride of chaos and fun from beginning to end, and it simply cannot be missed.
TOME: A Completely Improvised Theatre Experience takes place as part of Anywhere Festival on 14th May 7pm, and 15th May 4pm & 10pm at The Sideshow-West End
