Take Five With… Alex Reichart – Interview

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Take Five With… Alex Reichart

  J. Doe is the latest offering from Brisbane’s improvisational theatre troupe ImproMafia. Providing a variety of improvised theatre in comedy clubs, pubs and local theatres across the city, the seasoned team from ImproMafia now bring us a whodunit with a twist. Billed as part thriller, part noir and part fantasy, the production relies on audience participation and the ready genius of its impro players to unlock the mystery. Life Music Media talks to the man at the helm of J. Doe, director Alex Reichart.

:: Tell us a bit about J.Doe and what it’s like performing with ImproMafia ::
J Doe is about a person who wakes up one day, in a strange hotel, with no memory of who they are or how they got there. During the show, we attempt to discover why they have ended up here, using suggestions from the audience as a base. It’s a mystery / thriller, which pays homage to shows like ‘Twilight Zone’.

The entire show is unscripted, so there is no guarantee as to what we will find out.

Performing with Impro Mafia is great fun – a large part of the company have been improvising together for upwards of 5 years, and that allows you to develop a good level of understanding of each other’s performance styles.

:: Who is your favourite impro performer? ::
Patti Stile from Impro Melbourne. There is nothing she doesn’t know about Impro, and she’s one of the nicest people you could meet.

:: Where do you find inspiration? ::
Mostly from things that I enjoy – so TV shows, books, music – anything can inspire you. J Doe came primarily out of watching an old British series called ‘Sapphire and Steel’ which I rediscovered, which was a low(er) budget version of Doctor Who for ITV in the 70’s – but astonishingly creepy at times.

:: What is your favourite type of heckler? ::
One who has already paid to see whatever show they are heckling!

:: What is the most memorable production or performance you have seen?
Something that really inspired you. ::

The last concert Crowded House ever did in Auckland, NZ was the most memorable I’ve seen. It was at an old rock venue, they played for 3 hours with Dave Dobbyn and Neil Finn, eventually the manager of the venue had to ask them to finish, as the licence for the place only ran to a certain time.

For inspiration, seeing some of the comedy that was being put on at the New Zealand University Comedy Comps way back in 1993. This was the first time I had anything to do with comedy or Impro, and some of what I saw blew me away.

:: Favourite recording artist? ::
U2

:: Favourite album? ::
Flight of the Conchords

:: Favourite food? ::
My mother’s lasagne. Followed closely by McVitie’s Jaffa Cakes.

:: Favourite drink? ::
Tetley’s Tea. Boring I know, but I like the quiet life.

:: Favourite place? ::
The Louvre in Paris. One whole day there is simply not enough.

:: Favourite season? ::
Spring

:: Recommend a book ::
The Zombie Survival Guide” by Max Brooks. You can never be too prepared.

:: Recommend a film ::
The Descent”, directed by Neil Marshall.

:: Recommend a website ::
www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation

:: Words of wisdom ::
Work hard, be good to your mother, and always insist on taking the negatives with you.

J. Doe plays for one night only, Sunday 12th June at the Brisbane Arts Theatre.

Interview by: Pepa Wolfe

Visit Brisbane Arts Theatre website for full details.
Brisbane Arts Theatre
210 Petrie Terrace, Brisbane
Sunday 12 June 2011, 7:30pm