Memorable Characters: A Mini-Series

My most favourite thing about playing improv is getting into the skin of different characters, put together from scratch, from nothing but imagination and an audience suggestion.

In short form games and scenes, they come alive for a minute or few, making us laugh or joyously fail trying. In longer stories, they flesh themselves out, layer on their quirks, make (and break) relationships, turning their arcs into interesting plot movements.

This summer, I spoke to some of our favourite cast members about the most memorable characters they have played in an improvised show.

In the first of the series, we meet Suzie from the world of Tarantino, created and played by Nicole Mischler. 

Take a read from this little interview, where Nicole gives us a peek into the making of Suzie.

Suzie was a good girl in bad trouble.

Tell us about this character. What format or setting does she find herself in?

 Suzie was part of a Tarantino show, where we do a narrative story based on the style of, and with tropes from the early works of Tarantino. Think Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs!

So, dangerously cool criminals! Tell us more. What were some of her characteristics? How did she show up in the world?

Suzie was a good girl in bad trouble. She and her partner had tried to make some money with the bad guys and now, they found themselves in danger. She was fearful and nervous with high energy. She cursed a lot.

Ooh, a backstory! Did you have any sources of inspiration to bring her to life?

My inspiration was Jody, played by Patricia Arquette, the wife of the heroin dealer in Pulp Fiction. In Tarantino movies, we have ordinary characters finding themselves mixed up in something too big for them! This trope is very common, so this is what I was going for.

And was there something funny or amazing they she (you) said or did on  stage?

I remember, up until the moment Suzie walked in, the show had been a little quiet. So my impulse was to come in with high energy. My partner-in-crime was Huib van der Gaag and he matched my character perfectly. All of our scenes were really fun! Up to and including when we died in the end, in a Mexican style stand-off!

Very cool! Dying on stage is always the most fun thing in improv. To sum up, what would you say made Susie so special or memorable?

This character had a life of her own. Her cursing and loose energy seemed to set all other things in motion for the story. An innocent cat was the first victim! There was also a very funny accidental death scene (like the car scene with Marvin in Pulp Fiction) that I was not in but was fabulous to watch. A really fun show and character all round, for me at least.

Bringing in shades of grey, spewing chaos and mayhem, and a fatal fight in the climax was all that Suzie did to move the story forward. We also have this picture, which shows Suzie in action.

The Tarantino format featuring improvised stories about slick criminals doing crime in style continues to be a hot favourite format with the Easylaughs cast. Look for it when our shows resume in August.