An evening of improvisation in Halifax from Paul Merton and his Impro Chums

Paul Merton and his Impro Chums, Richard Vranch, Suki Webster, Mike McShane and accompanist Kirsty Newton are back on the road in 2022 and appearing at the Victoria Theatre Halifax on Tuesday 5 April.
By A Kellett
Published 1st Apr 2022, 13:00 BST
An evening of improvisation in Halifax from Paul Merton and his Impro ChumsAn evening of improvisation in Halifax from Paul Merton and his Impro Chums
An evening of improvisation in Halifax from Paul Merton and his Impro Chums

The collective improvisational experience embodied in the Chums is a joy to behold. They flex their improvisational muscles to delight and entertain audiences in this country and abroad.

Paul Merton is a founder member of The Comedy Store Players, he still appears at the Comedy Store in London most Sundays. He is a resident guest on BBC Radio 4’s Just A Minute and is an established face on TV shows such as the hugely popular Have I Got News For You, Room 101, Paul Merton Looks at Alfred Hitchcock (BBC4/2), Paul Merton’s Birth of Hollywood (BBC 2) and his travel series for Channel Five, Paul Merton’s Adventures which covered his travels in India, China and Europe. His Autobiography, Only When I Laugh reached the Sunday Times bestseller Top 10 and in the summer of 2021 he co-starred with Suki in Motorhoming with Paul Merton and Suki Webster a six part travel documentary series for Channel 5.

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Mike McShane has been lucky enough to live by improvising with friends and making friends by improvising. He appeared at the Menier Chocolate Factory in Little Shop of Horrors and Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins. TV work include Doctor Who, Bluestone 42 (BBC), NCIS LA (CBS) and Wayward Pines (FOX). Currently he can be seen in the webisode western, Red Bird.

Richard Vranch improvises comedy in The Comedy Store Players and provides voices for documentaries and adverts. He also works as a writer, stand-up comic and actor. He's presented a science series on Channel 4 and has appeared on BBC Radio 4's Infinite Monkey Cage with Prof Brian Cox. Richard has toured the world from Mexico to Palestine acting in sketch shows and appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe since 1979.

Suki Webster is a regular guest of The Comedy Store Players and has toured the world with Paul Merton's Impro Chums. In 2021 Suki co-starred with Paul in Motorhoming with Paul Merton and Suki Webster a six-part travel documentary series for Channel 5. My Obsession, a comedy drama series, which she wrote and starred in was aired on Radio 4 in June 2019. Other TV work includes Giles Wemmbley Hogg (BBC 2) and Ross Noble’s directorial debut The Catchment (Sky.) She has also written five documentaries for the BBC TV. Her own improvisation show Suki Webster’s Guest Speaker continues to grow in its success.

Kirsty Newton originally from Halifax is a regular musical guest with The Comedy Store Players and has toured with Arthur Smith, Rich Hall, Phil Nichol, Mitch Benn and Jonny & The Baptists amongst many others. She was the musical improviser for Whose Line Is It Anyway? at the Edinburgh Fringe 2019 and her solo show Life Begins At Party! won critical acclaim in 2016. Kirsty recently tweeted about the Victoria Theatre performance “Looking forward to playing the theatre where I did many of my first performances in the town where I was born! Hoping for a lovely home crowd to laugh along with us as we make up a brand new show”.