Chris Martin Talks Winging It, Gynaecology And Looking Like An Idiot On Stage

It's one of the most common anxiety dreams: you find yourself on a stage in front of an expectant audience, but you don't know any of your lines. Cue crushing embarrassment and abject humiliation. But while this scenario might be the stuff of nightmares for some, it's all in a day's work for improv comic Chris Martin.

A member of new kids on the Brisbane comedy block, Big Fork Theatre, Martin's gags are best off the cuff, but it wasn't always so. "The reassuring thing about improv is that no one is ever any good at it when they first start. Ever! Personally, I really sucked," Martin shares. "It's a tough format. It's high stress, mind boggling and you have to break down your inhibitions. The crucial thing is to not be self-conscious about acting like an idiot in front of a crowd of people because that's kind of the point! You've got to be prepared to look like a fool if that's what the scene requires. It took me quite a while to get comfortable with that, but now I love people thinking I'm an idiot on stage. I've discovered the joy of making stuff up."

"Now I love people thinking I'm an idiot on stage. I've discovered the joy of making stuff up."

Improv comedy is in rude health Down Under. There are well-established scenes in Melbourne and Sydney, but Brisbane is nipping on their heels with a burgeoning appetite for improv from comedy lovers and comedians alike. "Over the past ten years or so it's been catching on more and more here. Being a stand-up can be very solitary, so the chance to work with other people is definitely part of the appeal," Martin explains.

One of the most unpredictable elements of the art of improv comes from the audience, who spontaneously suggest the characters, scenarios and other comedy ingredients the performers on stage have to work with. "The most common character that gets requested is gynaecologist. For some reason, audiences really want to watch scenes about gynaecology," Martin reveals. "It's obvious why people call that kind of thing out because they get a laugh, but they don't seem to realise that they're going to have to watch a scene about gynaecology! That's very rarely going to end well. Morgues are another tricky one, mainly because no one really knows what to do - who goes to a morgue just to hang out?"

Audiences might throw some curve balls, but having the right scene partner is the secret of winging it on stage, Martin says. "The key to good improv is trust, so when you work with the same people regularly you develop a great rapport. They know your strengths and weaknesses so you can play really well together. I go on stage knowing these people have my back, no matter how much I screw up they're going to support me. You never want to go on stage without that team spirit."

With so many warm and fuzzy feelings in Brissy's comedy scene, the Big Fork Theatre team have capitalised on this strong community vibe by presenting a weekend Festival celebrating the best local stand-up, sketch and improv comedy. The three-night event, Big Fork's Big Weekend, will include appearances by improv veterans ImproMafia, an evening dedicated to Brisbane's best comediennes including Emily McCool, Jennifer Eversfield, Simone Eclair and Petrina Macpherson, and collaboration between two of Queensland's best sketch comedy groups, The Sexy Detectives and BangNation.