The Spontaneity Shop: Performance and training Improvisation company
Home > About > Q And A > Belinda Cornish
- Belinda, you started improvising with The Spontaneity Shop. When was that?
- 1999. I think. Somewhere in there. Deborah informed me that she was planning an improv benefit for the Royal Court, and that I would be performing in it. Fortunately, she agreed to teach me how to improvise first.
- You then got married and moved to Canada. How did you meet your husband?
- At the SAK international theatresports tournament in Orlando, where we Spontaneity Shop players were representing London. Mark was playing for the illustrious Rapid Fire Theatre from Edmonton. I spent most of the matches gazing dreamily across the stage and drooling slightly. May be why we didn't win. (The first time he kissed me - in the beer tent - I turned round to see Tom Salinsky grinning and giving me a big thumbs-up. Right on, girlfriend!)
- Wow! So improv is a great way to meet guys. Why else would you recommend people do it?
- Okay, seriously now. Whether you're an actor or a sensible person, improv gives you a great set of skills that apply across the board. It highlights and develops things that are valuable onstage and off. Plus, it's fantastically fun, particularly when you learn that falling flat on your face (literally or figuratively) can be delightful. (I'm being vague, but if I got more specific, I'd go on for hours. Improv is awesome. Do it. Particularly if it scares you. Do it.
- What's your favourite Spontaneity Shop memory?
- Ah, so many. There was a night when we were doing Gorilla Theatre at the Troubadour, when the audience was rewarding every scene with a banana (as opposed to a forfeit). Determined to throw himself on his sword for the good of the show and gain a forfeit, Tom stepped up to direct, and instructed Deborah and Chris to do the worst possible scene they could. Forget story, character, listening to each other, every single rule there is. The scene, while technically terrible in a way that only good improvisers could have made it, was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. It received not only a unanimous banana, but also a standing ovation.
- What's your favourite improv memory?
- Again, too many. The big umbrella favourite memory is the Die- Nasty Soapathon. Any and all of them. Funny, weird and wonderful. You live completely in this amazing world that you and your friends created for a whole weekend. And saying goodbye to it always makes me cry.
- What improv company do you work with now?
- I've been working with Rapid Fire Theatre for almost seven years now. I also perform in Die-Nasty, the renowned live improvised soap opera, as well as on Oh Susanna!, the live variety show which is hosted by my beloved husband dressed as a beautiful lady. Both shows are at the Varscona Theatre.
- You have your own production company as well. What's that about?
- At a New Year's Eve party, beginning of 2002, myself and four other actresses were commiserating about the lack of strong female roles, and how unlikely it was that we'd ever all get to work together. So we decided to do something about it, and, unlike most plans made at 2am after several cocktails, we actually did. And Panties Productions was born. Yes, we are The Panties. Cos we're not about ladies being pissed off about stuff. We're a bunch of chicks with a bunch of ideas who just want to do plays. We've now written and produced five original award nominated shows, two of which have toured through North America. We also have a website. It's not very up to date, as the Pantie who normally takes care of it just had a baby, but it has some pictures. And our history and all that jazz.
- How many degrees of separation between you and Kevin Bacon?
- Three. I was in a movie called Rio Loco with Joe Flaherty, who was in Phil The Alien with Sean Cullen, who was in Where The Truth Lies with Kevin Bacon. Hilarious.
- Would you rather receive an Oscar or wield a light saber?
- Hmmm. I bet Mark said light sabre. I think I'd prefer to win an Oscar. Then he could wield his light sabre at my Oscar... to coin a very odd euphemism.
