Mischief Makers Episode 18: Ellie Morris
[Upbeat music plays]Host: Welcome to Mischief Makers, your one stop shop for all things Mischief. Join your host Dave Hearn, as he finds out what makes Mischief... well, Mischief!Dave Hearn: Hello and welcome to another episode of Mischief Makers with me Dave Hearn. And, today I have the delightful Miss Ellie Morris. Hello Ellie.Ellie Morris: Hello Dave, nice to speak to you!DH: Yeah, I haven't spoken to you for a while, I think!EM: It has been a while yeah! Pretty much the whole of the lockdown we've not really seen each other or spoken at all.DH: I know that's so true, but this is going to be a very mundane question to start with. How are you?EM: I'm good you know! It's dragging along. I'm not really doing much with my days. I'm having a lot of down time. But, yeah, I'm good. Enjoying the sunshine today.DH: Yes, unfortunately, I'm locked in my room as I imagine you are with a window.EM: I am now yeah; you've stolen the nice day away.DH: Yeah, it's hot. It's very hot. And, as we said before the podcast started, I thought I should let our listeners know I'm having some... Well, I'm not having any building work done, but some building work has begun next door. I think our neighbours are having a bathroom put in.EM: Indeed.DH: So, I don't know. Did the noise I did for you before... Was that a good noise to represent building work?EM: I think so, it was kind of like the drill. That kind of shrill drill if you will.DH: Yeah. So, ladies and gents if you hear something like this.[DH makes high pitch drill noise. EM laughs.]DH: I don't know if that's going to really sound horrible later, but you know, you might hear that.EM: Well, that's just part of it isn't it.DH: [Agrees] So, lets... We've become sidetracked by work and drilling.EM: Yep.DH: So, we're going to begin. So, this podcast as you know is about getting to know people from mischief.EM: Yeah.DH: And people would love to get to know you and I know you very well, so this is very good for me to begin interviewing you.[Both laugh]DH: So, the first section is the Getting to Know You section. Now, as we've discussed, I hope you haven't prepared anything, but I don't have any jingles.EM: I have not.DH: So, could you give us, off the top of your head, just a little Getting to Know You jingle.[EM sighs reluctantly]EH: Ok. [Singing in a quick rhythm] Bah dah dah bah bah bah getting to know me![EM laughs]DH: Nice! Nice! I forget... Yeah, it's interesting when people do it who have good voices.EM: Oh, is that...DH: Because... No, that was lovelyEM: Oh, thank you!DH: It was Shield's one... Me and Shields got on very well, because it was... They were both kind of, sort of, atonal.EM: They were! Yeah, well he did some piano. [DH agrees] The notes did not match up...[Both laugh]DH: No, but you know, he is gifted in other ways.EM: Oh my gosh, absolutely!DH: So, let's talk. Let's get to know Ellie Morris.EM: Yeah!DH: So, why don't you tell us how... How did you come to be in Mischief?EM: So… I think it all started when I went to LAMDA to do the foundation course. I’d never done improv before, but we had improv classes with Adam Meggido which I loved and really enjoyed and kind of wanted to do more. And, I think I... I think some of the guys were there in their final year, like Charlie and Henry were still in their third year. And, I think I just heard about Mischief and maybe asked or like... I can't really remember what happened but said "if you're ever looking for more people, please think of me," And, then, yeah, I think a couple of years later I got asked to audition for the Edinburgh run and that was that.DH: And you were in and you were away.EM: And I was in, yeah!DH: So, what happened in that audition? What was our audition like, can you remember?EM: I think it was... I think you were there if it was in in... Well it's not there anymore, but W2 of the LAMDA... Of the old LAMDA building. [DH agrees] And, we just played some, like, standard improv games. Kind of like lots of short form stuff, did a few scenes probably. Yeah, it was really fun.DH: How did you find it? Were you nervous or worried or did you just kind of crack on?EM: I probably was. I really loved improv. Like, I had never done it and I think Adam Meggido is just such a great teacher. [DH agrees] And I... Like, in 'The Fs' you do a lot of improv, because he... Well, I think he... Well, he used to run that course, I'm not sure if he does any more. But, yeah, improv was, like, heavy on the scheduling. So, yeah, we did a lot of it and, yeah, I probably... I think I was pretty confident. [Laughing] I thought I was pretty good, I don't know...DH: Yeah, well you must have been, because you got in!EM: Yeah!DH: So, I wonder, like, because, I think of you often as quite a... A very easy going and quite a confident person. [EM agrees] But, I have seen you nervous before.EM: Yeah, I do get nervous.DH: Right, and what kind of stuff makes you nervous?EM: I mean, this! I'm actually quite nervous for this![EM laughs]DH: Oh, really?EM: Yeah, I was a bit nervous. I was like... I was gonna to read all the questions and prepare. And, Henry was like "no, why would you... Just don't do that. That would just make it worse." So, I haven't done that. But what else makes me nervous?DH: So, you haven't prepped any answers?EM: I have not prepped any answers.DH: That's good.EM: I mean, in general like, I do get first night jitters. Like, you know, a little bit of stage fright. A little bit. But, generally... Generally, not. I mean, flying makes me nervous, that's probably my biggest.DH: What like aeroplanes?EM: Aeroplanes yep... Do not...DH: Oh wow! I didn't know that!EM: I know! Well, it's only been in the last couple of years. It was so weird! I've, like, flown and been fine and then I think I had one bad flight back from New York where there was quite a lot of turbulence and I just... It was, like, constant throughout the whole flight and then ever since then I've just been, like, cripplingly nervous to get on a flight. [DH agrees sympathetically] I even tried... I went somewhere recently, and I tried hypnotherapy, because I was, like, so desperate just to not be scared.DH: Wow!EM: And, I have to say that it did not take.[DH laughs]EM: It did not work at all, I kind of sat... This woman was, like, lovely. I kind of sat in this very comfy chair in this incredibly warm room and then she, like, covered me in blankets... [laughing] In this really heavy, kind of like felt blanket. And I was like "oh god I'm just so hot, but I can't say anything, because I'm about to get hypnotised." And she kind of... Her voice went into this lovely tone and this like melodic thing and she was saying all this kind of typical hypnosis stuff that you would expect to hear. But every time I kind of like felt myself kind of going a bit under my eyes would just jolt open. And, I was just really resistant to it, I don't know why but... [DH agrees] Unfortunately, it did not work.DH: Do you think you went in with a certain kind of cynicism towards it? That you thought it might not work?[EM laughs]EM: I don't know. I was trying to work it out why because I really wanted it to work. I was honestly like "this would just solve all my problems." But I think there was something about being under someone else's control. Like, when I felt... You know, they get you to close your eyes and everything's heavy and you're going... And you're sinking down... And, I just like... My body just kind of glitched and like resisted and I like snapped my eyes open. And, then after like half an hour of talking to me she was like "ok... I can tell this is not working at all."[DH laughs]EM: And, like, I don't know. She was kind of, you know, apologetic and I think it maybe usually does. But, yeah, I just said "you know what, it's ok. Maybe we'll do another session." And then we scheduled another session and then she forgot about it.[EM laughs]DH: Oh wow!EM: And so, I...DH: So, she hypnotised herself?EM: Yeah, I like... It was gonna be on Skype, because she couldn't do another day and then I like called her at the time and she was like "Oh sorry, I just completely forgot. Can we do it another day?" And then she forgot about that as well. So, you know what, it wasn't a good experienceDH: Oh wow!EM: [Laughing] It did not work, and it cost quite a lot of money.DH: Yeah! I mean, would you ever consider going to another hypnotherapist? Do you think she was...EM: I don't think I would. No, I don't think I would. I think now I'm just going to use drugs.[EM laughs]DH: Seems fair, knock yourself out when you get on the plane.EM: Just give me a tranquilliser yeah.DH: Well because I think... I wonder if... I certainly think the appeal of hypnotherapy is that it’s this kind of catch-all isn't it? That you can solve a problem like fear of flying in a few sessions by altering your subconscious somehow.EM: Yeah, well that's what... Yeah...DH: It's very... I think it's very appealing. One of my old movement teachers... He smoked and he said he went to hypnotherapy, had one session, came out and never smoked again.EM: Really? I mean, yeah, those are the stories you hear and it's like, well wow! I want this!DH: Yeah. But then surely you could just apply that to everything. Just be like ok so I want to go in and go "ok so what I want to do is just eat healthy, keep motivated going to the gym and sleep easily."EM: Yeah, it’s not... I don't know, I'm suspicious that it takes... One session is kind of... She said that we could it in two. [DH agrees] Sadly, I never got the second session so maybe that would have been where the magic happened. But I don't know! I think maybe I would try it again with someone different and just see, because I know that it does work for some people. But I don't know if I was just nervous to submit.DH: That's very true. [EM agrees] And I think that's a part of it. Have you ever seen any of Derren Brown's shows live?EM: I have yeah.DH: And, he... He's very... Quite selective about the people that he picks.EM: Yeah, I think it needs to be a certain type of person.DH: Yeah, and I find... There was one where this guy got up. And he got this guy up and he talked to him for about two or three minutes and just at the end just went "I'm really sorry this isn't gonna work."EM: Oh wow! He knows!DH: [Quietly] The guy, I think he was... The guy, to be fair, was... I don't know why I'm whispering. I don't know if the guy knows I'm talking about him.EM: [Whispering and laughing] The guy is here! He's in your room.DH: [Normally] He's in my room. [Whispering] He's a bit of a dick![EM laughs]DH: [Still whispering and laughing] He's already broken into my house. [Normally] Get out![Both laugh]DH: We've gone off track. [EM agrees] But, hypnosis is good.EM: Yep. Yep. It's ok. It works for some, not for others but you know...DH: And so, the flight... You came back from New York because you did a... Did you do a show off Broadway while we were there?EM: I did. That was the big coincidence yeah! We did. We finished Bank Robbery and then you guys were heading out to Broadway. And then I got a job doing a play called Rotterdam and it was at the Brits Off Broadway Festival in New York. And, yeah, it was the... It was kind of around the same time that you guys were there, so we had a little crossover which was nice.DH: It was very nice! And how did you find New York and the Brits Off Broadway?EM: Oh, I loved it! It was so fun! I mean, it was a month and it goes so fast, but it was just so great to be there and yeah, I loved it!DH: And, so, that flight back was the tricky one?EM: I think maybe that was the one. Yeah. Or maybe it was... No, it was one after that, because I was on my own. Because, yeah, I flew back with everyone.
DH: Sure.EM: But it was a flight... I think I went the next year and then I flew back on my own for some reason. I was just like... Like, I was too scared to even ask, but I was like "oh, maybe I should get a whiskey or something and like calm myself down."[Both laugh]EM: But I was just too like... I don't know... I was too embarrassed to ask for one. So, I just... Yeah, I just gripped the seats and closed my eyes for like 8 hours.DH: Just sweated a lot.EM: [Laughing] Yeah.DH: When I... So, I... I'm usually ok with flying. [EM agrees] But I think definitely as I've got older, I think I'm developing like a mild claustrophobia.EM: Oh no!DH: I know. I think, not in the sense like I can't get in a lift. But more if I try and turn around and... Like if I'm laying flat and I try and roll over and I can't fully rotate I get a bit panicked. And, I wonder if that's...EM: Yeah, maybe that's the trauma of the Peter Pan stuck in the bed.[EM laughs]DH: Well that was where I first discovered it.EM: [Laughing] Really! Oh, really! Oh my god!DH: Yeah! In that middle bunk thing. [EM agrees] In what I sort of called the "death box."EM: [Laughing] That's horrible!DH: Yeah, but that first one, the one we did in Pleasance, I actually had to... We had to pad inside of it and I had to turn my head to the side, because a couple of times it did actually hit me in the head.EM: Oh god, yeah, that was not pleasant!DH: But then the one in the Apollo obviously, you know, we didn't build ourselves. So, much better! Much better.EM: Yeah, yeah!DH: But the one at The Pleasance still works the best.[EM agrees and laughs]EM: But to your detriment.DH: Mmm, very much so! So, you're in Mischief, you were in Peter Pan Goes Wrong, you were understudy on Bank Robbery.EM: Yeah, indeed.DH: And you're now in The Play That Goes Wrong.EM: I am! Well, currently not, but hopefully will be again at some point!DH: Hopefully soon!EM: Yeah.DH: And how have you... So, you've played a relatively small part in Peter Pan, quite a large part in Play and an understudy role in Bank Robbery [EM agrees] How do the three differ for you?EM: Oh gosh! I mean, they're just all so fun! I think playing Lucy, that was kind of my first job out of drama school and it was like... We were at The Apollo and it was, like, over Christmas... It was just such a... It was amazing! It was so, so great! So, I loved that, and it was just such a fun part! Yeah, because you get a lovely kind of ending and it's really sweet. I did love Bank Robbery, that was... Actually, that was probably... Well, I don't know about my favourite, I'm loving Play That Goes Wrong, but Bank Robbery was like so... It was just because it was the new show and we... And I remember being in the rehearsal rooms watching it kind of develop, which I had never been at that stage of the Mischief process before. So, it was just so cool seeing everyone kind of workshop it properly and seeing how it changed. Even when we opened, it kept changing and changing.[EM laughs]DH: Yes. I remember that we cut like the first ten minutes off didn't we.EM: Yeah, yeah, there was all the bag business. People in bags.DH: People in bags scene, yeah.[Both laugh]EM: Yep, a lot of stuff that went. But that was just really cool, to be kind of part from the very beginning. So, I loved that. And that whole year was just so fun. There was so much variety, like every night I was doing something different backstage and you kind of felt so... As an understudy, I just felt so part of everything and I loved all the backstage tracks. Those are actually some of my favourite times in Mischief. Just like being backstage and like, I don't know, just making everything work. Kind of like, hauling this ladder and like pulling the things for the back-wall sequence, like I just thought it was cool. So, yeah, I loved that.And then Play That Goes Wrong has been amazing! And it’s so sad that we're not doing it right now because it was just... We had just kind of reached that point... I think we were at the four-month mark, maybe three or four, where we were kind of getting the swing of it a bit and getting more comfortable with each other and kind of playful. So, that was really great and then of course it stopped, but it will return.DH: Yeah, and you'll all sort of have that to look forward to, I guess.EM: Oh yeah! Oh gosh, it's been like... Knowing that we have something to go back to has just been incredible. Yeah, it's so good.DH: So, you understudied and now are playing one of the, sort of, leading parts. But you have many other gifts as well that I know. So, I always think you have a wonderful singing voice.EM: Oh, thank you!DH: As demonstrated by the jingle.EM: By my jingle yeah.DH: But the other thing is, do you do a lot of illustrations and face painting and things like that?EM: Oooh! Well, now that you mention it! [DH laughs] I did, I started a face painting business a couple of years ago called Painty Face and, yeah... I think that was just because I was working reception at the time, had finished... Maybe that was in between Bank Robbery and doing Rotterdam. But like I had months in between and I was working at this club and they needed someone to do face painting for Halloween and I think my friend just suggested me. I don't really know why, but she did, and I was like "oh yeah I can do that." And then from there I thought "oh that would be a really fun kind of way to, like you know, be working for myself when I'm not acting." I kind of enjoy design and kind of painting and stuff, so yeah that started and it... You know, it's not big by any means, but you know, I have my Instagram account and I've had some really big gigs from that. Unfortunately, again, it's not something I can really do during the pandemic. But, hopefully, one day I will do it again. But, yeah, I really enjoy it.DH: And, so was that kind of born out of the absence of something creative? As you say, you were like working as a receptionist and you hadn't done anything theatre for a while.EM: Yeah, yeah! I think so. I think so. And my friends... So, another girl who worked on reception with me Tiffany, she had just founded this company called Brush and Bubbles with her friend Lara. And it was just so inspirational, because like they were two actors who had me at an audition and while they weren't working they were kind looking for something to do and they just thought "oh, we had this idea for a painting and prosecco class." And they just did it and I just found that... You know, people always talk about doing things and they never do them. But actually, they just thought of it, put something together. Like now the business is like three years old and incredibly successful. And throughout that time, I was like "oh that would just be so great to kind of do something for myself which is, yeah, creative but also makes a bit of money." So yeah, that was kind of the inspiration, so thanks Tiff' and Lara. Check out Brush and Bubbles, a great business.DH: Very good. Well they'll have to give us some sponsorship money now.EM: Yeah absolutely! Well I worked for them because it... That was a really great time as well because they are a painting and prosecco class and like they need artists to teach the classes. Kind of, they have set paintings, and everyone comes along and paints the same thing. So, I did a few of those which was really great.DH: That's really cool.EM: Yeah.DH: And also, we did... One of Mischief's gifts to Nancy when... Was it Herb's first birthday?EM: That was Herb's... No, that was when Herb was first born.DH: He was just born.EM: Like his nothing birthday? Yeah, his creation day.DH: Or maybe it was the baby shower before...EM: Yeah, it was the baby shower, I think it was.DH: Yeah, and we'd made them a book. And did you illustrate that book?EM: Yeah, The Prince of Mischief, well that was a great idea from... I think Bryony and Charlie came up with that idea to do this, kind of like kids’ book featuring... From all the Mischief guys featuring us as kind of different animals, and like writing a nice story for her. And so, they wrote it, Charlie and Bry, and then yeah, I illustrated it. And yeah, we got it all printed up and it's, awww, it's really sweet. It's called The Prince of Mischief and it's kind of her as the Prince of Mischief and he goes through and meets all of the [laughing] colourful characters and we're all different animals. I think, what were you?DH: Can you remember who was what animal?EM: I think I was a butterfly. I think, I don't... What were you? Were you a cat so you were like spry?DH: I imagine I was either a cat or a bird.EM: Or a bird yeah. I mean it was long actually. [DH agrees] There were a lot of people who were included. So, it was about 30 pages. It did take a while. But yeah it was so sweet.DH: I imagine Hen was like a bear.EM: Hen was a bear of course.DH: Shields was probably a lizard.EM: Oh yep, Shields was a lizard, Hen was a bear. I can't remember... Oh Josh was a dog! Like a puppy!DH: Yep! Yeah, yeah, yeah!EM: Yeah, I can't remember any others.DH: Yeah, I can't remember, maybe I was a monkey or something.EM: A monkey? Oh yeah, maybe you were.DH: Or I'm quite bird like naturally, so I think that would...EM: You are. Someone was ants. I don't know who was ants, but I just recall drawing loads of ants. But who would have been an ant?DH: Bodie might have been ants! Very, very hard-working man.[EM laughs]EM: Maybe, because like I remember it was loads of ants carrying this leaf. So, maybe it was team... I think that was maybe the message: that the team works together or something and can carry a leaf.DH: But if you need something heavy carried, call Mike Bodie!EM: Yep! Absolutely! He's your man.DH: You know, he can lift three times his own body weight. I don't know if that's true.EM: [Laughing] It is now.DH: So, drawing and acting, singing, can you dance? I don't know.
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EM: Oh god, I'm... You know I can't dance. I'm a terrible dancer.DH: I did. I wanted you to say it.[DH laughs]EM: You know this, because we learnt this in Pan when we had like the most simple choreography to pick up and I just could not do... I cannot do a body roll to this day. It grieves me that I cannot do a body roll but it's just impossible. It doesn't work. I don't know how!DH: It's a tough move!EM: It is a tough one but, yeah, that was incorporated into that dance! I just failed miserably, but I think I got away with it because, you know I had the boot. I had the crutches. Lucy was... She's young.DH: Yeah, you had a different kind of joke which was good.EM: Yeah, yeah, I was just playing that.DH: But you have had some experience directing, right?EM: Oh! A wee bit yeah! That was... Oh gosh, when was that? Like a couple of years ago I directed Much Ado About Nothing produced by The Katz Theatre in London Bridge with a guy called Greg Birks who’s great. And that was really fun yeah. That kind of my first foray into directing.DH: How did you find it? Is it quite... Because, I always imagine like you think that you... Not you, but one can be a director.EM: I know!DH: But then I imagine that when you actually start doing it there's so many more elements.EM: Well I don't think I did think that. So, it was nice because it was a production... It was kind of a remounting of a production that they had done. It was a group of... Greg was on the foundation course a few years after me. So, they had kind of done this show at LAMDA I think, and it was just a really good set-up. It was... They really enjoyed it, so they wanted to kind of do it again at the theatre that they run in London Bridge. So, yeah, he kind of brought me on as like a kind of co-director. So, it was all... We kind of changed a few things, but it was... Like the setting was the same. It was set in an office. So, I kind of.... I didn't really come up with the concept, I just kind of directed the bones of the show which were already there. So, that was nice, because I think it was... You know, there was less pressure to kind of fully come up with the entire idea. But it was really fun. We had great time! You saw it didn't you?DH: I did yeah.EM: I mean you can be the judge! [Laughing] It was really fun to do and everyone was, yeah... It was a really nice group.DH: And would you ever consider kind of... I suppose if the path was open to you, would you ever consider shifting from acting to directing?EM: I'm not sure. Like, I guess I would. But I think... I don't know honestly. With directing I think people... Obviously they're so passionate. The people that do it are so passionate about it and I think I loved doing it but it's not... I kind of didn't feel like instantly I was ignited and had to kind of direct the next thing and the next thing. I feel... I don't know. I kind of feel like my role is more kind of like assisting, or kind of supporting, rather than kind of leading the whole thing. I think the director... There's a lot of pressure. You are the visionary. You are carrying everything. And I kind of think, yeah, my personality maybe lends itself more to supporting and kind of yeah, working with people to make something happen rather than being the one in charge, I think.DH: Yeah, because I think... I remember thinking, to go back to Adam Meggido actually, when we were doing Magic, I mean he had a real impossible task directing the show.EM: Yeah.DH: The vision of it was... I always thought his vision was quite clear. And, you know, Adam and the writers and the creatives and all those kinds of things had their disagreements along the way. But, I always think that whenever there was a sticking point, or whenever there was any kind of pause in the tech or in the rehearsal, or there was a thing where people just didn't really know and we were kind of treading water, you just felt the eyes just turn to this guy sat behind a desk at the end of the room.EM: Yeah, you've got to know exactly what you want and be able to communicate that and I think you need just a lot of vision don't you, to be a director.DH: Yeah, and I think it really... Maybe... I don't think I could be a director, because I wonder if I'd have the patience for it. Because, in my head I'd be like "oh here's my vision very clearly. Oh, and you're not doing it."EM: Well yeah that's the other thing, it's like being able to kind of tailor your communication to I guess actors, or whoever you are communicating with, to not make it be kind of like you're just telling them exactly what to do.You kind of have to collaborate. Which is the... I think the nice thing about Mischief is that there's so much collaboration within the company. And it never really feels like anyone's just telling you "do this, do this, do this." It's always like a conversation and, yeah, good communication!DH: Well we're always up for just kind of doing stuff and seeing what happens.EM: Oh yeah, just trying it out!DH: Yeah. But to stick with Adam actually for a bit. You did the 50-hour Improvathon right?EM: We did! Yeah, we did! We didn't do the whole 50 hours, but me, Bry and Charlie we did this year. I think me and Charlie... Did we do about eleven hours? Ten? I can't exactly remember now, but we were there... We both left at about four in the morning. I remember we kind of... We stayed on longer than we thought we would.DH: Yeah.EM: But that was a lot of fun! I would definitely want to try it again and do a bit more. But yeah that was a good time.DH: Tell us a bit about your experience inside of it. So, you kind of turn up, there's all these people there and how does it work?[EM laughs]EM: Yeah, I mean there's a lot of people! So, everyone... You get into your costumes and I think the first... Did we kind of go round and meet everyone's character? You kind of get introduced to who... Or you just chat about who you...DH: You do the 'Hot 30.'EM: Yeah, the 'Hot 30s.'
DH: Or do you mean like, even before the show starts?EM: Even before. I mean you can... Like some people... Like me and Charlie and Bry, we decided to kind of play together. So, we were The Cactus Sisters and so we had kind of like generated a little bit of relationship just to kind of... not so we were all strangers. So yeah, I think that really helps if you have kind of relationships just from the get-go then that makes it much easier. But, yeah, it was hectic! I mean it really was! You're just kind of all waiting backstage to do the 'Hot 30s' which is where you kind of run out and have 30 seconds to introduce your character and why you're there to the audience. And then yeah, Adam will just call, or whoever's calling, will just call people up and you have to see what happens. I mean, I don't... It's not... You know, it doesn't make sense a lot of the time.[Both laugh]EM: But it is fun! I bet maybe more fun to do than it is to watch, I'm not sure. Did you see any of it?DH: I did, I watched. And actually, the last one of these we recorded was with Rich Baker.EM: Oh yeah.DH: And he was telling me that he... I think he's the only musician in the world I think to play all 50 hours straight through.EM: Oh! That's crazy, because that actually requires attention!DH: Yeah well that the thing!EM: Like so much attention!DH: Because, he's technically in every scene.EM: Yeah!DH: Whereas you get sort of mini breaks. But I watched it.EM: Oh yeah.DH: I've watched your guys' one at Wilton's and it started at like seven or eight or something lik`e that and I think I left at midnight to get the tube. And I sort of said to Charlie... I was like "I'm you know... Well done, but I'm going to leave now."EM: "I'm finished."[Both laugh]DH: Yeah, it’s this strange thing I think talking to people that do it. And I did it for a bit the year before. I think once you're inside it and you're developing a story and you become such an integral part of that story, I imagine you sort of get the feeling of just going "oh well I can't just leave now. We have to finish the story!"EM: Well, yeah, I think that's what happened with me and Charlie. We kind of... We had planned to leave after a certain amount of hours or episodes and then we were like "ah well, we'll stay for one more." And then we'd stay for one more. And then we'd stay for one more. And then yeah... It got to about 4.00am and I think we were kind of done. But, no, it does kind of suck you in and I really do want to try and do the whole thing one day. Because, yeah, the experiences that people have do seem kind of... After like the 24-hour mark it gets pretty insane.DH: Well yeah, Rich was telling us about 'The Gates of Hell.'[EM laughs]EM: What's that?DH: Where I think you get to a point of kind of real... Sounds like real sadness.EM: Oh!DH: And real, kind of...EM: Delirium?DH: Yeah, a real delirium, a real kind of lowness in spirit. [EM laughs and agrees] But everyone kind of hits 'the gates' at different points and so you're kind of often... You're shouldering the kind of tiredness with everybody else.EM: Yeah.DH: And, I think, what ends up happening is that once you (I guess to continue the metaphor I guess) pass through the gates, you realise, you know it's not hell. You're actually walking into heaven. [EM laughs] And then the same level of depression and sadness that you feel reverses and becomes a sort of a joy and elation.EM: It does sound great! I mean like the group spirit backstage is amazing. You kind of get together before everyone goes back on for another section and you like kind of stamp your feet and make loads of noise. Or kind of sing some song just to make sure everyone is kind of together. So, it does feel like very supportive and it's a very powerful energy I think.DH: Yeah, there is something... It's... Yeah, you... It does feel... I remember when I did it, I came in on the second day. So, I'd come in after everyone had been awake for sort of 24 to 34 hours.EM: Oh yeah.DH: And, I just kind of came in and I injected a bit of pace into the story.EM: Yeah, that's good.DH: Because, it felt like it had slowed down a bit. But I think at the same time yeah, you're right there's a kind of... There's such a delirium in the air that it's quite energising and electric. And you're just a bit like wow everyone must be crazy!EM: Yeah, it’s probably if you're coming in at that point you feel like the only sober one and everyone else is drunk. [Laughing] Like it’s just not the best time to enter.DH: Yeah exactly. I remember sort fearing really... Well, how did you feel actually when you... Was that something you were quite nervous for?EM: I was nervous yeah. No, I was nervous because sort of like there are some great improvisers who do it. Like, really experienced people who I think are really funny. And, you know, obviously you might get called in a scene with them so it's like... That is a little bit nerve wracking. But it was lovely, because we had Bry and Charlie who (we were kind of stuck together) I was more familiar with. So that was nice to have them.DH: Yeah, I think I remember when I went in the... I wasn't with anyone.EM: Oh, that is scary!DH: Yeah and it was... It did feel a little lonely occasionally. But I think... I spoke to Adam and he was quite delirious at this point and he said... [EM laughs] He was just like "I'm really sorry Dave. I'm just... What I'm gonna do is... I'm just gonna put you with all the people that are struggling." And I was just like "er... ok..." And so, I just to kind like tie down all the people that were really delirious and then like give them something to do.EM: [Laughing] Just wrangle all the strays.DH: Yeah, it was a really strange experience. And then I sort of forged this story with this guy and then just went "Adam, I'm out mate. I'm just gonna kill myself in the next one."EM: Ohh!DH: [Laughing] And then he was like "yeah, can you just make sure that like these four characters all just end up like this." And I was just like "yeah easy." And so yeah it was one of those kinds of weird things where...EM: Nice, yeah, I think they should do that more.DH: Yeah, where you just sort of bring in someone every couple of hours just to redirect the...EM: Who can pull the strings a little bit from the inside. Not, you know... Just to make sure it's enjoyable for anyone watching.DH: Yeah, because I think actually... I reckon if you've been up for 36 hours and you sort of, maybe, feel like you're floundering a bit... And I imagine you become... Any kind of feeling you have, whether it's elation or anxiety or self-consciousness, I imagine that's magnified by the tiredness.EM: Oh gosh yeah, definetly!DH: So, if you lose confidence at like hour 38…EM: I know, you could crumble!DH: Yeah. It is... Yeah, it's quite strange. But we've talked about it quite a lot on the podcast actually. So, maybe it'll gain... I don't know how many people listen to this.EM: Oh.... Well...DH: Ten?EM: Thousand surely? Millions.DH: Thousands. Probably thousands.EM: But yeah, 50-hour improv. I would definitely... We should all do it when it comes around again. [DH agrees] I'm definitely... Well, if I'm invited Adam...DH: Well I want to do a Mischief... Kind of 12 hour Mischief Movie Night straight through.EM: Yeah, we talked about that! That would be really fun!DH: Like a charity thing. Socially distanced.EM: Yeah. That would be great.DH: That would yeah. Now, so... I'm going to slightly redirect... Well no, actually no, it is keeping on the same theme, I guess. So, you've done... You've kind of done all the stuff with Mischief.EM: Yeah.DH: And you've done some stuff by yourself, and you've had some other jobs when you've not been working. We will probably dive into specifics, but as a more general question: how have you found life after LAMDA? How have you found the industry kind of coming out of drama school generally speaking?EM: I think... It's been... Well, I think the first few years, I have to say, were... I found kind of easy. And I don't think that's normal and I think I realised only after the work stopped that that wasn't normal at all that it is much more of a struggle and a slow game. But because I had this 'in' with Mischief and I was scheduled to do like Peter Pan like directly after I graduated. It kind of felt like "oh yeah! This is what acting is. I just book this job and do that and then I'll move on to something else." And, like you know, you just think that it's... That the work is never going to stop if you get something straight after drama school.DH: Yeah.EM: But, of course, that is, you know, so wrong![Both laugh]EM: So yeah, it's been... Obviously, I've done some amazing stuff with Mischief, and the Rotterdam show which I did as well. But, yeah, it does definitely get tough. Like, you know... It's hard. And I think, yeah, it's definitely an adjustment when you realise like... You know I've finished Pan, Bank Robbery and when Rotterdam was over, there like... Yeah, maybe a year or so when I didn't work. Like, I'm not exactly sure how long but it's definitely tough and it's definitely an adjustment. Yeah, but obviously Mischief has been amazing to kind of have that connection and to be able to do so much with you guys has been so good.DH: Yeah, I think it’s... One of the things that kind of Johno says whenever we do a cast change and stuff, he's like "You know, a really cool thing that..." At one point I think we had three or four shows running in London and I don't think we were in any of them. And he just said, "you know, one of the coolest things about Mischief is that we can kind of create so much work for people, you know in the industry generally."EM: Yeah!DH: Which is really cool, and I think it's... I think it's something that I'm quite interested about, is the kind of life after drama school or university or some kind of training. Because, I think I really remember leaving drama school with the feeling of "if you can hit the next step, you'll be fine." Like if I get an agent great! Then I'll get in with like casting directors and I'll get an audition. And once I get the audition, I'll get the part. And then that'll lead to something else, and something else.EM: Yeah.DH: And I get the feeling that that happens to very few actors until much later in their career where you're eventually, you know, I guess the dream is that you're turning stuff down. But it’s a real long game.EM: Yeah, definitely. I mean... It's definitely a long game and people who graduated, like a year before me, now I'm seeing doing really great things. Or, like, you just see people who you kind of vaguely knew, who maybe you haven't seen do anything and then suddenly they pop up in this great TV thing. Or, like in all that time they've been, you know, out there trying to make it as well. So, I think, yeah... I was just kind of young when I graduated from drama school as well. I went straight from school; I didn't take any kind of gap year. I did the foundation course and then I went straight to the three-year course at LAMDA. So, I was kind of in that LAMDA bubble for like four years. And, so yeah, maybe I was quite sheltered and didn't... I just didn't really give it a massive amount of thought, like how tricky it really is and would be!DH: No, I think that's good and I think it's good to talk about as well, particularly for actors who are leaving drama school, particularly now that it's even... But, I... Yeah, I definitely put huge pressure on myself (even with the lockdown and stuff) to kind of do something.EM: Yeah.DH: But, actually it's not about just kind of generating anything you can. It's just about getting through it and sort of getting through it together.EM: Yeah! I think if you have... Yeah, if you have a good support system of people who get it as well. Because, I have my kind of 'outside friends' who didn't go to drama school. Then I have my drama school friends, but we just do not talk about acting really and it's... I think that's really kind of nice and healthy, because then you just don't get all of the jealousies or the kind of "what's this person doing?" We just kind of don't really discuss it, and I think it's probably the better for that. But it's nice to know that they're kind of people that completely... It kind of goes without saying, everyone kind of gets it and understands that we've all been through the same kind of thing. So, yeah, it’s important to have those kinds of relationships.DH: Yes. I agree.EM: Yes. Indeed.DH: So, with that, I'm going to sort of turn the rudder on the interview and redirect us.EM: Oooh! Oh my gosh! Where are we going?DH: And, we're gonna answer some Questions from the Web.EM: Oh my god! Ok!DH: So, you know that means we need another jingle?EM: I know, I've just got nervous now...DH: So, give us a Questions from the Web Jingle. GO!EM: Ok. [Singing quickly, loudly and at a high pitch] BAM! Bah, bah, bah, bah! [Laughing] Questions from the web!!![Both laugh]EM: Oh my god! I really don't want that to be in it!DH: Did you start... You started so high!EM: I know! I don't know why! I just panicked and thought "I must not think about this. I must just do it." And that's what you got.DH: No that was good.EM: And that's what you got, so I will never be listening to that part of this interview.DH: I liked it very much.[EM laughs]DH: In fact, it's about 37 minutes in that. So, you can kind of skip forward if that's what you want to do.EM: Ok, great. Yeah, I won't be listening to it.DH: Yeah. So, ok the first question we have [imitating EM's jingle] "bah! from the web"[EM laughs]DH: [Normally] Is from Ryan Pollard.EM: Ok.DH: And Ryan asks, "is there a special Mischief moment that you still remember very fondly to this day?"EM: Oooh. A mischief moment! I mean there honestly has been so many. Gosh! Let me think.DH: It could be something from Mischief Movie Night? It could be something crazy that happened with a fan.EM: Some craziness! I can't... I mean, I'm always really bad when I'm put on the spot to think of a kind of standout thing. I can just think of the bad, embarrassing things that have happened on stage during Mischief Movie Night.[EM laughs]DH: Well, you can definitely... I mean, I suppose it's “remember fondly”, but if it's a special moment you can definitely remember one of those.
EM: I think, yeah... Erm... What do I remember? I mean the general... The Mischief Movie Night tour was great! I think we had some really great shows. There were some excellent moments. But the one I remember which was a lesson, but it really hurt at the time, was we were doing this murder mystery and I think it was in Cardiff. And I was the inspector, which was... You know, I am the least experienced improviser of all of you. So, it was... [DH laughs] I was already kind of like... I really... You know, if you're the inspector you will be the one that basically ties up the entire plot at the end of the show. So, I kind of had this coming and we got to the point where I think, basically, every single other member of the cast had died. So, or a few people were standing at the sides. And everybody was kind of strewn about the stage and I was just there and had honestly nothing. [DH laughs] And I think I just... I really didn't have anything! And I just remember, maybe Harry was... I remember like looking at Harry's eyes and I was like crying out with my eyes just for help! And I was... I really did not have anything, and I don't think that was the finest show I have to say. [DH laughs] I think eventually, maybe, people tried to come alive to help. I think Henry ran on with a phone. [EM laughs] It was just... I don't know, it was a traumatic time!But I did learn that whatever happens, it really... There's no reason to get so upset about it. I think I really was quite upset after the show and that was one of the great things about that tour, I think. Learning that, you know, it's never going to be good if you put that much pressure on yourself. Like, obviously, everyone wants the show to be great and we'll do our best to make the best show possible but, in that moment, like, you know, anything would have been good. I think, I froze and that was why it was so... just painful! Maybe more for me than for anyone else. But yeah, a good lesson from a traumatic event.[EM laughs]DH: Well that's good. That is good and I think it's really important, because I am sort of quite big into failure. I think we should... It is important that we embrace it and learn from it and that's...EM: Yeah that is a big Mischief message isn't it.DH: Yeah, it's just kind of going "oh yeah, there's going to be a point when you fail." And I really remember when, with most improvises, and most of the shows there is a point when everyone kind of "arrives." Quote unquote. And it usually follows some kind of catastrophic freezing. [EM laughs and agrees] Or the opposite, which is I think the problem that I have. Is that, I used to come in really hard and just bulldoze everything. And then you realise... You look back on it and go "oh I've actually just destroyed everything."EM: Yep, yeah, I mean analysing improv show... It's good to a point. And then it's like ok, let’s just do another one.DH: It's soul destroying.EM: Yeah, let’s just do another one.DH: Well there you go. There's a sad memory, but also a fond lesson as well.EM: But yeah, a fond lesson. So sorry about that Ryan if I didn't deliver on the fond. There is many fond things!DH: The next question is from, I want to say, George Aspie [pronounced to rhyme with see], or Aspie [pronounced with a break to rhyme with spy].[Both laugh]DH: It's spelt A-S-P-I-E.EM: As-pie [rhyming with spy] I like it.DH: I like As-pie [rhyming with spy] but you'd probably need a hyphen. George As-Pie... Erm...EM: George as pie. Like he's playing pie.DH: Yeah, oh I see! So, like, he's George. As Pie.EM: He's George being pie.[Both laugh]DH: Yeah, yeah. So…EM: Sorry, what's his question.DH: So, his question is... Sorry we got bogged down on Aspie.[Both laugh]DH: "You are..." Oh no, not you are, it's a question not a statement. "Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Optimist or pessimist?"EM: I honestly think I'm all of them. That sounds... I don't know what that sounds like. But I think I'm definitely more of an optimist than a pessimist. But, these days it's tough isn't it.DH: Yeah, it is hard.EM: It's a tough one, but I think I would like to say optimist. And, introvert... I don't know, it really depends on the scenario. I think I can be really, kind of quiet and quite shy sometimes. But it really depends on... So, I think I'm a bit of both. I'm a mix. What would you say, I mean, from someone whose known me?DH: Erm. I would probably say you... If I had to pick them, I would say an extrovert optimist. But, I do understand introvert, because I think most people are a sort of combination of both.EM: Yeah, aren't they yeah.DH: And some are just more one than the other. But I would say, like, yeah may at a party, particularly where you know people, very extrovert. Maybe, in a scenario where you don't know as many people probably a bit quieter and more reserved.EM: Yeah, I think so.DH: Yeah, I'd say that.EM: Yeah, I'd say so, thanks Ryan Aspie. Oh no sorry, not Ryan, what was his name? Al?DH: GeorgeEM: George! Oh god! [Laughing]DH: George, Al, Al as pie.[Both laughing]EM: George as pie.DH: This next person has a great name as well. Greer Theus, I want to say.EM: Wow! Greer, that's such a cool name!DH: G-R-E-E-R-T-H-E-U-S Yeah, Greer Theus, it's sort of quite Grecian.EM: Yeah it is!DH: God of... pies...EM: [Laughing] Pie?DH: Oh god, no, that was poor! Sorry Greer! Let’s just ask the question!
"What is the most difficult part of improv?"EM: Just getting on. Just, like, summoning something just to get on stage, I think. Actually, is that... Yeah, maybe. I mean there's many. It's the attitude, I think. It's kind of, you know, it's getting over... Kind of getting over your inhibitions. Just kind of trying to overcome any expectation of what you want it to be, or what you think it should be.DH: Yeah. Well it sort of has this thing, doesn't it? This sort of element of truly losing control and just kind of going I have no idea what this is going to be.EM: Yeah, no, I think, yeah just letting... Because obviously you have an idea... [DH says something quietly] Sorry? I lost you.DH: I was just saying "and just being ok with that."EM: Oh, yeah, sorry, I think it...DH: Can you still hear me? Has it come back?EM: No, I can hear you now. You've come back. But, yeah, I think because everyone is going to have a different idea of where the scene is going but... And obviously you do as well, and I think it's probably letting go of what you think it should be and just letting it be what everyone collectively thinks it should be. But yeah, just not feeling like... I do remember another one in a show that was set in Scotland... I think I did not speak for the entire show because I have a terrible Scottish accent. And that is just bad improv.DH: That is...EM: I mean, I didn't speak so obviously that is bad improv. [DH laughs] But that was just... You know, I think I just let my self-consciousness and my fear of, you know, doing a bad accent ruin the show. It was just really silly. So, I think that was another lesson from that tour. It was that, you know, either you do a bad accent, or you are from somewhere else. No one says you have to be from Scotland, you can be from anywhere! Like, I can play a monster! I could have played a talking twig! I don't know, but yeah, just not being kind of confined.DH: Sort of letting yourself in there.EM: Yeah, letting yourself go. Yeah, not getting in the way of you own brilliance!DH: Very good, thank you to Greer Theus. And the final question is from Hayley Pineapple. I don't think Pineapple is her actual last name.EM: Wow.DH: But I wish it was. Or maybe it is?EM: Maybe it is.DH: Answers on a postcard.EM: It's good. I like it.DH: "If you could own a mythical creature, which one would you pick?"
EM: Ooh...DH: She's given some examples if you would like?EM: Oh ok, I would like to hear those, yeah, please.DH: "E.g. Unicorn, phoenix et cetera."EM: Oh. [Laughs] I'm trying to think.DH: Two.EM: I'm trying to think of other mythical creatures that I know. Erm...DH: Perhaps a Kimera?EM: I don't know what that is, a Kimera? Is that some kind of cat?DH: No, it's like lots of creatures mixed together.EM: I'd want it to be cute and kind of small.DH: Mmm, ok.EM: Maybe, like a miniature unicorn. Or some kind of like pearl that talks, like a clam.DH: Yeah, like a sort of mythical oyster?EM: There’s a 500 year old clam called Ming.DH: Oh wow!EM: I think. [Laughs] I saw that the other day. Its a really old clam and it's name is Ming. I don't know if that makes it a mythical creature. But...DH: I don't know, I mean it can be. If it is, you want Ming the Clam?EM: I want Ming the Clam. [Laughing] That's what I want.DH: Alright. Yeah. You could have had like Pegasus, like a flying horse.EM: Oh god! It's too big! I need it small and cute! Travel size!DH: Ok... I don't know what sort of mythical creatures that are...EM: I know! “Mythical creatures” sort of suggests grandeur and largeness! What's a small mythical creature? Do they exist? Some kind of mythical worm?DH: I'm going to look one up. Yeah.EM: Yeah, let's find one!DH: But ok, Ming the Clam.EM: Yeah.DH: Ming the Clam, very good. So, this is going to bring us to the closeEM: Oh gosh!DH: Of the Questions from the Web.EM: Oh, ok, not the close of the whole thing!DH: No, no, no we are into the final section now. Which is the Quick-Fire Section.EM: Oh god!DH: So, can you give me a sort of very quick Quick-Fire Jingle.EM: [Shouting quickly] QUICK FIRE!! DUN! DUN! DUN! DING! DING! DING! [Pause] DING!DH: Nice! Was that guns shooting?EM: I think so! I did... You can't see me, but I did do a... I was doing the guns with my hands.[EM laughs]DH: I did that, just then, as well when I said, "oh was that guns shooting." I sort, 'pew pewed' it.EM: Did you! Like that, you know, that noise "pew, pew, pew, pew." I don't really know what that is but it's... Is it like party? Like we're having a party signal?DH: Oh! Almost like a siren?EM: Yeah, yeah.[Both imitate sirens]DH: It's in a musical, I think.EM: Is it? Ok.DH: Yeah, I think it's in the House of Holbein song.EM: I don't know what it means. But its...DH: It's like a kind of techno siren.EM: Yeah, like a ravey, we're gonna have a good time sound.DH: Yeah, ok, I like that![EM laughs]DH: That's what that was, good. When you think about that ladies and gents, think back on that. Think of it as that.EM: Yeah, appreciate it more.DH: Ok, so, I'm gonna ask you a bunch of questions and you just answer them as quickly as possible and there's no right or wrong. Ok?EM: Ok.DH: Ok, here we go. What is your favourite colour?EM: Pink.DH: If you were an animal, what would you be?EM: Erm... Sss... WormDH: Sworm. Nice.EM: I was going to say sloth.[DH laughs]EM: But then I was like, am I? No!DH: And then a worm, perfect!EM: And then a worm.DH: If you were to describe yourself as a dessert, what dessert would you be?EM: Erm... Parfait. That's not a dessert is it?DH: Nice! Yeah, parfait... You can get different kinds of parfait.EM: Is it?DH: Yeah, it's usually like a kind of like a meat... [EM laughs] It’s like a pâté, but you can be a parfait.EM: A meaty dessert.DH: Yeah.[Both laugh]DH: Is a Jaffa Cake a cake or a biscuit?EM: Cake!DH: If you were one of the 52 playing cards, which one would you be?EM: Ace of hearts.DH: Nice! Left or right?EM: Right.DH: Right or wrong?EM: Wrong.DH: What's your favourite film?EM: Uh, The Labyrinth.DH: What's your favourite song?EM: Oh golly! Um! Uh! What's that Simon and Garfunkel one? Slow one, really famous? You know the one.[DH sings a tune]EM: That great one... Ok, O Superman by Lorrie Anderson, I've changed it.DH: Nice! And finally, who would be the best person to be trapped on a desert island with? Could it be someone from Mischief? Actually, yeah, let’s make it someone from Mischief to be trapped on a desert island with.EM: Oh man! Best person? I mean, maybe Bodes? I mean he's gonna be capable of a lot.DH: Yeah, yeah, he'd probably gonna be able to get you off the island as well.EM: Yeah, that's an insane... He can build a raft in no time!DH: Yeah.EM: I'd go Bodes. Reliable. Strong. Fun.DH: Pack of ants.EM: Yeah! [Laughing] The man that is a pack of ants.DH: A pack of ants in disguise.EM: I don't think he actually was the ants just to clear that up. I don't think he was the ants.DH: No, we might have to call Nance and find out.EM: Yeah. I think I have a copy of it at home actually.DH: We'll Tweet it out.EM: Yeah, we'll Tweet it out, yeah.DH: And, to close, do you have any TV recommendations that people should watch?EM: Oh man!DH: Anything you've been watching recently that you're like "get on this"?EM: Oh, I mean, I May Destroy You, that's the main one that I just finished which was just so, so good.[DH agrees]EM: What else? Unorthodox, if people haven't... That was kind of a few months ago that that came on Netflix. But that is... Have you seen it?DH: I have not seen in no. It's on my list.EM: Oh my gosh! You have got to see it! That was really good! Really, really great! Erm, what else?DH: I heard Charlie started watching it and she said she really liked it.EM: Yeah. Oh, it's just wonderful. So yeah, those two things are really good. Also, Buffy. Buffy the Vampire Slayer.DH: Buffy, yeah.EM: Always Buffy. Forever.DH: Yeah, classic! Reruns! Watch them all day!EM: Yes!DH: Now, that's all we've got time for El'.EM: Oh!DH: Thank you very much!EM: Thank you so much, this was really lovely! It was nice to speak to you!DH: It was a pleasure to speak to you! And, I'm just gonna do the closing bit. I suppose we don't... Actually, you can do the closing bit.EM: Ok. Goodbye.[EM laughs]DH: So, you just say "thanks very much for listening." Erm you just say, "I've been Ellie Morris, this is Dave Hearn." Do the Twitter handle, @MischiefComedy, and then close. Finish by saying "Thanks for listening and keep making Mischief."EM: Oh wow, that's a lot of information! Ok. Thank you so much for listening. I've been Ellie Morris, and this is Dave Hearn. Please find us @MischiefComedy on Twitter. And, keep making Mischief. [Laughing] What? That was it?DH: Nailed it!Thanks to Claire R. for the transcription of this interview