A Dive into Blind Mirth

St Andrews’ Funniest, Sexiest, and Only Improv Group

Every Monday at 8pm, seven students gather in the Union to do one of the bravest acts at this University: improv. This past Monday, I sank down into the most comfortable couch in Sandy’s Bar to watch Blind Mirth’s White Lotus themed show. Ava Samans, Callum Wardman-Browne, Ellen Rowlett, Holly Ward, Loulou Sloss, Matthew Clegg, and Zoe Herschlag all came together under Piper Richardson’s production for an hour well worth attending. After speaking to members Sloss, Clegg, and Samans, I was surprised to hear them describe the night of 10 March as “slower”, chalking it up to the deadlines many students have this week. Nonetheless, the room felt full of people taking a much needed break from the library, ready to laugh the mid-term madness away.

Onstage, the actors stood bedazzled with sailor hats and beachy attire. When I asked the actors about their White Lotus theme, they admitted it was mostly for promotional reasons. It made the weekly show a bit more diverse yet remained inclusive. Even as someone who has never seen White Lotus, I could still keep up with the witticisms. The audience’s giggles and ‘ahh’s definitely helped with this. The entirety of the show lasts just about an hour. The earlier you get there, the better your seats will be, and the more likely the cast is to acknowledge your (hilarious, I’m sure) prompts and suggestions.

The show can be summarised as a range of improvisational games, each one involving some form of crowd participation. My favourite one consisted of assigning random characters for the actors to then guess. When someone from my right suggested the Lorax, Wardman-Browne began to move only on his knees, referring to his non-existent moustache and trees. A different spectator from the back then suggested “drunk aunt”. This time, Clegg posed a hilariously stark contrast to the beloved Guardian of the Forest. When asked what Sloss, Clegg, and Samans’ favourite improv games were, they considerately agreed on ‘First Line Last Line’. The actors receive a first and last line from the crowd with no relation to each other. They then have to piece together a story so it starts and ends with those exact words. You can imagine the scenes!

I wondered if improv was harder when acted in front of your peers. Samans explained that it is actually a lot easier, making her feel she is in “safe hands”, as opposed to performing for an unknown audience. Clegg remarked that St Andrews students can often have a shared sense of humour. They can make a joke about Molly’s or the Union and we would all undoubtedly let out a giggle. Nonetheless, being onstage can still make you feel “quite vulnerable”. The actors need to juggle a lot of considerations. They need to quickly pick up the prompts that contextualise where, when, and who they are. Of course, they must try and make us laugh through clever quips and bits. However, they revealed that the most difficult task is getting “energy from the crowd”. With improv, the audience makes the show, and a bad reaction is deemed better than silence. If a joke fails, the cast have learned how to play into the silence, making fun of themselves and moving on. It’s truly impressive. 

Although they do practice once a week, the show is reliant on improvisation. The cast assured me that there are no pre-prepared jokes or snippets. The only exception to this is their annual Sketch Comedy show, which remains their sole scripted and priced performance. It costs only £5 and helps financially support the student-run group for later events like the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Sloss spoke glowingly of the festival, labelling it as one of the best things about St Andrews theatre. 

The tight-knit group has been running for 25 years, consistently striving to make other students laugh. Throughout her time in the group, Samans revealed how she “sees everyone become more uninhibited” through their growing chemistry and comfort. I could see how this is visibly represented on stage. Some of the actors do have experience in theatre or improv, but others seem to simply be funny people who found their stage-presence through the group. For next Monday — and all of the ones after that — grab a friend, brainstorm your best non-geographical location, and immerse yourself in the glory of our beloved Mirthers.

Photo by Loulous Sloss