Making it up as they go along

Renowned for their quick wit and charismatic dynamic, Racing Minds return to Bristol for some joyous, improvised chaos. NATALIE BANYARD caught up with home-grown talent, Douglas Walker, to find out more

- NATALIE BANYARD

ANYTHING could happen, but excitement is guaranteed, as improv legends Racing Minds return to Bristol for some must-see unscripted escapades.

A perennial sell-out at the Edinburgh Fringe and a hit across the globe, Racing Minds' Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised is a high-octane, jaw-dropping comic adventure based entirely on audience suggestions.

Heading to Bristol's Wardrobe Theatre this weekend, this unique, hilarious, whip-sharp show is sure to bring the house down.

Having forged a near-psychic bond over 15 years of performing together, the four Racing Minds - Bristol's Douglas Walker alongside Chris Turner, Daniel Nils Roberts and Tom Skelton - take a uniquely anarchic approach to improvisation.

Performed with gleeful abandon, and at breakneck pace, their shows are packed with gags, facts, and on-stage bickering.

In the madcap adventure Aaaand Now For Something Completely Improvised, a doddery grandfather can’t quite remember his ripping yarn.

But, with your help, a mystery stuffed with hilarious characters, wicked wit and breathtaking twists, will take hasty shape before your very eyes... I had a quick chat with Douglas about the show and more.

NB: Hi Dougie - can you please introduce me to each of the Racing Minds team.

DW: "Racing Minds are, in height order (shortest to tallest), Tom Skelton (Leo), Douglas Walker (Scorpio), Daniel Roberts (Norwegian) and Chris Turner (Rapper). At the Wardrobe, we will also be joined on piano by our very dear friend Dylan Townley. He’s taller than all of us."

NB: You're from Bristol and you met the rest of the team at Oxford Uni - how did you discover you all had a similarly surreal, anarchic and gleeful sense of humour?