The magic of the ephemeral celebrates its anniversary

Improvisation THE MAGIC OF THE EPHEMERAL CELEBRATES ITS ANNIVERSARY After ten years of success, the Improvisation League is growing. A review tinged with maturity. The Belgian Improvisation League celebrates ten years of verbal jousting exchanged on the rink of pleasure. Over this decade, this « sporting theatre » has gained popularity with the general public and brought a number of comedians into the spotlight. At the time of this assessment, Eric De Staercke and Jean-Marie Cuvelier are certainly two of the most experienced in Impro. Two of the most popular as well. A verbal journey through the roaring twenties. - You have been playing for eight and ten years respectively. Has the passion not eroded? - Eric De Staercke. For me, improvisation is the recreation of theatre. Nothing more. It also allows me to work a lot on spontaneity and rehearsals are as important as the show itself. Some of those who left during these ten years perhaps invested too much, believing it was a total « thing ». - Jean-Marie Cuvelier. These are comedians who perhaps haven't always accepted the game in its entirety. In Quebec, the cradle of impro, it is a playful recreation, in which the « show » dimension is predominant. For me, you have to get into the game of competition while knowing that it's for the show. Even if, for me, it's more than a recreation because I'm involved in its operation. - E. De Staercke. We don't realize how little importance theatrical education has in Quebec. Over there, they break all structures: the red curtain, the three knocks... don't exist. In Belgium, we are much more used to staging, but we also bring an irreverent, surreal side. - Very quickly, in our country, impro achieved resounding success. Explanation? - E. De Staercke. Improvisation is the circus, Commedia dell'arte, it even tends towards comics. More than theatre, it's a show that can only meet the audience's expectations. It is rhythmic and interactive, involving spectators through voting, throwing slippers... - J.-M. Cuvelier. In the audience, there are real fans. I remember, for example, a « Madame Chapeau » who came for a few years to attend all the shows. The important thing is that it leads some of them to later go to the theatre, because they have a different image of it. - Ten years, is it time for an assessment? - E. De Staercke. Improvisation is currently going in all directions. It is increasingly reaching young people, especially in secondary education. This is a good thing, but it must be well managed. There are also enormous possibilities remaining. In the coming years, the objective will be to decentralize impro towards the provinces. - J.-M. Cuvelier. The essential thing will be to preserve what makes impro successful: the magic of the ephemeral. No great show has ever been filmed, that's what makes it strong. Olivier MOUTON. Photo caption: Eric De Staercke (left) and Jean-Marie Cuvelier (right): « People expect us to tell them stories... » (Photo Th. Rogé) TEN YEARS OF VERBAL JOUSTING It was in 1984, in the halls of Schaerbeek, that the spark of randomly delivered words was born. A rink and a few passions: the Belgian impro league was born. Since then, it has captivated the hearts of nearly 200,000 people in the Mirano Continental and Cirque Royal venues. One hundred and twenty professional comedians have contributed to some 2,500 themes. The climax of this theatrical sport? Undoubtedly the World Cup organized in Brussels in 1990 and won by the Belgian team. Today has come the time for the mature management of a phenomenon that aims to be more lasting than a trend. To commemorate the event, some special matches will be organized during March. On Sunday 6, exchanges of a particular ten-hour duration (from 2 p.m. to midnight) will see twenty players - twice ten - compete for the glory of an anniversary. The next day, the Belgian team will face a selection of the best French teams. On Sunday 13, impro will become cinema, with matches launched on categories such as « cartoon », « western » or « in the style of Michel Audiard ». The next day, a women-men match. On the 20th, 21st, and 29th of the month, Belgium will face Quebec. And on the 31st, it will be the turn of a selection from the European Community. O.M. Information: Improphone, 077/346.396.