Will Naameh: 'In improv problems don't have to be solved'

Will Naameh is looking forward to making his debut at Adelaide Fringe.

Though his resume includes improv training from Chicago's legendary Second City, and he's a co-founder of Edinburgh's popular Men with Coconuts troupe, it's his Australian mentor Patti Styles who taught him one of improv's most valuable lessons. "She is one of my favourite improvisers of all time," he says. "She’s based in Melbourne - she taught me that in improv, problems don’t have to be solved." 

Naameh had a tricky scene where he played a guy asking a father for his daughter's hand in marriage, but instead induced a heart attack in the old man. Stiles coached Naameh not to go for the obvious improvisation, but to flesh out character. "Instead of calling an ambulance Patti made me replay the scene, watch him die, then smile. Patti taught me that improv allows you to play twisted, dark characters - and the audience can still be on your side!"

A student of improv as well as a gifted practitioner, Naameh enjoys watching shows as much as performing. And when asked for a favourite he gives a detailed response breaking down the elements which went into making that performance work so well. "One of the most memorable was watching Two-Man Movie in 2015. They’re a duo from New York (Anthony Atamanuik and Neil Casey) who improvise an entire film onstage, complete with descriptions of camera angles, zooms and edits, plus inhabiting multiple characters at once and flawless support from each other. Their articulacy and speed was mind-blowing - plus, their scenes were all outstandingly funny and emotional.

"The show I saw also involved one of the boldest narrative-breaking improv moves I’ve ever seen. The entire show was building up to a dramatic body swap between the hero and the villian, but instead resulted in a body swap between the hero and a six year old girl. All dramatic tension could have been immediately sucked out the room, but their commitment to this idea was so strong that they still managed to sustain the ridiculousness alongside the emotional stakes."

In addition to Men with Coconuts, Naameh is bringing his solo character MC Hammersmith to Adelaide. An act that sees Naameh balance his gifts for freestyle rap through the prism of his hapless MC. "MC Hammersmith will take you on a journey of breathtaking middle class-ness. These sucka MC’s gonna get (private) schooled," he jokes. 

The show is based on audience suggestions which "means the lyrics truly can go in any direction. As this is my debut in Australia, I’ve already been preparing rhymes for 'boomerang', 'koala' and 'please can I move here after Brexit devastates everything I love'," he says.

Meanwhile, Men With Coconuts specialise in creating Broadway-style musicals. "As the other members of the troupe can actually sing and act, expect functioning harmonies and emotional resonance in between my tears at the prospect of a No Deal."

Men with Coconuts also pass on what they've learned and bring one of their improv masterclasses to the Fringe too. This class has something for everyone and is not aimed solely at artists. "Improv can help everyone! The spread of people in our classes is incredibly varied. Whatever their profession (creative or otherwise) people can gain all sorts of benefits from improv classes. The ability to stay present and work in a team is transferrable to everyone. The only way to get through an improv scene is to collaborate with your scene partner through mutual support and listening - so you can see how improv builds trust and teamwork as a life skill."