Any Suggestions Doctor is a hilarious Doctor Who themed improv show currently touring across the UK. More information about their tour can be found on their website, Anysuggestionsimprov.co.uk. We caught up with expert improviser Lewis Dunn to find out more about the show.
What is Any Suggestions Doctor? How would you describe it to someone who has never been to a theatre?
Any Suggestions, Doctor? is an improvised parody of Doctor Who, essentially meaning that we take your suggestions and make up an entirely new episode of Doctor Who (albeit one that’s perhaps a bit sillier than normal). It’s part action horror sci-fi romp and part high wire comedy act, in which half the joy is the wonders of the universe and the other half is the thrill of watching us make something up by the seat of our pants.
Why Doctor Who?
The easy answer is that we’re all huge fans and love the show, but actually there’s more to it than that. The fact is that Doctor Who and Improv work REALLY well together, given that the show can go anywhere, with anyone, at any time. That’s just a hugely exciting thing to invite an audience to do. Even without the fun of Doctor Who’s characters and monsters it’s already a fantastic premise for an improv show; that it’s built on top of some of our favourite sci-fi stories and characters is a massive bonus.
Why Improv?
We’ve been together as improv performers for over a decade, and it’s a type of performance that just fills you with joy and adrenaline. There’s something both magical and hysterical about making up a story in front of an audience that cannot be replicated. It’s like doing actual magic, pulling together a thrilling twist that you had no idea was coming until you said it, or telling a hilarious joke that also makes the story even more exciting. It’s like jumping out of a plane only to learn you can fly.
What’s the biggest challenge facing improv comedy today?
It’s fair to say that improv works much, much better with live audiences in the room. The return to “live” is really the best thing that can happen to improv, and the past few years have made doing that nigh on impossible. Getting people in to see improv completely changes their view on it and being able to tour again helps us enormously with that.
A lot of shows seem to have moved to Twitch during the pandemic, have you been tempted to make the switch?
We did think about it, but improv over Twitch lacks the immediacy and intimacy of a live show. If we could get an audience in and do it maybe there’s something to an almost “live TV” format but doing it to an empty room would make the show a lot less fun and ultimately undermine the point of it. It’s not just about doing a fun Doctor Who Parody, it’s about doing something completely new with an audience that requested it.
What are your favourite Doctor Who characters to be?
There’s no shortage of incredibly fun villains (at some point we’ve all played the Master, who is a fantastic excuse to go very arch and cackle manically for a good 5 minutes) but really, the best character is The Doctor. Given that anyone in the cast can play them we’ve all had to step up and grab the sonic screwdriver at some point we’ve learned that we each play the character very differently. Some of us play an avuncular, sensible but twinkly eyed adventurer, while others become a sexy, cheeky hero. The Doctor is the smartest person in the room, or potentially the stupidest. Either way it’s all about charisma, and each of us gets a great opportunity every so often to save the day, even if that does involve sometimes getting a bit timey-wimey to cover up a few plot holes.
If this wasn’t a Doctor Who themed show, what would it be instead?
Unlicensed Sci-Fi Time Travel Adventures. No, but really we have discussed what else we could do, and there are some ideas floating about in the fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man… I shan’t say any more.
What’s the best Doctor Who episode? Why? What’s the worst? Why?
This question is a trap. I will say (and this is just me, do not hold the cast to this) my favourite is Heaven Sent, because I love a really crazy situation that makes no sense slowly coming together and revealing itself, and for worst I’ll say The Edge of Destruction, because I have had arguments that went that sour that quickly over something that simple and it was stressful to relive.
Is the genre world more accessible these days?
Absolutely, the highest grossing film of all time is a sci-fi adventure film, and the second highest a time travelling sci-fi fantasy super hero film that requires 19 films of context to finish. I think genre is kinda like flavour, or colour, fundamentally the story that lies underneath is usually something very human or emotional, and genre just adds spice to these ideas.
Which comedians inspire you?
I think each of us has our own major inspiration, so a quick list would probably be: Matt Lucas, John Finnemore, Rebecca Front, Tash Demetriou, John Mulaney, Pippa Evans, Rachel Parris, Fry & Laurie, and just for pure energy, Aunty Donna.
What tropes / gags do you personally avoid the most?
We made a vow to never get meta about Doctor Who itself. We can refer to the show we’re doing (i.e. comment on how a performer’s accent has drifted), but no bringing up the old TV sets, no references to CGI or the actors who play the characters. We must draw a hard line that we are in the fictional world of Doctor Who, and if we break that connection the whole thing loses its stakes. Every Dalek is a threat, every planet scale disaster a tragedy.
How would you describe your process?
We practice. A lot. Our Director, Charles Deane, does a lot of improv theory and lessons with us, honing our spontaneous storytelling skills. Crucially, it’s not about establishing a formula or structure that we recreate each time, it’s about reacting in the moment and building a story organically. There’s a finesse to being funny without undermining the world you’ve built, and on that thin line is where our show works.
Simpsons or Futurama?
The Simpsons is funnier, but Futurama knew when to quit, eventually.
Tigers or Spiders?
Tigers. I have arachnophobia.
Goths or Visigoths?
Visigoths, everyone likes an underdog.
Daleks or Weeping Angels?
Daleks are a lot more fun to play on stage. Playing the Weeping Angels is a nightmare, it’s incredibly hard to get the entire audience to look away.
Truth or Beauty?
Beauty, as if we were bound to truth there wouldn’t be much of a show.
