Newbie Cheryl has joined the Pirates’ Party in Vietnam! 🎉

I didn’t know what to expect when I auditioned for the Pirates of Tokyo Bay in 2022 October. I didn’t know I’d join a family of fun-loving people the following month.

Fast-forward to 2023 May. It’s the first international festival for the Pirates representing Japan after COVID. It’s my first international performance as an improviser. 

Sure, I had expected to learn from the other groups but I hadn’t expected I would learn this much from an international community. By watching others and performing in front of an international audience, I had gained a +100 understanding of improv (or so I hope). 

+40 was from watching the other groups. Seeing the performances of groups from around the world allowed me to discover the various creative forms improv could take, be it the different kinds of long form and short form, or musicals / raps. There was a group who would rap and create a track on the spot. Another group played badminton while doing long form and had scene changes when the shuttlecock dropped. Some groups would use what was actually happening in their environment, such as addressing the children in the audience and random noises. 

+30 was from learning how we could cater our performance for the audience. After all, Tokyo references about tax season wouldn’t work in Vietnam. The Pirates arrived 1-2 days earlier and did a bit of sightseeing before our show. Experiences of the streets, food and culture helped us add more flavor to our performance. Coconut seller Cheryl was relieved that the Asian audience loved coconuts. Japanese pop culture references turned out to be a big hit too. (Tomoko Big Love ❤️)

+30 was from watching senior Pirates perform and adapt, even in dire situations such as being the only one up in Toaster 3 consecutive times. In this game, the performers switch scenes according to the people standing up whenever a ding is heard. Imagine how awkward you’d feel when it’s your solo scene the third time. And as always, seeing the veteran Pirates host, lead, support, rap, rhyme, perform object work makes me want to improve myself.

So thank you Vietnam Improv Festival, all the performing improv groups and Pirates of Tokyo Bay for an unforgettable, first international festival!

Newbie Cheryl has leveled up! 💪✨