There’s a lot to be said about a comedy troupe that would name itself after a line uttered by wrestler-turned-actor-turned-politician Jesse Ventura, especially one that conjures a rather intimate image involving one of the most dangerous creatures to walk this Earth. But, that’s Sex T-Rex for you: spinning improv on its head with its ambitious and physical — and of course, funny — prowess.
We chatted with cast member Colin Munch about being “smart and unpretentious,” rolling around in derelict furniture and how dinosaurs have sex.
How did you guys get together?
We all met at theatre school, except for Robin [Toller] and myself who have been buddies since high school. Julian [Frid] was pretty entrenched in the improv scene back then and suggested we jump into a competition called Cage Match [held by the Impatient Theatre Co.] that came with a $1,000 Grand Prize. We performed our first shows in that tournament, which we ended up winning.
So where did the name come from?
Predator. There’s a scene at the beginning of the film when Jesse Ventura is extolling the virtues of chewing tobacco. He says it will make you a “sexual tyrannosaurus” just like him. It’s really worked well for us. I think the name “Sex T-Rex” gets us more gigs than our reputation as comedians!
Do you ever wonder how dinosaurs had sex?
No, I’m pretty sure they were too busy eating everything that moved and didn’t really see the point in sex, knowing that the meteor was coming.
What’s your favourite dinosaur?
Ankylosaurus — the armored guy with the club tail. He’s one of the many dinosaurs that seem to have been designed by an eight-year-old boy. Actually, that may describe all dinosaurs.
How would you describe the style of your show?
We’ve been described as “smart and unpretentious,” which I always really liked. We’re casual enough to keep the audience on board with us, but we have some pretty ambitious narratives and crazy staging for an improv show. We all have theatre backgrounds and that really sets us apart from most improv teams, which tend to be mostly made up of comedians. We’ve got a sixth sense for “theatre magic” that is really unique. We also do a lot of action, fight scenes, slow-mo and car chases — not something you get in your average Harold.
Where do you get your inspiration for your sketches?
We’re mostly an improv team that has gotten incredible mileage out of asking for movies as a suggestion. Then we base our set off the movie’s summary. Last spring we wrote our first play, Callaghan, that is essentially Indiana Jones and the Uncharted video games on stage. It blends our theatre training with our comedy experience, creating a blockbuster action/adventure movie using stage combat, dance, improv and puppetry.
You’ve been to a bunch of festivals (including Big City Improv Fest next week). What’s a memorable experience from one of them?
One that jumps out at me was at Boston’s Geek Week festival where we rolled around the Harvard Campus in derelict office furniture.
Who would you love to have as a guest performer?
Any of the classic movie villain actors: Malcolm McDowell, Ronny Cox, Rutger Hauer, etc. I think we could make a kick-ass set revolving around one of those guys, and all they would have to do is be evil and throw curveballs at us. Could you help us out with that? Make some calls?
It’s five years into the future. Where are you guys? What are you doing?
Conor is working at the ’80s cafe in Hill Valley, California. Julian is piloting giant mecha in Neo Tokyo. Colin prowls the rainy streets of post-war Los Angeles hunting down rogue replicants. Seann is leading the human resistance against SkyNet’s armies (also, somehow, in LA). Robin is the head of a small group of survivors hiding in a London ravaged by dragons.
The details:
Year established: 2008
Cast members: Conor Bradbury, Julian Frid, Colin Munch, Seann Murray, Robin Toller
Influences: Great stories, fun times and Radiohead.
Next gig: Short Notice Show, Magpie, 831 Dundas St. W., 647-350-8305. Oct. 10, 8pm.
Big City Improv Fest, Comedy Bar, 945 Bloor St. W., 416-551-6540. Oct. 20, 8pm
