The Noise Next Door: ‘We just go out there to do some really funny stuff’

Brighton-based improv troupe, The Noise Next Door, are heading to St Luke’s Centre on Saturday, June 28 (7pm), as part of their latest tour.

The five lads – Tom Houghton, Charlie Granville, Matt Grant, Tom Livingstone and Sam Pacelli – are known for their punchy, gag heavy style and have performed alongside comedians like Jason Manford, Al Murray and Harry Hill. They have also made successful appearances on BBC Radio 4’s Sketchorama, at Fracas! Improv Festival in California and even at Download heavy metal festival.

“We’re not there to push an agenda or anything like that,” says Sam Pacelli, when asked about the group’s style of comedy.

“It’s really energetic and really lively,” he continues, explaining that when the group started up, improv had a reputation for being somewhat “old school”, thanks to memorable programmes like Whose Line Is It Anyway?

“We wanted to bring a freshness and a kind of youthful glow, I guess, to improvising,” Sam explains. “But we’re also comedians above being improvisers, so we’re very intent on doing the funniest thing we can do.”

It’s certainly gone down well. The group has sold out six Edinburgh Festival runs to huge critical acclaim and dazzled audiences with their lightning fast, unscripted scenes and hilarious songs.

The group members met through a drama society at The University of Kent but, appropriately, never planned for an eventual career in improv comedy.

“There was an arts festival and a show pulled out two weeks before,” Sam explains. “So we were asked, as part of a drama society, to put on something.”

The performers felt it would be easier to try improv instead of learning a script at such short notice.

“We just copied Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Sam jokes. “We were all fans and just did the kind of games that they did and it took off. There were about 500-600 people at our first show, which is quite a large amount really.”

The lads made a name for themselves on campus and after university they moved to Shoreham, living together and performing live shows at The Ropetackle Arts Centre.

“That was hugely helpful in progressing, evolving and getting in front of regular audiences,” says Sam, explaining that the group made as many contacts as possible to draw people to their shows.

“It went from being a once or twice a season show to being every month,” he continues. “Then we started doing it a couple of times a month.”

The group eventually moved to Brighton because of the city’s renowned relationship to the arts, starting up regular comedy nights at The Brunswick and Upstairs at Three and Ten.