... Jim Sweeney and Steve Steen have improvised together since 1974
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They first appeared as
The Wee Wees
( they were young…) touring Arts Centres in England and Holland with a variety of shows that had been developed from improvisation.
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The titles included
"The Awakening of Cheerful Feelings Upon Arrival in the Country" and "Da Da Dum, Da Da Dum, Da Da Dum Dum Dum" ( a show about the Lone Ranger….they were young.)
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It was during the International Festival of Fools in Copenhagen in 1980, that they formed the
Omlette
Broadcasting
Company
(OBC) with fellow improvisers Peter Wear and Justin Case ( I know…I know…)
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The format of the OBC shows was simple. The audience write down suggestions, put them in a goldfish bowl and the team act them out. And for the next five years, that is what they did in England, Germany, Holland and Denmark.
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Jim's last appearances with OBC were at the Tricycle Theatre in London in 1985. Guests were invited to join the team and take part in the improvisations. Among those who did were Tony Slattery and Richard Vranch.
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In September 1985, Sweeney and Steen presented a series of late night improvisation shows called
"The Rupert Pupkin Collective",
named after the eponymous hero of Martin Scorsese's "King of Comedy" They invited other performers, some experienced improvisers - most not, to join them.
The first performance of The Rupert Pupkin Collective was Friday October 25th 1985. On the following Sunday, October 27th, the Comedy Store Players made their debut.
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The Rupert Pupkin seasons at the Donmar Warehouse were a great success. Among the many guests were Mike Myers, Josie Lawrence, John Sessions and Ruby Wax.
At the same time, Sweeney and Steen were performing their two man impro act at Jongleurs Comedy club on a regular basis.
1990 saw the return of the Rupert Pupkin Collective which played to sell out houses at the Assembly Rooms at the Edinburgh Festival. The guests included all the Comedy Store Players.
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In 1990. They devised an improvised murder mystery show
"Play by Ear" The audience suggested characters, locations, motives and even decided whodunnit.
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At the same Festival they were part of the Improthon. Lots of improvisers and non improvisers showing off for charity. This was to become an annual event over the next few years.
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In 1990, Jim Sweeney and Steve Steen joined the cast of "Whose Line Is it Anyway?"
Jim Sweeney joined the Comedy Store Players in 1992.
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He appears regularly at the Comedy Store in London.
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