here is the Mystère Impro club, the first bar dedicated to improvisation

“You don’t know what you’re going to see. They don’t know what they are going to play. » This mysterious phrase is inscribed on the front of a new cultural venue, located on rue Paré in the city center of Nantes.

Indeed, since December 20, Samuel Soudière and Tremeur Le Floch opened the Mystère Impro Club, bar dedicated to improvisation. The first place of its kind in the city of the Dukes of Brittany. Discovery.

From Finistère to improv

Originally from Finistère (Plougastel for Tremeur and Quimper for Samuel), they met “via the humor circle in Nantes”. The managers fell in love with improvisation, particularly for the freedom of tone and stage expression.

“I was attracted by the fact of letting go on stage and not being governed by a text on stage,” explains Samuel, alias SamSam on stage. “Friends suggested that I do an improv session with friends. I came out with glitter in my eyes (sic),” confides Tremeur in turn.

Samuel was asked by the Micro Comedy Club, where he played improvisation every Sunday three years ago, to create a place dedicated to improvisation in Nantes. “I immediately contacted Tremeur and we both came up with the concept,” says the Finisterian, who has been improvising for ten years.

Humor at the Mystère Impro Club

A former wind energy engineer, Tremeur joins the adventure of the Mystère Impro Club.

Within the bar, the two managers are accompanied by a barmaid. Samuel takes care of communication and management of the place while Tremeur supervises the programming.

The bar can accommodate up to 50 people in the roomor 100 people per evening. Every Friday and Saturday evening, the Nantes bar invites three improvisers on stage (one session at 7:30 p.m. and another at 9 p.m.), guided by a master of ceremonies.

“A situation is given by the master of ceremonies and the improvisers play it directly,” presents Samuel.

Improvisation can bring together various formats such as theater or improv matches. The new Nantes bar wants to forge its own identity and propose an original concept to get closer “to the practice of stand-up than to theater”.

Spectators will discover how the actors will perform, but they will also imagine how they would have done it. It’s a bit of the magic of improvisation, we are very close to the audience.

In addition, the Mystère Impro Club welcomes improvisation troupes on Wednesdays or Thursdays during “open troupes” evenings.

Professionalize and popularize improvisation

A regular on the improvisation scenes in comedy clubs for six years, Tremeur has noticed a growing popularity of the genre, particularly with the presence of novices among the audience at the Mystère Impro Club.

“At the moment, what makes people laugh in shows mainstream (sic) it’s improvisation. I am thinking in particular of Jonathan Cohen or Pierre Niney,” he explains. “And even stand-up promotions on social networks, these are always the moments when the comedian goes beyond his lines,” adds Samuel.

With their establishment, the co-managers want popularize improvisation and professionalize the scene.

The goal is for the improvisers to come in their name. Often in the world of improvisation, we come in groups and people cannot get paid, because they have fixed costs to pay such as equipment or vehicle rental. We wanted to create a smaller format with fewer improvisers to allow them to have a salary for each night they play.

“If we want improvisation to become popular, it must become the profession of certain people to keep the artistic practice alive,” adds Tremeur. For this, the two artists can count on “the pool of improvisers” in the city of Jules Verne.

Since the start of their adventure, the two Finisterians have been delighted with the feedback.

“It’s gratifying to see that, thanks to us, people can perform and make money. And also that the spectators enjoy the show,” says Samuel. “I dropped everything for improv so it’s a form of consecration to open this place. I did well to change my life,” concludes Tremeur with a smile.

Practical information:
Mystère Impro Club, 9 rue Paré, Nantes
Bar open Wednesday to Saturday
Open troops on Wednesday (excluding ticket office)
Open Friday and Saturday (ticketing, reservation required), sessions at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Place at 12 euros.

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