About this podcast
Canadian Comedy Award winners Rob Norman and Adam Cawley discuss weekly improv-based topics based on a theme.
Episodes
The newest 20 of 77 episodes
- Crossing the Line · 52 min · Episode 437Improv is all about free expression. What do you do when an improv partner crosses a line onstage? Or accidentally says the wrong thing? Rob and Adam talk boundaries, difficult…
- Bad Coach, Good Advice · 57 min · Episode 436This week, Rob and Adam open up the Backline Mailbag to discuss an anonymous question on the podcast. What should you do if you aren't having fun on a team? What if you don't…
- Untenable Position · 46 min · Episode 435Every scene, you step onstage and pray for a easy, fun, and straight-forward scene to improvise. But sometimes, you accidentally stumble into a scenario that feels impossible to…
- The Choice Not Taken · 53 min · Episode 434This week, Adam confesses to Rob about a regret he has from their last show. An option was seen onstage, but not acted upon. We all know what the textbook says you should do…
- Improvise Like a Canadian · 48 min · Episode 433This week, Rob and Adam explore the prolific, abundant, and (surprisingly) impolite vocabulary of Canadian improv. Whether you started with Keith Johnstone or David Shepherd and…
- The Game Plan · 58 min · Episode 432How do you prepare for a show without over-preparing? Rob and Adam talk about Game Plans, what’s worth thinking about before you hit the stage, and how to streamline your…
- Meat and Potatoes · 56 min · Episode 431This week on The Backline, Rob and Adam talk Meat and Potatoes. Who gets the focus? Who has the power? And if you realize halfway through a scene that your choice isn't serving…
- Questions Only: Emotional Roleplay · 44 min · Episode 430This week on The Backline, Adam and Rob answer listener questions. First up: how do you better portray emotions onstage? What does it actually mean to play an emotion, and how…
- New in Town · 1 h 0 min · Episode 429This week on The Backline, Rob and Adam talk about what it’s like to leave the comedy scene you know and start over somewhere new. How do you find your people? How do you get…
- Stage Fright · 56 min · Episode 429This week on The Backline, Rob and Adam talk about stage fright, nerves, anxiety, and all the things that can make stepping onstage feel terrifying. Is stage fright just a silly…
- Noteworthy · 1 h 0 min · Episode 428This week on The Backline, Rob and Adam talk about one of the trickiest parts of being on an improv team: giving and receiving notes. How do you give someone useful feedback…
- Jokes VS. Jiu-jitsu · 1 h 5 min · Episode 427This week, Rob and Adam tackle one of the most dreaded words in improv: jokes. What actually makes something a joke? Are jokes bad for improv? And if we’re not trying to make…
- Rethinking the Who, What, Where · 1 h 4 min · Episode 426This week, Adam and Rob revisit a recent monoscene in which the context wasn't revealed until surprisingly late. They discuss the value of playing the dynamic from the top…
- Run Towards the Danger · 46 min · Episode 425This week on The Backline, Rob and Adam discuss: danger. Most training teaches us how to avoid confusion, conflict, and uncertainty onstage—but what if those uncomfortable…
- Low Energy · 1 h 7 min · Episode 424This week, Rob and Adam discuss "energy". What is energy onstage? What should you do if your show is low energy and is that always a problem? Whether you're trying to slow a…
- Improv Across North America · 1 h 3 min · Episode 423What makes improv in Toronto feel different from Chicago? Why does Los Angeles produce a different kind of performer than New York? And where do cities like Vancouver, Montreal…
- The Back Row · 1 h 7 min · Episode 422This week Adam and Rob discuss competition, egalitarianism, and how the politics of the classroom affect improv teams, shows, and theatres. Should improv delineate between…
- Longform Loves Openers · 1 h 7 min · Episode 421This week on Backline, Rob and Adam break down their favourite longform openers and put them to the test, ranking different approaches based on flexibility, inspiration, ease of…
- Bubble Letters · 1 h 7 min · Episode 420This week on Backline, Rob and Adam explore how improvisers can create characters with greater depth, vulnerability, and gravitas. Beyond funny voices and quirks, what makes a…
- Pulling Premises · 1 h 10 min · Episode 419This week on Backline, Rob and Adam tackle one of the most fundamental skills in longform improv: pulling premises from a monologue and turning them into strong scene…
