Nobody needs improv comedy. That is part of the joke.
For Dr. Brian King, founder and co-producer of The Unnecessaries, that idea became the name, the tagline and the spirit behind Fayetteville’s newest local improv troupe.
“The whole idea is that nobody needs improv,” King said. “It’s completely unnecessary, but a whole lot of fun.”
The Unnecessaries, co-founded by King and Matthew Jackson, are bringing a different kind of comedy to Fayetteville; one built on audience suggestions, quick thinking and family-friendly humor. The troupe has performed at churches, Paddy’s Irish Pub, North/South Brewing, Dirty Whiskey, The Cameo Art House Theatre and Fourth Friday events downtown.
King, a stand-up comedian who has lived in Los Angeles and New York, moved to Fayetteville about a year and a half ago. He said he noticed the city had a strong theater community, but not much in the way of regular comedy performances, especially improv.
“I wanted to bring to this community something that it did not have,” King said. “There is some comedy in this town, and there’s actually really good theater for a city of this size. But what we don’t have is regular comedy performances, and we don’t have anything resembling improv.”
Instead of building another stand-up comedy show, King wanted something broader, the kind of entertainment that could make his 9-year-old daughter and his 80-year-old parents laugh at the same time.
“It just seemed that improv was the perfect balance,” King said.
Unlike stand-up, improv does not rely on prepared jokes or scripted routines. Performers create scenes on the spot, using suggestions from the audience. King said that unpredictability is what makes the art form work.
“Nothing is prepared ahead of time,” he said. “There is no script, there is no set material. It is 100% made up in the moment on stage with the help of the audience.”
One of the troupe’s games, called “Diminishing Scene,” begins with a one-minute scene based on an audience suggestion. Then the actors perform the same scene in 30 seconds, then 15 seconds, with the pressure making the scene funnier each time.
The group began with auditions at a local library. King said he did not know what kind of talent pool he would find in Fayetteville, but he was quickly surprised. Jackson, an actor with years of stage, screen and improv experience, was one of the first to join.
The original group started with about 10 members, dropped to five or six, then expanded after another round of auditions in January. The troupe now has about 15 performers, including people with backgrounds in acting, music and even cruise ship entertainment.
“I’m very surprised at the talent that you can draw out of the woodwork in this city when you give people an opportunity,” King said.
The troupe’s family-friendly focus has also opened unexpected doors. King said churches have become some of the group’s most meaningful performance spaces.
“A lot of these churches in town have wonderful performance spaces,” he said. “We’re striving to be family-friendly, and it’s the kind of show you can bring your kids to, you can bring your grandparents to.”
The Unnecessaries also have performances planned beyond Fayetteville, including a show June 4 at ComedyWorx in Raleigh. They’ll be holding a June 20 show at The Cameo Art House Theatre in downtown Fayetteville.
King said the group hopes to eventually build both a local team and a road team, taking improv to smaller towns across North Carolina.
For now, the mission is simple: give people a good night out.
“I just want them to leave feeling very entertained,” King said. “Maybe it wasn’t necessary, but maybe we added value to their lives.”
The Unnecessaries post upcoming shows on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/theunnecessaries/

(Graphic courtesy of the Unnecessaries' Facebook page)