PHIL MANN – It is a unique creation — even amongst the improv crowd, although most have been very supportive, some people have given me a very hostile reaction when I tell them what I’m doing.  People don’t like you breaking the mould.

Nothingism is inspired by my love of art galleries and a number of paintings I’ve always loved. One of my favourite periods in art is the really weird one just after the turn-of-the-century. The Futurists, the Surrealists, the Dadaists were all very passionate about what is a collection of very weird, and very silly art. Passionate enough to riot in the streets, smash up theatres and galleries, get into massive brawls — I wanted to have a bash at creating my own movement that would do the same thing: take itself seriously and do an incredible amount of terrible things, but also be silly and funny at the same time.
I wanted to create an organisation that stood for nothing, meant nothing, did nothing, but also seemed to be behind everything major. Like a form of minimalism that did everything as well as nothing.
I am therefore extremely frustrated when after the show people tell me that Nothingism obviously meant something and represented something in particular (which they always seem to do) as I have gone out of my way to create a world which makes no sense and is a complete waste of everyone’s time.