Fablemaker

Most crowd work settles for teasing people about mundane jobs and awkward dates. Ben Van der Velde uses the room as an impromptu writers room instead, interviewing audience members about their charitable habits, relationships, and daily routines before stitching their answers into a single narrative fable on the fly.

Van der Velde, a veteran MC on the British circuit and co-host of the podcast Worst Foot Forward, built the show around pure spontaneity. Part stand-up and part cold reader, he tracks names and minor details with enough precision to drag random front-row spectators back into the plot half an hour after their initial grilling.

Directed by Kenny Cavey for the NextUp streaming platform, the 47-minute set captures both the energy and the tension of the concept. Live reviews noted that interrogating almost every row inevitably leaves shy patrons dreading eye contact, but the show holds together because of his relentless pace and quick callbacks.