“TELL your readers to come along on Saturday and Sunday, sit down and have a laugh,” actor Jay Laga’aia suggests to me.

He’s talking about the improvised space show he will be starring in at The Street Theatre this weekend.

Jay Laga’aia? He’s usually Mr Nice Guy. You must know him if you’ve seen “Home and Away”, “Playschool”, or “Bed of Roses”, to say nothing of the “Star Wars” episodes, “Episode II: Attack of the Clones” and “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith”, where he played Captain Typho.

He’s even played father lion Musafa in the musical production of “The Lion King” and has released children’s albums, including the 2008 ARIA nominee “Come Sing and Dance”.

He admits it’s relatively unusual for a professional actor to be expert in improvisation – so many actors like to “have control over the situation” by having a script put in front of them. But not him. He started back in 1987, going on in 1988 to represent New Zealand (he’s now an Aussie) in an international Impro contest at the Ekka in Brisbane.

“It’s a skill not everyone has,” he agrees, but when you do have, it can lead to “magic”, and sometimes that’s the best thing that happens, especially in a film.

As for taking time off for a busy career to teach, “that comes with the territory”, in his view. Laga’aia often does classes in schools and hospitals. And anyway, in spite of Canberra’s mystifying traffic, he loves bringing the family down here – “I’ve got four boys and four girls…it’s a constant challenge to keep them amused and Canberra has plenty of things to do”.

What an endorsement – ACT Tourism take note!

Laga’aia has noticed that in his classes here you’ll find some people call fully trained in some people who have only a limited understanding and think the only thing to improvisation is getting laughs from the audience. He puts some of that down to nervousness, and is determined to help young actors to develop by finding truth in whatever they do, even if it’s ridiculous.

“I can tell them what it’s like working on “Star Wars” … I can tell them that 95 per cent of the time you’re not being paid for what you do – you have to love it… I should know, I’ve been doing it for 30 years.”

Right now he’s more in than out of work, as it happens. He’s still doing “Home and Away” and “Playschool” and he’s preparing a kids’ show to take into clubs in February. Meantime  seven numbers from his children’s album are being featured in Perth and Melbourne with full orchestral support from the WA Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

“I’m very lucky that they’ve asked me,” he says, “it keeps me diverse.”

Not content with running workshops, Laga’aia and the team of unscripted actors, including his old friend, Impro ACT’s director Nick Byrne, plan to step aboard the Starship Odyssey for a theatrical journey into the great unknown, as they say. Drawing on the themes of Greek mythology and the journeys of heroes, audiences will be treated to a night of fun, theatre and science fiction.

“Truth in Improvised Performance” classes with Jay Laga’aia will run 10:30am – 4pm, Saturday, November 26 and 10:30am – 4pm Sunday, November 27.

Saturday’s workshop will focus on improvisation while Sunday’s will be a more general look at performance. Bookings essential, through Ben Crowley at paystuff@impro.com.au or www.impro.com.au/act/workshops

The “Starship Odyssey” performances are at 7pm, November 25 and 26, at Street One, The Street Theatre. Bookings to 6247 1223 or www.thestreet.org.au