BEING asked to be instantly funny about an ‘invisible goat that’s got rabies’ would throw plenty of stand-up comics.

But for improvisation master Lee Simpson and the rest of the line-up for Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, it’s a chance to see your friends put on the spot.

“There are five of us, so the chances of everyone going blank at the same time are very slim,” he said.

“Someone will jump in and take it off and that’s one of the joys — watching others talk and contribute and the comedy’s really fast.

“It’s like Barcelona v Arsenal, pinging about at an incredible rate. But we’ve been doing this for a long time and nothing fazes it.”

The Chums have worked together at various times during the past 20-odd years and Lee regularly teams up with Merton behind the scenes as a writer and director.

Improvised comedy was brought to fame by Channel 4 show Whose Line Is It Anyway and, although that is long gone from screens, there’s still an audience for the off-the-cuff humour.

“That’s the good thing about comedy, you know to stop when the audience isn’t laughing any more,” said Lee, who taught ‘improv’ when the show was at its height.

“I’m very much touching wood as I say that.”

Impro Chums, which also features Mike McShane, pianist Richard Vranch and Suki Webster, takes inspiration from Whose Line, using games as the basis for the first half, before the performers dip into audience contributions in the ‘fish bowl’ “It can be anything, and it’s more us making it up as we go along — anarchic, long, short, musical or not; all bets are off.

“It’s us trying to trip each other up.

“Every show you get subjects such as ‘toilet’, ‘toilet brush’, ‘brothel’ and those immature things, but it can be anything. We recently had ‘looking for an invisible goat that’s got rabies’.

“With the Chums, we won’t let each other play it safe. An important part of it is watching the relationship between us on stage, pushing and daring each other. It’s such fun to drop people in it.”

With the Chums making regular and guest appearances at the Comedy Store Players in London, a tour bus is essential to keep the tour on track.

“We actually have a rock and roll tour bus, which is home until mid-June,” Lee said.

“We’ve got our Wii and tea and coffee-making facilities. I’d like to say we get on board and have a cup of Horlicks and settle down — we are all of mature years — but we hold our own on the partying front.”

* Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, The Lowry, Salford Quays, Monday, May 31. Tickets £20.