AD | Tickets gifted in exchange of an honest review
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is a ridiculously hilarious night out that had me laughing from start to finish.
Each night, the audience take charge in creating a new musical which is performed for one night only, on the spot by a group of actors. Hosted by the brilliant Dylan Emery, the audience is guided to pick a selection of musicals, composers and dance styles on top of a theme for the musical, which is then created in front of our eyes. Even the title of the show was created by an audience member, this performance being titled “Horseplay on Broadway”.
For the performance at the Bristol Old Vic, the theme of hobbyhorse racing was chosen by votes from the audience and for act one, Hamilton, Billy Elliot, Alan Menken and Operation Mincemeat were the inspiration for the musical numbers. During the interval, the audience could message the company’s Instagram account with ideas for the plot within act two and more inspiration for the next selection of songs. Act two opened with a Bob Fosse style number, and with musical numbers inspired by Starlight Express and Jesus Christ Superstar. The mix of genres and dance styles kept the audience entertained, keeping us wondering where this on the spot musical was going to go next, The performance was created by four performers, Pippa Evans, Adam Meggido, Joshua C. Jackson and Andrew Pugsley. All four exceeded my expectations to the highest level and I was in awe of their ability to work with one another, not just when speaking but also while singing. The entire cast’s ability to switch between Shakespeare and Dr. Suess style monologues was skilled and was certainly a highlight for me. While also the sudden moment where one of the characters was dying and all of the other actors had to switch their reactions and play along with the plot was a great to see.
Damian Robertson and Alex Dowding created a perfect lighting design for this show, covering as many situations as possible with light placement all around the stage and even within the audience. This worked well with Simon Scullion’s simplistic set design with a small staircase which was used in many instances to create depth in the set, such as a hospital bed but also jumps within the hobby horse races. Though the set was sparse, the cast makes up for this with their use of spatial awareness, being sure to not get too close to the front of the stage or too far back. This awareness worked well within the dance scenes, moving around one another while also making sure there was enough space for any unexpected movement that the actors would not be prepared for.
Overall, the entire concept of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is a wonderfully wacky experience from start to finish. With each performance a totally different show will take place and so seeing this show over and over again would never feel repetitive. Showstopper! also offers a kids show on select matinee performances where the requests are only taken from children.
Everyone, no matter how old or young, would definitely enjoy Showstopper! The Improvised Musical as the audience is getting exactly what they are asking for and the perfect musical is created in a moment's notice in front of your eyes, leaving no one disappointed.
★★★★★
Showstoppers! The Improvised Musical is touring the UK and playing in the West End
Comments