Showstopper! The Improvised Musical
Created in 2008, Showstopper! The Improvised Musical has had eleven sell-out years at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a BBC Radio 4 series, two West End runs, and an Olivier award. The beauty of improv is that it is always changing, there are no repeats and everything is created on the spot. To review it without any script or other renditions to refer to I’ll be focusing on 3 main criteria: Improvisation technique, interpretation of the briefs, and because it’s a musical, music. Obviously. With over a decade of glowing reviews so far, let’s see if this review will add to the pile after a night at the Arts Theatre Cambridge.
The premise of Showstopper is to help the writer to create a musical from scratch, with audience members offering suggestions for the premise, musical styles, and the title. Throughout the show, the writer also offers opportunities for further suggestions to change the course of the story, or completely derail it, to our delight. For example, in our production of Elliotey Bill, a universe in which Billy Elliott hates dancing and wants to work in a factory against his family’s wishes, it turned out that dancing really is the backbone of the shoelace industry as suggested by a child genius in the front row. The show formula and cast have perfected “finding the game”, riding the waves of humour while interpreting a bizarre brief. They have great chemistry together as a team and have a discernible foundation of trust and experience: a concoction which is vital to encouraging bold choices and messing with each other while giving us a semi-coherent story and a lesson in Keynesian economics. Characterisations were clearly articulated in movement, vocality, and some really dodgy accents and there wasn’t a single weak link. Truly a group of people at the top of their craft.
The main component of a musical is, well, music. This show has it all, from the usual songs about following your dreams to the classic end of act medleys, all completely improvised and stylistically dictated by the audience. The band is extraordinary. To a non-musician, having the ability to play any genre of music on demand and on the fly is nothing short of magic. Six, Blood Brothers, Operation Mincemeat, We Will Rock You, and Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat: all have a specific style of music and yet the cast and band emulated them with ease while also making up incredible lyrics like “we are the shoe, you are the lace, and we are the human race”. It is completely faultless improv: confidently satisfying the brief with flawless musicality and, most importantly, making us laugh our heads off.
In the spirit of improv, and not because I’m a lazy writer, I’m going to ask the audience to help me finish this review. Yes, you over there. “I could watch them every night for a month and not get sick of it?” I agree, though they’d probably get sick of you. Another one? “A masterclass in teamwork, comedic timing, and improvisation?” Fantastic! And one more at the back. “Highly accomplished musical artists in every direction, but could use a bit more work on the pirouettes?” All brilliant suggestions, I’ll take the lot!
Run, don’t walk, to their last show at the Arts Theatre tonight! If you can’t you can also catch them on their 17th run at this summer’s Edinburgh Fringe or on the West End when Matilda’s not on.
