FIASCO – Vaulty Towers

FIASCO by Cryptids Improvisational Theatre is a longform improv show based on the tabletop roleplaying game of the same name. In the tabletop roleplaying game, players roll dice and consult tables to come up with a collection of storytelling prompts, linking characters together through “relationships”, “needs”, “locations”, and “objects”. This provides the framework upon which the players collaboratively tell a story, usually of normal people finding themselves drawn into increasingly violent situations the likes of which you might find in a Coen Brothers movie.

Cryptids Improvisational Theatre have adapted and streamlined the general structure to suit a live improvised performance. The audience first votes – by cheering and general verbal consensus – on which of three general genres / settings they’d like to see and then votes on a series of multiple-choice questions to determine what the relationships are between the characters. The improvisers do the rest.

As a result of this fairly involved setup, the setting and characters are clearly defined from the outset, which allows the performers to get straight into establishing the plot. While the performers perform, the “Archivist” (Alexandra Sophia Ashe) and the “Reader” (Annamarie Burke) are keeping track of the story, and roughly planning out where it could go next. Annamarie Burke serves as an engaging narrator who introduces each scene, providing a framework for the performers without being completely prescriptive. Overall, this structured approach ensured that the story was coherent, compared to some longform improv shows which can quickly devolve into aimless nonsense.

The three performers – Ian Chapman Black, Shelby Corley, and Natalie Heaven – were all funny and entertaining and had great chemistry together. Together, they played out the story of two undercover aliens who want to go home, but one of whom is in love with a human conspiracy theorist podcaster. The story didn’t end up quite being what was promised by the prompts established at the beginning. The audience had voted on “Home Invasion” for the setting / genre, which promised a story of mid-century American suburbanites coming face-to-face with the strange and supernatural, à la The Twilight Zine or The Burbs. However, the suburban setting was not explored much, since all of the characters were strange outsiders anyway. It could have been helpful to have one normal suburbanite acting as a straight man in contrast to the zanier characters. Similarly, the relationship prompt “neighbours at war” was not utilised, and instead quickly replaced by a will-they-won’t-they love-hate romance.

Nonetheless, the story was entertaining and engaging, with the audience getting invested enough to audibly gasp at the various twists and turns. The performers weren’t just seeking laughs but clearly trying their best to present a compelling narrative, and as a result some scenes were genuinely impactful and chilling. For example, towards the end, the human podcaster suffering from amnesia, is tricked into destroying Earth, and experiences a vague sense of sadness that he cannot explain.

Overall, FIASCO has a great format and is performed by a talented cast. The relatively rigid structure – when used well – keeps the plot focused, while the performers bring spontaneity and creativity to proceedings.

Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe

Reviewed: 30th September 2025

North West End UK Rating: