Improvisation – a theatre skill that is underrated, under paid, and underrepresented, but at the Pleasance Theatre from the 4th-6th April, the London Improvathon showed the audience, why the Improvathon, is in its 15th year. This fifty hour, or three thousand minute event, pushes the boundaries of what is physically and mentally possible for a group of improvisers (and some audience members), who create a story in a loose framework, with many deviations, but with a strong emphasis on character development, to give this event a soap-like feel.
The inspiration for this event comes from the Canadian company Die-Nasty who originated the Soap-A-Thon and in 2005, the then director of Die-Nasty Dana Anderson worked with Ken Campbell the British theatre impresario to bring the Soap-A-Thon to the UK introducing a thirty-six-hour show. This has since developed into the 50-hour Improvathon that we see today and still includes some Die Nasty performers in the line-up.
The theme of this Improvathon was ‘Moulin Rouge’ or ‘Roulin Mouge’, which became more difficult to say for the performers as the event progressed, and oddly enough, the most used words during the event were ‘luge’ and ‘lube’…now that has piqued your interest hasn’t it! The Parisian club the Roulin Mouge was the setting for this improv exploration into the 1900 club scene in gay Paris, with the set designed by Alex Marker. Each improviser was given a character name (or more than one) and persona to develop, and the storyline was encouraged by the director (Adam Meggido and Ali James with assistance from Su Young Shon), or as Ken Campbell would have named it ‘the goader’, who at each episode gave the players a theme to work with to develop the narrative.
It is going to be difficult to articulate exactly what happened at the Pleasance over the three day period, so I’ll just give a mention to some of the key characters: Lady and Lord Marmalade (Ruth Bratt & Jamie Cavanagh) owned the Roulin Mouge, with Camden Brasserie (Alan Cox) managing the club on their behalf. This cabaret club had many colourful characters, and here are a few of the key players (the names may not be entirely accurate due to no cast list): a choreographer, Pam au Chocolat (Lucy Trodd), her soon to be daughter Zola Power (Safia Lamrani), who meets her lover Joe Contraire (John Oakes) early on, Felix Pumpin (Andrew Gentilli) and the devilish Crispin Le Sponge (currently looking for an agent), Pierre de Resistance (Dylan Emery) who doubles as an entrepreneur/inventor and a band member, Henri Toulouse le Plot (Sally Hodgkiss) a painter and designer, Grant Giniol (Mark Meer) vampiresque/Dungeons & Dragons character, Norm de Plume (Justin Brett) greetings card poet, Joy de Vive (Heather Urquhart, Ali James, Jinni Lyons) a green fairy, Cilla Noir (Ali James) it’s our Cilla ‘ere, surprise surprise, Perla de tour (Umi Shakti) a clairvoyant, and the list of cast members goes on, and is distinguished.
There were murders, some committed by a sponge, including the death of a puppy (ahh), much use of lube to grease bodies for the luge, an invention that enabled characters to swap minds but not bodies which played mind games with the players especially in the early hour sections, relationships beginning and ending, fabulous mime, the Phantom of the Opera ladies and gentlemen who took a night off from his West End show. I could go on, but let’s give thanks to the band led by Christopher Ash whose music knitted the scenes together, the directors who worked tirelessly to keep the show going, all performers, as there were many that I have not mentioned, and who played a significant role in making this the joy that it is, the organisers, and to the audience who are always a significant part of the improv process, cheering and motivating the cast to continue.
It only remains to say, that this remarkable theatre/comedy experience is like nothing else that you will experience. It is professional but chaotic, happy then sad, a rollercoaster of emotions, and a deep joy with the connection of people on both sides of the stage. The premise is to produce an improvised show – the result is a lesson in how to live life in a supportive, nurturing environment, where everyone is equal, and the joy is shared. It is goodbye to the Improvathon until next year (fingers crossed)…you don’t want to miss it!
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick (Theatre Feline)
Reviewed: 4th – 6th April 2025
North West End UK Rating:
Rating: 5 out of 5.
