Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – Pleasance Courtyard

Every night, the Showstoppers improvise a brand-new musical, based on a suggestion from the audience. It’s different every time. Tonight’s title is Blood Is Thicker Than Oil, and it is the story of a family-run oil rig.

The opening number introduces the characters. The cast creates a catchy chorus that will be repeated later on and provide each other with backing vocals. The oil rig characters are in the middle of the stage: to one side is the band, and on the other, The Writer, who introduces the show and occasionally shakes things up if the rest of the cast are getting a bit comfortable. The Writer, the band, and the technician form a triangle, with clear lines of sight allowing nonverbal communication.

Job ads often ask for candidates who can work individually and as part of a team. Well, these guys must be highly employable. They have an extraordinary ability to create spontaneously as a company, and to build on each other’s ideas. Improvising a coherent narrative is impressive; creating a musical this way surely requires superpowers.

The cast group together and make eye contact as they explore a new idea, then confidently open up to the audience all at once, as if they have been rehearsing this piece for months. They set things up beautifully for each other: at one point a character introduced his wife and sings that she works “below”, allowing her to reply that he works “above” and add that they are “in love”. They are the epitome of generous actors. The Writer makes suggestions like “The next section will contain some highly technically specific terminology”, inviting the others to invent nonsense words like “sploogemaker”.

The audience also get to suggest stage musicals which the cast then use as inspiration for some of their songs. Tonight’s choices are Dear Evan Hansen, Sweeney Todd, and Phantom of the Opera. The Writer instructs the team as to the correct moment for each offering, and there is a ripple of delight across the audience as they recognize a new creation in a familiar style. Everyone in the company must have an encyclopaedic knowledge of musical theatre.

The technician has to improvise too. A fire is represented by haze and a red lighting effect. There are certainly other company members doing amazing work behind the scenes.

I spoke to some audience members who have seen this company perform several times before. They told me that tonight’s piece was very good, but sometimes it is even better. Occasionally, the audience suggestions don’t quite work out. So, if you go to see Showstopper, plan ahead and dream up a really inspiring prompt with lots of scope for storytelling.

The cast are all excellent actors, singers and storytellers; likewise, the band members really know their stuff. Together, they created an entertaining, coherent seventy-minute piece of musical theatre immediately after receiving the prompt. I was delighted by their skills, their talent, and above all, their teamwork.

Reviewer: Wendy McEwan

Reviewed: 16^th August 2024

North West End UK Rating: