Long form improv is the high-wire act of this performing spectacle in this impromptu musical theatre delight.
But you’d hardly have guessed that from the 90 minutes of the committed and laid-back cast of SHOWSTOPPERS – that whip up a brand new bespoke musical in front of your very eyes, in this awe inspiring improvised musical. ★★★★★
SHOWSTOPPERS is a musical comedy powerhouse and watching this extremely talented cast was like being in the company of friends that knew how to satisfy with quick-wit, being super-funny and on the ball.
An example of long form improv – essentially, inventing scenes and characters on the spot, musically in this case. The audience are asked at the beginning of Act 1 to create their own musical by pitching ideas of where the musical should be set. Creative ideas were thrown out and ‘fairy grotto set in Ireland’ was put forward for the audience to approve and won. Musical styles like Avenue Q and We Will Rock You are then added to the pot and almost instantly the cast begin to deliver our entertaining surprise.
A strikingly relaxed atmosphere pervaded the show as all cast members refrain from displaying clueless fear when pressured to deliver material based on these random ideas. You can’t help but think if the cast will verbally trip up or interrupt each other or even run out of ideas – the failure of these thoughts were never entertained as the show never did any of these!
The candy was snatched away from patrons when the interval approached and Act 2 could not have arrived sooner. In the show’s second half, our participation was further encouraged and again musical riffs conjured up, among other notions that were being fed in to the cast.
Throughout this vocally strong, humorous show, the ensemble cast seemed to recognise, in sync, exactly when a scene should begin and naturally end, one would deliver a particularly zesty musical line , and, without any obvious signal, they’d all move on to the next zany part of our West End musical creation.
The actors plunged wholeheartedly, and with seeming effortlessness, into each loopy fiction as it came along. SHOWSTOPPERS certainly but out all the stops to entertain and the audience clearly didn’t want this show to stop.
