Showstopper! The Improvised Musical

Improvised comedy is a tricky business – working random suggestions into a sketch or song may be ingenious but, by its very nature, it’s never going to be as accomplished as a piece that has taken weeks, months or years to write and perfect.

The Showstopper! team use the improv norm of taking ideas from the audience to inspire their performance – an all-singing, all-dancing musical which lasts around an hour.

On this particular night the location of an oil rig is chosen, while a title of “She’s Gonna Blow” is democratically decided upon. Musical styles shouted out and noted down include Johnny Cash, the musicals Evita and Little Shop of Horrors and 2010 Hollywood blockbuster Inception.

The cast are well up to the task, from a quickly composed opener on the rig’s drill floor, via a bizarre love triangle, to a closing number poking fun at the Lloyd Webber school of songwriting.

Our host, a playfully devilish Dylan Emery, interjects at points, freezing the action onstage and making suggestions to advance the story or to throw a spanner in the works.

The whole cast seem to have this down to a fine art but there’s the nagging feeling that it’s an idea stretched to breaking point. Most improv relies on a number of shorter sketches, meaning if one falls flat or runs out of steam another will be along shortly. This safety mechanism is disabled by the Showstopper! blueprint.

It's impressive, but neither the jokes or songs are of a high enough standard to keep the audience fully engaged.