Co-Creators and Directors: Adam Meggido and Dylan Emery
The whole concept of this show is boldly stated on the front page of the information leaflet: “Showstopper! is completely improvised: the music, choreography, dialogue, everything. Nothing is prepared in advance and there are no audience plants.” This makes the end result even more amazing for so polished and smooth is the ensuing action that one can scarce believe it. The wit, speed of thought, comic invention, improvisation, timing and sheer brilliance of all the performers take your breath away.
The action begins with the narrator (Sean McCann) coming on and it is his job to organise what we are going to see. He interacts with the audience, explaining that they have two hours in which to produce a musical and that the audience have to provide suggestions as to the content, subject, style and so on which are then “voted” on by the strength of cheering for each one. These elements are then incorporated into the final product and a musical story then unfolds right before your eyes. Each performance is therefore a completely new experience and anyone coming to them all would see a different show each time. This idea is so alien to what we are all used to – scripts, rehearsed roles, music and choreography decided on in advance etc. – that, at first, it is hard to get your head round, but then you settle in to the show and admire the sheer expertise and talent of all the performers. This reviewer has seen improvisation before but not sustained for a whole show like this. The requirements are a supreme confidence in one’s own abilities and meeting the challenge in a live setting with no safety net, as it were, something that these actors have in abundance.
The full company consists of twenty performers and ten musicians but not all participate in each show. The four main actors for this show are Ali James, Susan Harrison, Philip Pellew and Andrew Pugsley. All are accomplished and multi-talented, exhibiting good singing voices, comic timing, different accents, visual humour and movement. These four are complemented by the narrator (already mentioned) and two of the band, one on keyboards and one on percussion. These two have an extremely difficult role to play accompanying the action throughout and setting the tempo to the plot. It is astonishing to think that all this music is entirely improvised on the spot and the duo received very well deserved applause at the end. The stage is virtually minimal with just a moveable structure at its centre to facilitate different heights, a table and chairs and only a few props. This results in an emphasis on mime and visual gags.
Go to see this show not knowing what to expect and you will not be disappointed. The level of invention and self-confidence required to pull it off is high but the actors give it their all and provide a rollicking evening’s entertainment. Congratulations to all involved for their bravado, energy and skill.
Runs until 7th June 2025
