Review: AN IMPROBABLE MUSICAL, Royal & Derngate Northampton

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

An Improbable Musical is just that, an improvised musical.  Created each night on stage with a little help from the audience, it’s a piece of theatre that has never been seen before and will never be seen again!

Some of the best and funniest moments of any show are created in the rehearsal room when ideas are new and tried out for the first time and this is what the Improbable Theatre Company share with their audience night after night.

With a collection of props and costumes, a set and a small group of on-stage musicians and actors, the possibilities are endless.  A few answered questions from the audience gives them a place, a special item and a random line of dialogue to be included, this could literally take us anywhere!

Highly talented and experienced improvisational actors Josie Lawrence, Janet Etuk, Niall Ashdown, Ruth Bratt and Adam Courting are our storytellers.  The experience includes a commune, ducks made out of kitchen items, a single mother who meets an attractive stranger on holiday after her husband left and burnt down the house, a lake to swim in and a couple who question their marriage whilst deciding where to go on holiday.

Accompanied by Max Gittings on flute, Joley Cragg on percussion and Juliet Colyer on cello, there are songs and what can only be loosely described as dance/movement in accompaniment.

It’s a great night out, no-one knows where the journey is going or where we will end up, but we’re all on it together for 90 minutes!

Fantastically funny, original and genius production.

***** 5 Stars

Reviewed by: Rachel Louise Martin

An Improbable Musical is at Royal and Derngate, Northampton until 5 March, with tickets available here.