Review: SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL, Cambridge Theatre
Photo credit: Geraint Lewis
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is like a magic show; you come away wondering how they did it…
After making its debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2008, Showstopper! has toured the UK, had its own BBC Radio 4 series and won an Olivier Award for its ten week run in London’s West End in 2015.
For the rest of 2023, its taken up residency at the Cambridge Theatre (home to Matilda) every second Monday from 22 May.
Overseeing the action is Dylan Emery (one of the show’s creators), who takes a call from his producer Cameron (wink wink, nudge nudge) inviting him to devise a musical in two hours. Emery enlists our help by asking the audience to shout out ideas for the show’s setting, title and musicals and composers whose styles will be imitated. This performance was romantic comedy ‘Scarlet Fever’, set on the Central Line with some Oklahoma, Tim Minchin, Avenue Q and Cole Porter thrown in.
As the actors sing ‘Love on the Central Line’, it’s hard to believe this is the first time they’ve performed it, let alone that they are making it up on the spot. Almost immediately, the cast find their characters and off we go. They create the dialogue, back stories, names, sing harmonies and choreograph routines, all from the seeds of the audience’s suggestions. At points, Emery stops the performance to ask us for more contributions and at the interval, we are encouraged to tweet ideas (Hamilton at this one). In ‘Scarlet Fever’, when a character says he was married to someone famous, Emery asks us who this was. "Rosie O’Donnell" someone bellowed from the back, so random it created a lot of comedy.
The band are so accomplished that they create polished, original numbers each time. And when it comes to the songs, we know exactly what they are meant to be, whether a classic Broadway melody Porter style, complete with swaying side to side or a Hamilton-esque rap. The company must have a forensic knowledge of the big pool of musical styles and musicals to be able to pull this off. We’d imagine popular composers such as Porter and big hitters like Hamilton are chosen a lot, meaning the songs flow with ease. They are parodying the musicals, by deliberately exaggerating each style to get a laugh, but you also get the impression the actors just have a great love for musical theatre.
The band and company improvising a tune in the style of… is only one of the impressive parts. Unlike musical styles, possible settings are infinite, yet some of the references made by the cast are so specific they must know a hell of a lot about many things. Not only do they use the chosen scenario, they manage to reference other places suggested earlier by the audience and at first discounted by Emery.
The cast might be different next Monday, but we’re sure the whole company are as gifted as the six stars of ‘Scarlet Fever’. Adam Meggido (the other creator of Showstoppers!) played romantic lead Richard who meets Eloise (Lauren Shearing) on the 7.42am… (you’ve guessed it)… Central Line train. Both talented actors, singers and comedians, even in this ridiculous set up, you believed in their attraction.
The rest of the cast play multiple characters. Ruth Bratt was very funny as Rosie O’Donnell with the catch phrase, “I’m the biggest star in the world”, and Pippa Evans created an Australian publisher that brought house down. Andrew Pugsley did a mean Al Pacino and Justin Brett nailed Michael Caine as they bantered in Rosie O’Donnell’s celebrity club.
Emery cleverly holds things together by knowing when to interject and ask the audience. There is such a rhythm between the cast that they probably sense when this is coming and he knows when it might be a good time to pause.
We couldn’t pick anyone out, their collaboration is an art form. With seemingly effortless teamwork they whip up a narrative and very rarely miss a beat. Although it’s nonsense, it somehow makes sense. There’s a beginning, middle and an end (tonight with a rendition of ‘Love on the Central Line’).
We urge you to go and see it. The beauty of Showstopper! is that no matter how many times you go, it will be different every time. It’s a must for musical theatre lovers, but you don’t have to be an MT fan to appreciate the wizardry of these talented improvisers.
Jaw dropping!
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Victoria Willetts
Showstopper! plays at the Cambridge Theatre every second Monday from 5 June-18 December, with tickets available here.