Artist: Glenn Seaby
From Liz Talbot’s private art collection.

A Review of Your Improv Show

Improvised theatre - or “improv” - is theatre that is entirely made-up on the spot. That is why, as I entered the theatre, I thought to myself “Could this really be improvised?” That is not something I would do. As I sat down, I let out an incredulous giggle as I pondered over the fact that I’d just paid money for a ticket to a show that hadn’t even been rehearsed.

Of course, I’d grown up watching Whose Line Is It, Anyway?, so I did understand improv. I was very much looking forward to laughing heartily at some classic Colin-and-Ryan-style hijinks.

As the lights dimmed and the show began, we were greeted by a host who solicited some suggestions from the audience. One brave soul offered a word of inspiration, and it served to inform a performance that had never been seen before - because it was entirely improvised.

There are elements of the performance that worked, and some that did not. I suppose that is the nature of “improv”. You cannot guarantee what will happen, because it is improvised. I can’t really say whether it was great, because I’ve not seen anything like this before. There’s just no method to assess whether the performance was great. What I do know for a fact, though, is that it must take a lot of courage to step out onto a stage without a script, and that courage should be commended.

If you’re a fan of improv theatre, I’d definitely suggest snapping up tickets to improv theatre.

This production was a one-night-only performance.