Reviewed by Cynthia Ning
We are back at the Enmore Theatre for more giggles and this time no one knows what to expect. The stage is set with a platform in the centre and chairs lined up on the sides to showcase the All-Star talent.
Ewan Campbell warms up the audience with his powerful voice, and impressive character impersonations, interacting enthusiastically with the audience by letting them know how the show is traditionally run. It gives a bit of excitement and mystery of what’s to come.
Josie and Adam are charismatic and were beaming with the biggest smiles as they entered the spotlight, bringing up the crowd's energy as they introduce the line-up. I was pleasantly surprised with the large ensemble and was curious to see how they would share the stage.
Lucky for us, there was a variety of scenarios and combos to come, where anything goes. Gep Blake was a wizard at the sound effects booth, providing musical support and ambience for the players. It was chaotic fun, and the absolute silliness had the audience roaring with laughter in unexpected moments. We were given permission to belly laugh, and by letting our imaginations go wild it allowed the All-Stars to take the audience on a visually everchanging journey each time.
The new scenes came in thick and fast, with Josie a close eye on the time and it stretched each player to run with whatever they came up with on the spot. It was also a real treat to see Rove on stage having an absolute ball, leaning into his characters and being very giving as a scene partner. Murray was lovable and memorable as the re-appearing tumbleweed, library henchman and snail-mum. The physical elements and minimal props added greatly to the scenes allowing creativity to flow from the ensemble members to the audience. Chef’s kiss.
The rule with improv theatre is that there are no rules. Jumping in when you have an idea, saying yes and giving 110% of support to your fellow improvisers makes for some of the best organic comedy that cannot be replicated or repeated.
Some of my favourite moments were when the entire cast joined in to help their fellow actors out when the scene asked for more absurdity. A hoard of zombies anyone? A huge congratulations to the All-Star talent for displaying some amazing improvisation skills and creative storytelling. They made it look effortless, when in actual fact it’s much harder than it looks!
There are no words that can explain the show other than you had to be there to see it. If you haven’t tried improv theatre or seen an improv show, I would highly recommend giving it a go – You won’t regret it.