Halloween Night and the NZ Improvisation Festival serves up live theatre at its scariest! No safety nets, no theatricality/gimmicks; a one-day rehearsal period, one live musician, a general wash lit stage and a keen audience, sets the scene for some dynamic Duos.

Jason Geary’s Duos serves up three couples of improvisers who take to the stage for fifteen minutes apiece: no rules, no limitations, just two people relying on each other to serve up a beginning, middle and an end maybe, to a story, poem, musical whatever sparks their imagination …

Trust, openness, great listening skills and pure talent are some of the keys to creating magical improvisation. Duos does a splendid job of getting this right. It is great to see actors listening to each other, both reliant on the offers and interaction from their partner. A fine balance of giving and accepting is needed in order for the couples to bounce off each other. Being open and accepting an offer or not adds to the drama and comedy of the unknown.

Most of the Duos are instinctive with good timing, listening and dancing with each other displayed at times. Unfortunately the balance between the partnerships is not always even; our opening couple seems a little unbalanced and bland which makes for a slow start (but maybe that is deliberate?).

Our closing couple are an energetic and lively ‘Couple of DICKs’: Detectives at large chasing each other’s tales.  Although it is clearly the male detective (Matt Powell) pushing things along, our female detective (Jennifer O’Sullivan) holds her own with her sheer charm. Sure you can set up sign-posts so you know which direction your story is going, but mayhem and waywardness will definitely abound when the brain is sparking and the audience is encouraging. Well done for hanging in there.  

The performance of the evening goes to Edgar Allan Poe’s Poetic Couple, Jenny Lovell from Melbourne and Jeff Clark from Christchurch. This is an exceptional performance that flows with the lyricism of poetic prose. Like all good stories a clearly defined beginning, middle and end with an excellent twist gives us the Edgar Allan Poe mystery with the macabre storyline. Stroke for stroke both performers are flawless. They are a pleasure to watch. True improvisation is like a dance between couples, both poetically and physically.

Live Improvisation Theatre can and is one of the scariest thing in the world to do. There you are backstage about to go on, your heart is racing, your nerves are jangled and the stage manager calls “Five minutes to beginners,” then “Places!” It still sends shivers up my spine. Deep breath and away you go for the ride and thrill of the evening. Improvisation is definitely for the brave at heart so well done to the premiering Duos.

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