The first show of the Improv Fest opens with a bang and a roar – capacity crowd heavy with anticipation as we await the entrance of the artistic gladiators to the arena.

Directed by Matt Powell, this show is old style in format and easily recognizable to the ordinary punter. Four teams have been gathered to play timed games round by round. A carry-over champion team will defend their title the next night against the next set of randomly formed teams.

This year there are few ‘company based’ shows. All the players are workshopping together and the majority of shows see these gallant gals and guys from all over coming together to play alongside each other.

The teams only find out who they are 20 minutes before performing which means there’s little to no knowledge of what their teammates’ specialties are. This also means that the improv is truely raw and based upon the central building stones of offers, acceptance, advancing and extension – and most of all listening. And these guys know what they are doing.

Blaster – Director Matt Powell, looking like an uber steampunk from Mad Max (bravo to the heels) – acts as score/time keeper and also sets the challenges for the teams. Master (Jen O’Sullivan) MCs the evening, taking us smoothly from round to round and gathering the audience’s score out of 5 based upon applause. O’Sullivan’s ease and rapport solidify a great night’s entertainment and is a foil for Powell’s quick witted character.

The first round is of games most people would have seen on Whose Line is it Anyway? and the teams acquit themselves well. Some take a bit of time to get used to each other – remember most have never played together – but the calibre of these players is high so any stumble is easily recovered and made use of.

The second round is open which means the team can get an offer from the audience and riff to their heart’s content within a two minute time limit. Here there’s some parallel action with too many people on stage in a couple of scenes, but wisely the following teams take note and that behaviour disappears from the evening. A particular highlight is ‘A Scene Without Words’ which makes great atmospheric use of muso Isaac Thomas. 

This is followed by a lightning round timed to one minute, though some teams’ times cost them a penalty point and a scowl from Blaster. It includes a Song which highlights why this form of theatre is so brave and wonderful. The song is based on an ‘Inner Turmoil’ of a member of the audience (nothing more delightful than an audience member looking like a stunned mullet as they try to think of something!) which tonight is ‘Spirituality’. This is the subject and the song is… interestingly performed with some team members possibly not quite cottoning on to the form of song suggested by one of the team. All four give it great gusto and while it may not really get off the ground, the joy that everyone in the room has is magnificent.

The last round is a team choice three minute round and this gives the teams more leeway now that they have got used to each other. The winning team brilliantly brings back their ‘Scene Without Words’, adding words and “Two Weeks Later”. They win not only the night but also the audiences hearts to rapturous applause – and deservedly so.

Tomorrow night the carry over champions will face another onslaught of newly formed teams and it all begins again. 

Throughout the evening there is a huge display of wit, talent, and skill but it is the generosity of the players to one another that is simply one of the biggest joys to behold. It’s not often you see a whole company so caring and thoughtful with each other that their esprit de corps pervades the audience, let alone a company of people who have mostly just met.  

A fantastically fun night that will appeal to everyone. If you want a great night out – this is it. In the (altered) words of Mad Max’s Thunderdome – “Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, improv-ing time is here.” 

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