Most monthly occurrences in life are met with dread, and usually involve blood, bills or becoming a werewolf. It is bewildering to me, therefore, that more Ōtautahi fun-loving folks have not cottoned on to the once-a-month improvised comedic storytelling gem that is Perfuct Storm. 

The premise of this show is deceptively simple: three improvisers (on this occasion, Henri Nelis, Emma Cusdin and Dan Bain), supported by one musician (Michael Bell), each offer a story on a given theme, before inviting audience members to share their stories using the same prompt, then re-enact those stories in one narrative. The brilliance of this format lies in the element of risk, with no foretelling the nature of the tales proffered by the audience, and the exceptional ability of the improvisers to blend seemingly disparate and disarmingly different anecdotes into a cohesive, entertaining play. It is testament to the talent of Christchurch’s improvisers that every evening ends with laughter and applause. 

The stimulus given on this particular night is incredibly open-ended: “what is a great yarn you’ve been told?”. As someone of a rather squeamish nature, I am worried about the prevalence of blood and faeces included in the yarns, and sceptical that a yakka-impaled uterus and ghostly drowning tragedy can be seamlessly blended with a marijauna-infused maths conference and some frantic wedding day organisation, but my fears are unfounded. The resulting retelling is an absolute banger and could conceivably replace the participants future responses to requests for a great yarn. 

In addition to featuring in the show, Dan Bain is the brain behind the Perfuct Storm concept. This in itself should be all keen comedy and theatre enthusiasts need to know, as Dan Bain has to be one of the finest creators of onstage entertainment working in Aotearoa today. Over the past decades, Bain has directed well-received plays at The Court Theatre (my personal faves were the sell-out season of Murder on the Orient Express, and the visceral Shakespearean bloodbath Titus Andronicus), created imaginative plays for and with young people (Paintbox of Clowns, Boudica), and written award-winning plays (most recently, his adaptation of The Odyssey was awarded Playmarket Play of the Year).

A recurring feature of his work is blending simple ideas with outlandishly ambitious theatrical perimeters, and turning unlikely creative concepts into onstage magic. From school holiday plays without a single line of dialogue to adapting an epic classical myth into funny, family-friendly outdoor entertainment, Bain continues to delight audiences with his daredevil dramatics. Don’t be fooled by the unassuming, informal persona Bain presents; that furry-faced, dungaree-clad DILF is producing some of the most innovative and exciting theatre in Aotearoa. 

Bain is also gifted when it comes to assembling a solid team to fulfil his impossible dreams. Little Andromeda’s patron saint, the multi-faceted Michael Bell, is the perfect person to tinkle the electronic ivories, using song snippets and motifs to set scenes, establish mood and as musical punchlines, Longtime Scared Scriptless comedy collaborators Cusdin and Nelis share Bain’s ability to craft a solid narrative out of unconventional material and quick-witted quips. Their improvisation chops are matched by solid stagecraft skills, as demonstrated in my highlight of the night, a mimed sequence involving a tricky trestle table tussle. 

Quite simply, Perfuct Storm is my cup of tea, and should be yours too. With affordable ticket prices, a running time well suited to a Thursday evening with work in the morning, and the chance to contribute to an original long form improvisation, I encourage you to head along to Little Andromeda next month to catch Christchurch’s finest and funniest monthly event. 

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