Sex, Lies and Improvise is a collection of short-form improv games about sex and relationships – though mostly about sex.  In order to encourage openness around the subject matter, the ask-fors are gathered by (mostly) anonymous cards filled out by audience members pre-show.  The real-life experiences and details then form the backbone of the games.  It’s big and fun and a little broad: think Magic Mike XXL rather than Magic Mike.

In swans host Penny Ashton, adorned in fishnets, killer heels and a totally rocking kimono jacket.  From the start, she is fearless and flirty, and I love it.  Within minutes, the late-night audience is on-side, ready to have some sexy comedy times. 

In between group games are solo ‘punishment’ songs.  And holy cow, do the improvisers rise to the challenge.  Jason Geary’s Tom Waits-style song offers some fantastic re-incorporations. And while April Seymore struggles to find her light (darn you, LEDs!) her sultry alto is something I could listen to all night long.  I love the cabaret feel of these songs; it totally fits with the sexy content, evoking late-night burlesque shows in sweaty nightclubs.

The games themselves are a little uneven and weirdly competitive.  For example, there’s scene where Jason Geary and Lori Dungey meet for a date taken from an audience member’s real life experience, while the audience member has the power to reset their offers at any given moment, like in Sure Thing.  Geary and Dungey are determined to prove that they are the ‘wackiest’ with the date narrative, and this totally undermines all the great stuff already in the story.  The audience member does an excellent job of resetting to find more honest and strange versions of many offers, resulting in a lovely range of comic and sensual moments. 

And while a scene in which Dan Allan and Dungey struggle to get Jen O’Sullivan to guess some audience-suggested euphemisms for sex and birth is kind of painful to watch, it is also the best example of the performers trying to create together. 

Sex Lies and Improvise rests on the content at times and it works best when it does.  Sometimes in improv sex can be the punchline, or romance is rewarded while sex is punished (though this is thankfully rare).  While I sometimes wish there was less of a rush to the joke in favour of creating experiences around sex and sexuality, I really enjoy spending an hour in a sex-positive show. 

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