Review: Showstopper! The Improvised Musical, Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

A red telephone lights up as it rings on a black stage. A writer answers it and learns a producer wants a new musical and needs it by 9.15pm. The writer Sean McCann (who looks, acts and sounds spookily like Alexander Armstrong) is breezily confident this is doable and takes suggestions from the audience for a storyline. McCann is very assured as he interacts directly with them and takes control. Trump vs Musk initially gets some interest, but the eventual audience vote goes for Dungeons and Dragons in Eurovision. Tonight’s show is Dungeons for Drag Queens.

Four actors from the 20 strong company (tonight it is Andrew Pugsley, Ali James, Philip Pellew and Susan Harrison) create the show using only improvisation, instant lyric invention and quick thinking. All of them are confident, funny, clever and great vocalists.

They announce their Dungeons and Dragons characters and which country they are representing in Eurovision and then improvise the show’s opening number ‘It’s All About the Team’. The actors play off each other to create lyrics and harmonies. They must watch each other closely, sometimes leading and sometimes following. It’s very impressive to watch them work.

Occasionally McCann stops the action to give instructions on what will happen next, often to create a song using musical genres suggested by the audience. One of the best ones is to sing a song about the family name in the style of Mary Poppins. The family name is something akin to Theodopopopolis and the actors create a brilliant ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ inspired song and dance.

Several times actors are deliberately put on the spot by their co-stars for comic effect and have to work hard to improvise their way out. Their apparent discomfort is amusing and delights the audience.

At the end of Act 1, McCann instructs the audience to say how they want Act 2 to start by commenting on Instagram. As there have been no drag queens in Act 1, the audience demands satisfaction. Pellow improvises ‘Everybody’s Got a Drag Queen’ which goes down very well in Sheffield, where Everybody’s Talking About Jamie was created. The ensuing lip synch battle with Pellow and Pugsley miming to lyrics created on the spot by Harrison and James is also great fun.

With a show like this, so much depends on the audience choices giving the actors enough freedom to be creative. Some of the genres selected tonight were a little niche, limiting what they could do. This improvisation has some very impressive individual scenes and songs, but there is always a danger that the narrative lacks cohesion. Tonight’s show overran while the cast were frantically trying to find a good conclusion.

But the five actors all give excellent performances with some incredible improvisation – a troll barbershop quartet was a highlight, as was Harrison’s ‘Geeks, nerds, you’re all screwed’ Heathers inspired song. Credit also to tonight’s musicians, Georgia Ayers and Duncan Walsh Atkins who were amazing at improvising melodies and playing songs they had never heard before. Similarly, lighting improvisers Damien Robertson and Alex Dowding,who create mood and added comedy with their off the cuff lighting effects.

The company is back at The Crucible tomorrow and the show will be completely different. Tonight’s audience was on its feet at the end giving this hard working company a well-deserved standing ovation.

Produced by: Keith Strachan, Adam Meggido & Dylan Emery
Co-created & Directed by: Adam Meggido & Dylan Emery
Musical Supervision by: Duncan Walsh Atkins
Lighting improvised by: Damian Robertson

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical plays at Crucible Theatre Sheffield until Saturday 7 June. The show tours throughout the UK until December.