Review: Suggestions of the Unexpected, Museum of Comedy

Suggestions of the Unexpected is an ambitious, original premise for an improv show that dares to merge the playfulness of audience suggestion with the eerie tension of science fiction and the paranormal. Unlike many improv formats, where suggestions feel bolted on, here they are embedded as part of the performance. The result is a concept that feels natural, engaging, and surprisingly immersive.

Four performers share the stage: three inhabiting characters and worlds, and one serving as the Narrator of a “university lecture” on strange phenomena. Throughout the night, the audience feeds in three prompts: something they don’t understand (quantum physics), a superstition (walking under a ladder), and something they fear (the singularity — the hypothetical moment AI surpasses human intelligence). These become the basis for three improvised stories, performed in turn.

Lou Dunn, as the Narrator, is the show’s anchor and its strongest performer by far. With a style that evokes The Twilight Zone’s Rod Serling, he shifts between academic authority and ominous foreboding, drawing the audience into each tale with wry precision. The recurring device of closing “the book”, which triggers a change in lighting and transports us back from the action to the lecture hall, is an elegant theatrical touch, grounding the show’s structure and giving it a professional sheen.

Where the show falls short is in its execution beyond the Narrator. The improvisation leans heavily on plot mechanics rather than character relationships or emotional depth, resulting in scenes that generate interest but few genuine laughs. This plot-driven approach creates a sense of narrative obligation that occasionally makes scenes feel workmanlike rather than spontaneous. 

There’s a notable lack of physicality and vocal variety, which is particularly evident when one character undergoes a supernatural transformation but emerges with disappointingly neutral body language and voice, missing a golden opportunity for dramatic impact that could have electrified the audience.

The costumes, suggestive of Victorian or gothic attire, add to the mystery but also confuse the show’s temporal setting and aesthetic intentions.

The third story, the singularity, is the evening’s triumph. Here, the characters are well-defined, the pacing sharp, and the central idea — AI gaining consciousness — explored with both tension and wit. It hints at what Suggestions of the Unexpected could become if the ensemble embraced bolder performances and more textured world-building throughout.

Despite these execution gaps, the show remains worth experiencing. Its inventive structure and the Narrator’s compelling presence create an engaging evening that shows genuine potential. If the company deepen their stage presence and embrace the atmospheric possibilities of their chosen genres, they could elevate this from an intriguing experiment into a genre-bending improv staple.

You can read more about this show in our interview here.

Director: Charles Deane  
Performers & Creators: Lou Dunn, Louise Jones, James Gambling, and Matthew Stallworthy
Produced by Any Suggestions Improv

Suggestions of the Unexpected has completed its run at The Museum of Comedy