Review: Lost the Plot: An Improvised Musical, Omnibus Theatre

The Omnibus is one of those slightly quirky venues, it’s a bit out of the way (I live less than three miles away but it takes me the same time to walk there as to use public transport) and they never seem to start shows on time. It also has that real institutional feeling, like you’re in a school or a hospital. Having said all that, the staff are friendly and the bar is a lovely space to wait for your show to start. They also have some really exciting shows programmed, including the monthly Lost the Plot: An Improvised Musical.

With an improvised show, you’re going to have to accept that it’s, well, improv. There will be funny missed cues, the cast will try and trip each other up, sometimes succeeding, and there will be a small amount of audience participation. And, with Lost the Plot, there will also be cheesy songs. But what an impressive feat, to have a pianist improvising along with the cast to write an hour long musical on the spot.

At the performance I attended, the leader of the group asked for suggestions of locations to set the musical, whilst I had a preference for ‘The Big Tesco’, the audience cheered the loudest for the ‘Bake Off Tent’. In a way this was a shame, there is already a musical in the Bake Off Tent, it’s like asking an improv troupe to do a musical set in the French Revolution, or a theatre with a Phantom. Whilst I’m not sure if the cast had seen the Bake Off show, there was a song about the famous “Hollywood Handshake” that wasn’t far off what is in the real musical. There could have been so much more comedic potential with ‘The Big Tesco’, although of course it’s all personal preference.

The plot does move away from just being about the famous TV show, and there’s a somewhat ludicrous story involving a family of 17 children which becomes increasingly complicated and hilarious to watch as the cast try to remember everything. Including, at one point, the names of all 17 children.

The cast are impressive, their vocals are a joy to listen to, with particularly striking musical performances from the actors playing the brother and sister. There are a few interesting chords, and clashes of opinion on where the end of the song should be, but this is what makes improv so much fun to watch. The cogs are whirring as we watch the cast try to work together to make a cohesive show. But it’s also delicious when they throw a fellow cast member under the bus, “why don’t you name all 17 children again?”.

The risk of a 9pm start on a Saturday night is that some of your audience may be, let’s be frank, a bit drunk. And sadly a group next to me appeared to be just that, loudly cracking their own jokes, needing to leave the theatre during the show and so distracting the cast, and having no respect at all for my personal space. This was a real shame as it’s not the cast’s fault in any way, but it did mar my enjoyment. Luckily, the show is on every last Saturday of the month, and I’d definitely go back.

The hour absolutely flies by in a whirlwind of laughter, surprisingly tender moments, and increasingly ridiculous plot points. How they manage to tie off all the loose ends in the final scene is an improv masterclass.

Written, directed and performed by: Lost Improv

Lost The Plot: An Improvised Musical plays at the Omnibus Theatre on the last Saturday of every month, currently booking until 30 August.