'Showstopper! The Improvised Musical'

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On the 21st February, ‘Showstopper! The Improvised Musical’ came to the Curve Theatre, Leicester. Making its way in the world since the Fringe in 2008, I had absolutely no idea what to expect, as they advertise so significantly that the show is completely improvised, but wow was I impressed.

A phone rings and its producer Cameron Mackintosh, asking for a hit. Its down to the audience as the writers to suggest a setting, title, and 5 existing musicals to base the song styles off.

The show begins. A dazzling display of talent from every cast member is produced, flowing seamlessly from scene to scene, song to song, that is so polished you find yourself second guessing if it's actually rehearsed.

In many ways, it was all ludicrous nonsense, but that’s what made it so fantastic. The cheesiness but also the charm.

The nature of this entirely improvised show means that no two shows are the same, so unless you were lucky enough to be there yourself, no one else can witness the madness that was set at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. The phenomenal cast adapted breezily into the flow of Hamilton, Bugsy Malone, The Lion King, Phantom of the Opera and Avenue Q, with the lady killer ‘American Brad’ at the heart of the action, played by Philip Pellew.

Susan Harrison was also brilliant as the romantic hero, particularly at the point we learned ‘American Brad’ was already married with a son, supported by the outstanding comic genius that is Pippa Evans, who is deserving of multiple awards, even as a secondary character.

Allowing the audience to tweet their suggestions for Act 2 during the interval was a brilliant idea, and I found people became braver with their suggestions when they didn’t have to speak in front of an entire auditorium. This created some bizarre scenes in the show, including a duet between King Richard III and William the Conquerer, a scene resembling hell set in an Aldi carpark, and my personal suggestion to the show; ‘American Brad’ is really Canadian, all in turn adding to the magic.

The quality of singing was also outstanding, and these performers really didn’t hold back with their vocals, adding 4 part harmonies and raps that worked perfectly alongside the live music that was also improvised. The performance ended with an uplifting finale reflecting the shows title: 'This Might Hurt'; a perfect way to end.

Altogether the show was a dazzling display of talent, maintaining interest from the audience from start to finish. It contains everything you could want from a successful Broadway production, and because it’s different every time, it’s all you’ll ever need to see again! Truly brilliant.

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