Name of Show: Showstopper! – The Improvised Musical.  “Dancing With Jackie At Twelve”

Date: 22/3/11

Starring: Ruth Bratt (Donald!), Pippa Evans (Kate), Sean McCann (Director), Adam Meggido (Frank), Philip Pellew (Jackie Chan) and Andrew Pugsley (Kalica/o)!!

Words and Music: All of the above with Duncan Walsh-Atkins and Chris Ash.

Opened: Only 8 Tuesdays in March/April

Theatre: Ambassadors Theatre

Seats: B7 & B8

Seat Review: Front row seats, absolutely amazing, a very high stage but didn’t miss any of the action.

Price: £17.50

Visit number: 1

Rating out of 10: 10

Recommend: Abosutely – I don’t recommend this…I insist you book tickets to see this show – YOU MUST!!

Describe it in 5 words: Genius, hilarious, unbelievable, indescribable, unique.

MiniHobo’s Review:

WOW!! In order to begin this review I’m going to have to give you some idea of what happened!! This show advertises itself as a ‘fully realised musical made up on the spot based on audience suggestions.’  It sounds insane and unbelievable.  That’s what I thought when my friend gave me the info sheet for my 22nd birthday.  ‘No way’, I thought, ‘can they make up a full musical – including music, lyrics, storyline, plot, setting, characters and theme – on the spot according to what the audience suggest.’

The MC/director sets the scene with a phonecall from Cameron Mackintosh proposing a new musical production including a recap of the previous shows title and plot (also chosen by the previous audience).  Mackintosh rejects that idea and so we, as an audience, must help the director with ideas for his new production.  At this point the audience erupts with ideas of a setting (for us a nightclub in taiwan), specific characters and details (Jackie Chan and Desmond Tutu were to be involved) and themes for some of the musical numbers (Priscilla and Lion King numbers were suggested with a mash up of Mamma Mia and Kurt Vile).  This is all noted at the front of the stage and then a title is suggested, again from the audience.  Ours was ‘Dancing With Jackie At Twelve’.  All our ideas were displayed and the Director told Cameron that he’d be ready to present the show in 70 minutes and so…the show began.

Now, as much as I loved the idea of this on paper, I truly did not believe it could work in reality.  I think, for that reason, this show completely knocked me off me feet.  Not only was every element of the show decided by the audience…every musical number, of which there were at least 10, was made up ON THE SPOT with an extremely talented pianist having to decifer keys that people had burst into song in, keep to tempo with the singers and direct the woodwind player beside him.  It was just insane and incredible.

The plot of the story unfolded through improvisation…as did the characters.  Occasionally the actors would freeze while the director either summarised the scene occurring or prompted the next scene.  E.g. at one point he stood up and announced that the 6 characters would create a sumo-wrestling ring in the style of a Lion King number.  What followed was the funniest piece of theatre I’ve ever seen – it’s so hard to believe it was completely improvised but it was from start to finish.  Each actor and actress came out in different lion king appropriate attire (from all the red and black props) howling Lion King style warbles and singing in Elton John style lyrics.

On their website, ShowStopper! keeps an archive of every show they’ve ever performed so you can head there to have a look at some of the insane titles they’ve had to wrestle with including ‘An elephant sits on Justin Bieber’ and ‘I saw it in the laundry’!! They also recap on the plots and highlights of every show.

So, to summarise, this was quite simply the most amazing piece of theatre I’ve ever seen.  I will be booking to go and see it again and if I didn’t have a Uni Assignment in this week I would be going to Brighton to see them tomorrow (Thurs March 24th).  If you appreciate comedy, music or theatre in any way you absolutely must see this show.  I can’t guarantee what the plot of the show you see with be BUT I can guarantee that if you share your ideas at the beginning they will weave it somehow into their crazy but genius songs, words and actions!

Have you seen ShowStopper!? Did you hear it on the radio? What do you think??

MH xXx

Tickets can be bought here.