Musical improv as a genre is a very Fringe-Festival-worthy entertainment. It occurs when improv theatre grows legs, adds songs to the mix and must really be on its toes. Scenes, songs and storyline grew here as Improvageddon organically emergeged from only two spontaneous audience prompts.
Unplanned Melodies, a talented and diversely trained group of improv actors with voices and stage personalities various cut in over the top of each other in a succession of situations to build a story, keeping true to the theme and audience prompts.
The audience was asked to name an item that is special to them and another they fear the most. The chosen responses were a violin and the fear of being alone. These were moulded straight away into a mini musical charting a major threat to human life and fragile friendships.
Abstract yet expressive, these two prompts in the hands of these improv performers yielded a piece of greatly assorted stock musical styles. There was impressive visual humour, quick scene changes and effective use of the stage space. There was something for everyone in this quasi Stranger Things meets Stephen Sondheim mash up.
This musical improv had solos, duets as well as a division of characters who were effectively linked together as time went on. The fairly complex narrative was instantly and forever evolving and gaining momentum. Solo songs and duets rocketed along to a final group anthem and snappy ‘bring it all together with a song’ denouement many broadway or at least off broadway creatives would love to have written.
This was a hyper real sci-fi snippet, an inspired armageddon musical pastiche. Sinister goings on were revealed. The end of the world for this night’s Improvageddon was at the hands of manipulated violins.
Sinister, speaking string instruments morphed into killers of anyone listening to them whilst totally alone. It was all the brainchild of the unlucky-in-love Dr Evil type, Sharon.
Sharon, programming the violins to be killers in the hope of snuffing out her boyfriend Warren and exiting the queer love triangle with Warren’s bestie, Nigel, also kills 75 percent of the population in the process.
This resulting romp had themes of friendship, and loneliness that hits hard and kills. People both in and out of romantic trysts were in danger from classical music gone wrong, Beyonce references and tongue-in-cheek sci-fi gesturing coloured the piece with edgy energy.
There were instant vocal hits here in solo and group moments as characters quickly responded to the nice range of musical moods set by the keyboard. Some moments took off with incredible melody and songs complete with rhyme and powerhouse arching ballad shape.
All of it was a hoot. Melodrama, understatement, slick movement, one-liners and far out facial expressions, especially from Kate Knott’s crazed beanie-clad Sharon, kept coming in this fine fin-du-monde explosion.
The final group song, ‘Come Back Sharon’ grew from a one line chant into an instant anthem which haunted me for moments afterward in true Broadway-like style.
It would be well worth entering the hot Fusebox at the Factory Theatre this week to see how the world might almost end a whole different way the next time around.
Unplanned Melodies – ‘Improvageddon’ plays for the final time on Fri Sep 16, 8.15 pm
