★★★
What do you get when you put five improvisers and a violinist on stage with a tech wizard supporting them to a full house in Town’s Hall and a premise of a Shakespeare play? 60 minutes of laughs and heads continually mulling over the question, ‘how on Earth do they do it?’.
If the Soothplayers’ mixed bag of accents – this particular night featured sounds from East London, France and North Sweden – carrying out the conventions and style of the great William Shakespeare isn’t enough to impress you, the fact their performance is completely made up on the spot should.
The cast came out, gave a short introduction, asked for a one-word suggestion and then they were off without a moment’s hesitation. If the crowd felt nervous for them before the show started, the Soothplayers didn’t give them a chance to once it had begun.
After a slightly confusing beginning where two characters discussed a wobbly meat-like substance for a while, the scenes picked up and once each player started to find their archetypes, the show really got moving.
They cast all exhibited the classic improv mantra of ‘yes and’ by jumping on each other’s ideas, no matter how ridiculous or daft they were. Each player enthusiastically acknowledged what was presented to them and then built upon it until the beginning wriggling meat scene turned into an hour long show about it.
A show like this wouldn’t work without tremendous team work and this is definitely one of the Soothplayers’ strong points. Each player demonstrated remarkable listening skills where the smallest things characters said were picked up and called out by other members on stage, often surprising the audience as they did.
The show was broken up with a series of monologues from the players, which although were very impressive (we’re talking about off-the-cuff Shakespearean linguistics here), at times felt dragged on a touch too long. There were pockets of laughter during these points but it was clear the audience enjoyed the multiple person scenes and banter between players far more.
During the scenes, there were minor breaks in character when the players smiles twitched with barely suppressed laughter, and this only added to the comic charm of the show. Plus, a truly impressive part of the completely made-up-on-the-spot show was that there was never any empty stage. As one player left the stage, another stepped out seamlessly tying the show together.
It was easy to forget you were at an improv show as the performance had narrative structure, reappearing characters and had no awkward, ‘what do we do now’ moments.
It must also be noted that the secret MVP was the violinist, Erin Heycox, who adapted the spontaneous actions of the players into song so seamlessly it was almost unbelievable that it was completely reactive.
By the end of the performance the talented cast of five had taken the word ‘Spamlet’ and weaved an hour long performance that ended in betrayal, murder and love, just like any production of William Shakespeare’s should.
It was clever, charming and wildly impressive from start to finish.
No really, how do they do it?
Highlight: Ghost fight club.
Lowlight: Their suggestion being ‘Spamlet’. This is a city of vegans people, who want’s to see a play about the grossest meat of all for an hour?
Crowd favourite: The 7 O’clock Train from North Sweden to East London.
By Marnie Vinall
