Impromptunes — The Completely Improvised Musical is by a team from Melbourne, Australia. Escaping the Australian winter, they have travelled to Edinburgh to show off their wonderful improv skills. This musical is — in their words — on for one day only, as all the singing, dance routines, and even the music, are completely made up on the spot, from the one title they get from a member of the audience.
The cast, made up of five people, have excellent energy the second they take to the stage. Alexia Brinsley, the MC and star of the show, lights up the room with her compelling vocals and laughs. Her passionate opening explanation of their production hypes up the crowd, steering up the enthusiasm beyond the stage.
The major challenge of improv lies in correspondence. The five cast members have mastered that. The harmonies, the choreography, the plot lines… they manage to play it out with very little discontinuity. Although it became a little disjointed in various spots, what they presented was nothing short of impressive. With just two chairs as props and a lot of telepathy, the final product came out with a cheesy yet sweet plot, cracking jokes in between, and featuring some beautiful singing you would expect in any other pre-rehearsed musical.
It is not only the ones on stage who strive to give out the best performance, but also those behind the scenes. In general, the tech team responded to the changing plot decently (though there is still room for improvement). For example, the microphones could be adjusted to a level that better suits the actors’ various vocal ranges. Occasionally there were points when the sound quality was impacted by issues with the mics, meaning that at times the vocals came across as slightly harsh and jarring.
A special mention goes to Josh Cake, the pianist. Cake’s improvisations were flawless and truly fascinating. Their music is an integral part of the show: after all, you can’t spell ‘Impromptunes’ without ‘tunes’.
Overall, Impromptunes — The Completely Improvised Musical is a must-see for improv enthusiasts. Although the musical might be improvised, this Australian team’s ongoing passion for stage is definitely long-lasting.
Impromptunes — The Completely Improvised Musical is running until 30 August at Ermintrude at Underbelly Bristo Square. Buy tickets here.
Image by Impromptunes, provided to The Student as press material.
