IMPROV THE DEAD at the Hen and Chickens Theatre

★★★★

“at one point the whole cast go down a water slide, which is a delightful moment of silliness”

Improv, when it’s done well is a complete joy – the cast are having as much fun as the audience and everyone is getting involved and having a laugh. This is very much the case with Improv the Dead, a show which is carefully crafted and orchestrated for maximum fun, and maximum energy.

Right from the beginning the mood is set – we arrive in the space and nearly trip over a dead body, sprawled at the top of the stairs. On stage there are zombies feasting on intestines (which look suspiciously like spaghetti) and a couple of audience members are looking distinctly undead.

The gang launches in with a few short form games, warming up and setting the mood. The team are a cast of filmmakers, keen to act out some scenes from their most memorable genre films – what a coincidence that the audience are super fans and can supply all the titles! Then the show begins properly – it’s a zombie flick, set across two locations, supplied by the audience. There’s a huge cast, which mostly works really well, everyone is quick-witted and full of energy, ready to jump in at any moment. There is a bit of a tricky element of people standing at the edge, waiting to jump in, but everyone gets their chance in the spotlight, which is impressive given the size of the cast. There is lots of fourth wall breaking, with directors, producers and stars jumping out of the scene to get more audience suggestions. This stops things from slowing down, keeps the momentum going and keeps the laughs coming. Cast members also call out to flashback or cut to different scenes, which allows everyone a chance to get involved and stops anything from becoming stale.

Particular stand outs (at the time of writing, cast details were unavailable) are evil butler Jeeves who has worked in the castle for centuries and has the confidence to keep that joke going throughout. Also ‘fourth in line’, a little sister with her own nefarious subplot and Proty-Jay, who struggles with the pressure of wanting to save the world from the impending zombie apocalypse. There’s physical comedy as well as quips; at one point the whole cast go down a water slide, which is a delightful moment of silliness.

Structuring it as a zombie apocalypse movie works really well, it gives the piece stakes – and everyone a chance to be a ridiculously over the top member of the undead.

Any time the energy flags, someone cuts out and grabs an audience prompt, or a flashback or cutaway, which shows the strength of the cast. Everyone can sense the mood and play off each other really well. It’s a complete team effort, and no one is left out.

Improv the Dead is part of a regular improv night, on the second Tuesday of every month, and is well worth a trip to – especially as it’s a different show every single night.

Improv the Dead

★★★★

Hen and Chickens Theatre

IMPROV THE DEAD at the Hen and Chickens Theatre

★★★★

“at one point the whole cast go down a water slide, which is a delightful moment of silliness”