IMPROGUISE. With Megan Furniss, Anne Hirsch, Carolyn Lewis, Tandi Buchan, Brett Fish Anderson, Ryan Jales, Leon Clingman, Ardene Fick, Tarryn Saunders, David Luyt, Candice Van Litsenborgh, Ashley Peter and Hilton Pelser. At the Galloway Theatre every Monday. TRACEY SAUNDERS reviews
IF all the world is indeed a stage then improv is the United Nations of theatre. The theatre style combines all the magic of the theatre with the elements of spontaneity and surprise and a large dash of comedy. There are not many places where you can enjoy an aria or two of a Latvian opera, watch a volley ball game in space, or learn the subtle techniques of yogi fishing.
If that sounds completely improbable then you have yet to experience the magic of Improguise – anything can and often does happen. Improguise, the Cape Town based theatre company have been enthralling audiences for more than 20 years with their regular Theatresports offering and are the resident theatre group at the Galloway Theatre for 2015.
While the crazy, zany method may look haphazard the actors undergo vigorous training and as with many skills you have to know all the rules before you can break them. Watching improv provides a similar rush to bungee jumping without the risk or associated cost.
Neither the audience nor the cast know what will happen next and watching the team grapple with some of the suggestions thrown at them is more nail biting than any Hithcock thriller. The Theatresports format of the show which pits two teams of performers against each other was originally devised by Keith Johnstone and is a global phenomenon with conferences and festivals hosted from Hong Kong to Stockholm. Bill Murray referred to improv as “the most important group work since they built the pyramids.” Watching the team work together on stage the truth of the maxim is evident. There is an extraordinary amount of trust between the actors and it is the underlying ethos of the method that enables such bold and fearless performances.
It is impossible to single out any one of the cast as the excellence of each individual performance is amplified by the team synergy which sizzles on stage. The cast is drawn from a multi disciplinary bunch of actors, comedians and writers. Anne Hirsch has the comic ability to make a tax assessment from SARS a laughing matter and she fires on all cylinders.
Her razor sharp wit is belly-achingly funny, but she is just as hilarious when she doesn’t utter a word. After watching her yoga antics I fear it may be impossible to enter a yoga class with a straight face ever again.
Leon Clingman studied acting at the The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York and adds the twist of a dry Martini to many of the scenes. His versatility and transition from serious actor to Chaplinesque raconteur is astonishing.
Brett Anderson, who has recently published his book, i,church held proceedings together at the performance I attended, a role which is pivotal to the pace of the show. Carolyn Lewis and Ardene Fick are stalwarts of improv and have both performed in the 24 hour marathon Soap Oper a which was produced last year by the team. In addition to stamina and experience they each have an individual quirkiness which allows them to appear as comfortable as nuns or racing car drivers. Tandi Buchan’s presence cements the professionalism of the team with her ability to create scenes from nothing.
Each week’s offering is unique – a different cast and a different bag of improv tricks. Often the themes and characters suggested by the audience are influenced by the prevailing zeitgeist, which may explain why the scandal of Patrica de Lille engaging in a spot of Scottish Highland dancing in an Irish pub was included in their recent retinue.
The accent roller coaster in a massage parlour proved to be one of the hits of the evening. The audience suggest a number of accents and a place. As the actors go through their paces the master of ceremonies changes the accent which the lines must be delivered in. The routine is a fascinating exercise in how the way something is said can be illuminating as what is said.
In addition to pure unadulterated entertainment you observe the beauty of being completely in the moment and accepting what comes your way; that sometimes throwing in the “fluffy thing of redemption” (the item thrown onstage to end any particularly awful scene) is the only option and there is no shame in ending something that is going terribly wrong; things don’t always work out as you hoped they would and imagination really is the gateway drug to ensure a life of wonder.
So if loadshedding is getting you down, I can assure you that an evening spent in the company of these insanely talented individuals is the perfect antidote. Robin Williams said that when improv works it’s akin to “open field running”, and that’s something we could all do with.
l Tickets: R50, R60. Book: 072 939 3351, www.improguise.co.za