Adam Meggido, Justin Brett and Andrew Pugsley in Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at the Apollo Theatre, London. Picture: Geraint Lewis
Showstopper! The Improvised Musical continues at the Apollo Theatre, London until 29 November.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Some musicals can take years to write – and rewrite – while others can pop into existence spontaneously. But don’t think for one minute that a show crafted over a decade is going to be any more entertaining than one made up on the spot. If you want proof of this, head to the Apollo Theatre this autumn and experience the absolute joy that is Showstopper! The Improvised Musical – an evening of musical theatre improv that puts many a West End show to shame.
This seemingly crazy idea was the brainchild of Dylan Emery and Adam Meggido – both of whom perform in the show – and the late comedy genius Ken Campbell. Back in August 2007, this comedic threesome ran a ‘How to Improvise a Musical’ workshop at The Actors Centre in London, out of which emerged Showstopper!, an evening of musical theatre improv that debuted in 2008 at the Hen and Chickens Theatre in Islington. After pinballing around the fringes – and to much acclaim at the Edinburgh Fringe – the show has finally earned its West End wings and taken flight in Shaftesbury Avenue.
Emery is our host and compere, opening the show by taking a call from a producer – Cameron Mackintosh, of course – in search of a new hit. He has just such a show in mind, Emery tells the impresario, and proceeds to solicit ideas from the all-too-willing audience for plot themes and musical styles. God help the poor actors and musicians, I thought, on hearing ideas such as “Ann Summers”, “Dinosaurs”, “Fairy grottos” and “The Daily Mail offices” combined with musical inspirations that included the Gypsy Kings, Mamma Mia!, Rent, Carousel and Stomp.
Having to deal with these madcap ideas and turn them into songs with an overarching narrative over two acts is a top-notch company of 12 actor-singers, seven of whom perform each show on a rotating basis alongside a band of three musicians. On press night, joining Emery and Meggido on stage were Ruth Bratt, Justin Brett, Pippa Evans, Andrew Pugsley and Sarah-Louise Young. The cast gels perfectly, everyone clearly in tune – literally – with one another. They work seamlessly, as if controlled by a hive mind, and rarely do they put a foot wrong. When things did go a little awry, they manage to wring even more laughs out of the situation.
Providing the musical accompaniment is MD Duncan Walsh Atkins at the keys, Chris Ash on reeds and Craig Apps on percussion. Again, this trio seems to be able to read minds, following the actors’ unfolding songs and parodying well-known musical theatre numbers with great skill. As with the singing and the impeccable harmonies, the music all seems suspiciously effortless, swinging from Fiddler’s klezmer to The Threepenny Opera’s chansons via Rock of Ages and Wicked without dropping a beat.
The fact that much of the interval chat was concerned with how the show was really done is a testament to the quality of what’s on offer. “Surely they’ve got it all rehearsed and just adapt the storyline each night?” and “There must be plants in the audience”, were just two of the accusations levelled at Emery and his team. But having enjoyed two back-to-back performances I can attest to the fact that both shows – and all the material therein – were completely different, and all of it hilariously inventive and slickly executed. It may not be high art, but there’s serious craft involved here; in the way that jazz extemporisation takes music to a more emotional, personal level, so this improv night takes the art of musical theatre to a higher – and altogether funnier – plane.
Showstopper! is a must for every fan of musical theatre. Even those not totally au fait with the West End will be tickled by it as it’s genuinely funny. Expect witty, lyrical songs and a convoluted but ultimately resolving plot line, served up with all the trappings of a West End show: an Act I cliffhanger, musical reprises, a big 11 o’clock number, vocal gymnastics, dancing, the lot. You’ll come out of it with a huge grin on your face and humming the tunes all the way home – not something that can be said for many shows at twice the price further down Shaftesbury Avenue.
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