Improvised Musical Comedy!

I was lucky enough to catch the first night of the imps musical and I have never laughed so much, nor been so delighted in a lifetime of going to theatres - go see the musical or miss something absolutely wonderful. This is a contribution of real talent, absolute brilliance - a musical devised in minutes and created and performed with energy and enthusiasm by the cast. This is what live theatre is about- and all my respect and admiration for the wonderfully witty performance of one-off performances. If anyone has a video tape of these performances I would be so happy to have a copy. I don't think I ever enjoyed any show more, and the brilliance of the music and performance will remain in memory for a long long time.
This is the most unique theatre experience and we are so lucky (those of us who passed an evening with the Oxford imps) I saw "Fish" but oh how I wish I were experiencing the other unique musical performances!

fudge'smum (Unverified), 08/02/08

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'Fish!' That was the title, willing provided by an audience member, of the first ever Oxford Imps' musical. A powerful tale of love, and loss; of hope, dreams, and power. And entirely made up on the spot. It's hard to believe possible, but this is a full length musical that is completely improvised – songs and all. The show starts in classic Imp-fashion with a call for audience ideas. With these few starting materials – 'a musical called Fish set in a pub with a hit song called Just do it' – the show starts rolling, Becca Gibson bursts onto the stage, and once it starts, the pace doesn't falter for a second. John Gethin, a simple man with simple hopes, reveals his plan to become rich by farming the hybrid fish-animals he has created using advanced cloning techniques, such as the cow-mackerel that 'swims and goes moo'. However the evil EU bureaucrats, plotting to destroy our beloved hybrid fish and enforce their quotas, confuse our heroes by forcing Britain to use multiple languages (cue the song 'A Polyglot Nation'). Christopher Schuller has an amazing stage presence as the devious EU Minister for Fisheries; the man is evil, and he knows it. His dynamic with Joseph Morpurgo is inspired; their parts together are brilliant.

The Imps have done something very special here tonight. In pulling this off, they have completely blurred the line between improv and scripted comedy. Improv is no longer something that amuses only because in the back of your mind you are jolly impressed that it is all being made up on the spot. It is of course, but that's almost irrelevant. There's no need for lowered expectations because it's improvised – there's real talent here. Additionally, all six Imps in the play have excellent voices that really make the whole thing believable – again, you almost forget that everything is being improvised, and when you do remember, you are so impressed you just laugh even louder. The pianist Rob Hemmens holds the whole thing together with skill, and his atmospheric playing really brings the songs, and indeed the whole play, to life.

Kudos to the Oxford Imps for attempting what must have seemed like such an Impossibility. Congratulations for actually making it work. It was hilarious. They have become the best show in town, the standard by which others are judged. They are the new kings of Oxford comedy.

Aravinthan Varatharaj (Unverified), 07/02/08

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