The title ‘Spontaneous Potter’ would have any fan of the 7 spine-tingling books (or 8 exhilarating films) extremely excited. With only 4 actors, 1 title chosen randomly from the audience suggestions by the Sorting Hat and a script not yet written by the time the show starts, anything could happen...
The brilliance of the Spontaneous Potter Players had every member of the full audience cackling like witches, in every single extemporaneous scene. Bouncing off each other with fantastic comedic timing, the cast seemed to have psychic connections. Their genius was proven as they worked effortlessly together to transition from scenes and maintain the plot without having consulted one and other. Always interpreting the audience suggestions in amusing ways, the merriment on stage was great to behold. Even the lighting and atmospheric piano accompaniment were improvised to reflect the moods of the incredibly bizarre happenings on stage. It truly was peculiar but in the best of ways, with every scenario being strange, silly and full of joy!
From questioning the relevance of their lives as unnamed Hufflepuff students to exploring the potential relationship between Neville and Hagrid; from determining how Dobby the House Elf would like to shower to considering how Crabbe and Goyle could spend their summer holidays - the show entertained all evening and ensured a continuous smile on the faces of the audience.
It was rib-tickling to watch the unplanned action as actors consistently put each other on the spot, to test exceptionally specific details of their Potter knowledge and obscure references from the books and films. Be it names of barely mentioned characters from one of the books or being pedantic to a character about their magical abilities, the cast kept themselves on their toes!
Each one was able to convey a plethora of different iconic characters from the Harry Potter universe with mostly spot-on accents and impressions, as well as portraying some celebrities previously unknown to the franchise including a line up of highly amusing famous Richards who made an appearance!
There were some technical issues with the microphones making unexpected noises occasionally throughout but nothing would stop these determined witches and wizards from completing their adventures and the cast came up with funny excuses to the noise each time, demonstrating their professionalism.
From beginning to end, the show was original, high-spirited and wickedly witty. Diving into realms of possibility and extending our imaginations, the cast effortlessly invented idea after idea with finesse. The tremendous company brought magic to Oxford, and lit up the stage with their absurd yet gleeful performance!