This was another punt as I had a schedule gap and the geography worked out. It wasn't a totally random one as I'd heard and read many good things - given the show seems to sell out every day I figured it would be a safe random choice. It was way more than that - a hugely enjoyable romp by an energetic and enthusiastic group.
It's an improvised musical around a movie suggested by the audience. We were given little slips of paper in the queue and asked to name the last movie we saw with a brief synopsis. Mine, "Beauty And The Beast (2017). Synopsis - a young woman is unjustly imprisoned, suffers Stockholm Syndrome and ends up fighting the villagers coming to her rescue", was not chosen. They picked out two and asked the audience to choose: the first was Scooby Doo And The Cyber Chase; the second was Dunkirk. The all-female troupe (the keyboard player was the only male) was noticeably more enthusiastic about the former. So was the audience, so Scooby Doo it was. After a little interaction with the audience member who suggested it, the theme was set - the Scooby gang had been sucked into a video game set on the moon, and the theme of teamwork would enable them to battle through the levels and defeat the baddy. On the way they would encounter Gru from Despicable Me, his gay lover Joseph and a bunch of Minions terrified of The Shredder. Or something - the detail didn't really matter, it's the execution ...
And the execution was brilliant. Excellently accompanied on the keyboard and percussion, they launched into a convoluted off-the-cuff story and a number of incredibly catchy and brilliantly performed songs. Like Austentatious the previous day, the skill and talent to be able to improvise so effortlessly is admirable - I know it takes a LOT of hard work and rehearsal to get this slick but it's incredible to see it up close and in real life. It usually takes me about a week to come up with a decent line - these performers did a whole musical off the cuff. Now, I guess they likely have some standard structures and song templates but how they manage to do this day after day with very few slip ups baffles me. That's one of the many reasons I'm merely in front of the stage and not on it.
A great show, with palapable energy and enthusiasm from the young company. Throughly recommended.
On, and I really really want a "Notflix And Chill" t-shirt that they were all wearing.
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