The inimitable Paul Merton’s Impro Chums packs out the Pleasance Grand venue on a Wednesday afternoon, excitement palpable as the expectant audience prepare themselves for an hour of madcap improvisation. It doesn’t disappoint.
The shows namesake and now legendary comedian, Paul Merton, is out first on a sparse set that has everything improv performers need; six chairs a piano and a lot of space in which to house their huge imaginations. We get some time alone with the host, who delivers a quick solo set, riffing on jokes from the 30s to see if they still hold humour and despite their dated presentation of the relationships between man and wife, when delivered with Merton’s tongue firmly in his cheek, they do still pull a laugh.
Then we meet the team. Masters of the craft, recognisable from many years of appearances on and television shows we are treated to the outrageous wit and razor sharp minds of: Suki Webster, Richard Vranch, Mike McShane and the self-proclaimed ‘Human Jukebox’ musical accompanist Kirsty Newton. A formidable ensemble, who lead us laugh by laugh through a conveyor belt of improv games , most of which lend themselves to putting one or more of our performers in increasingly stickier and stickier situations.
Personal favourites were the Translator, which placed one actor speaking gobbledegook on specialist subjects, while another gave us the real meaning and an improvised Shakespeare play, brilliantly named Gothello by a member of the audience. Cue teenage angst, moods, a penchant for darkness and a compelling need to be misunderstood all in attempted iambic pentameter.
Paul Merton’s Impro Chums guarantees laughter, joy, surprise, the chance for the audience to ‘play God’ and will leave you with the satisfying sense that you have just witnessed the very best at what they do.
