ILLEGAL UNDERGROUND IMPRO BATTLE
LOCAL IMPROV THEATRE AT ITS MOST HARD CORE!
Sneak quietly into the underground of the Spring Hill Reservoir and don’t tell the fuzz! Here await the criminally talented players of ImproMafia, ready to battle each other for the prize of – NOT LOSING!
First of all – this venue is perfect for transporting you to an illegal underground space (with conveniently great acoustics) so you can feel totally complicit in some sneaky shenanigans. And the shenanigans were next level from both of the two rival improv teams engaging in unlawful battle.
Illegal Underground Impro Battle stuck to a very simple format as far as improv games go. Almost all scenes simply inspired by a piece of music, selected by resident unicorn and DJ, DJ Puff. While I love witnessing creatives navigate their way through a series of complicated improv hoops, (and I am sure these ones could have handled it!) the simplicity of scene after scene without having to explain too much between helped the laughs flow torrentially through the evening. The artists’ quick wit, creativity, and rapport were highly entertaining, heart-warming and awesome. Oh – and by that of course I mean –VERY MENACING AND MOST OF ALL ILLEGAL.
ImproMafia have a stellar reputation for both performance and education in improvisational theatre and skills. Not only was every cast member’s level of artistic talent on display, but also the nurturing community the team have created. Seeing improvisational juggernauts like the more experienced members of Team ImproMafia collaborate so effortlessly with some younger teammates without ever overshadowing is obviously attributed to their talents as actors but also as mentors. The younger performers were incorporated so seamlessly, were able to show off their stuff and no doubt learn to trust themselves and their craft.
It is exhilarating to know that the improv theatre underground will live on for ages to come! And hopefully more and more totally secret shows will pop up around town! And when they do, be sure to bring friends (no narks). You can assure even your more hesitant of theatre-goer friends that they will be entertained, delighted, confused and cracked up witnessing the players battle (and belittle) each other. I don’t mean to collude, but this was my favourite Anywhere Theatre show so far this year.
