Fringe review: SHOWSTOPPER! THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL, Pleasance Courtyard
Photo credit: Alex Harvey Brown
For 16 years, Showstoppers have stormed the Fringe with their fresh innovative creation of a new musical at every show. Somehow the cast and band seem to keep the format feeling as if it had just been invented while demonstrating their experience in working as a team to create songs and dances on the spur of the moment. It is quite a trick to pull off.
Led by show runner Dylan Emery, in the performance we saw, they created a dramatic take of nepotism and rivalry set on a North Sea oil rig with the musical styles of Grease, Gilbert & Sullivan, and Little Shop of Horrors under the imaginative title, ‘Slick’. What really surprises is that the narrative seems to make sense and the songs sound like they have been carefully orchestrated. No doubt there is a hidden pattern underneath that makes it work but it is skilfully hidden in a SLICK show.
We have seen their shows before and never fail to enjoy their creativity, with familiar face Ruth Bratt excelling as a Norwegian oil worker and as Poseidon/Neptune creating some of the best comic moments. Andrew Pugsley and Adam Meggido also excel as rival rig captains, and Ali James charms as the singing sister .
They use eight performers from a team of twenty and a band of three from a team of ten and no doubt that keeps it fresh for them and for us. The result is that Showstopper remains one of the must see shows of the Fringe.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Nick Wayne