Improv all at once simple and highly complex, magical and yet mundane
As a big fan of improv (or impro depending who you speak to), I am happy to see the world of improvisation (often reserved for nights above a pub) making its way into theatres like The Arcola. In The Improvised Play, two actors explore a single 70 minute narrative. The focus is on creating and exploring (in this case two) fleshed out characters. The night I went, the show was truly hilarious, but there was also room for moments of real poignancy and connection.
The set up is elegantly simple: a sparse stage adorned with costumes and scattered props, signalling endless narrative possibilities. The improvisers asked the audience to suggest the location, decade and title of the piece, and then performed a 70 minute play entirely made up on the spot.
It seemed likely that the actors had the option to multi-role if the mood took them, but the show I watched was solely the story of Arnold, and Felula (a 70 something man and a 20 something woman) whose unlikely bond forged at the Colosseum in 1970s Rome led to a business venture crafting bags from increasingly unconventional materials.
Those familiar with game-based team improv TV shows like ‘Whose Line is it Anyway’ may be surprised by this style of 2-hander long form narrative based improv. The Improvised Play does not follow the structure of heavily formatted popular live team shows like Austentatious, or Showstoppers. Instead it feels like improv stripped bare. Simply put, two actors meet on stage and make up a story together, and they are so good at it, they make it look easy (which of course we must all know it is not).
Lola-Rose Maxwell (Starstruck, The Now Show, They Seem Nice) and Charlie Kemp (White Gold, Man Down, Austentatious) are such assured performers we are at once at ease. They took their time setting up who their characters were, and truly listened to each other. The whole show was made up on the spot but the pair employed such extraordinary listening skills that there was very little overlapping of dialogue, and no mistaking the others intent. If you didn’t know you might be forgiven for thinking it was all scripted. The improvisers also managed to constantly call back to things mentioned in earlier scenes which was immensely satisfying for us as an audience. Even when bizarre revelations appeared to briefly throw things off course, the pair managed to make them feel real within the world they created.
I will admit, it is always hard to describe good improv as it is at once simple and highly complex, magical and yet mundane. So, don’t take my word for it, go and enjoy it for yourself.