The Showstopper’s have nailed their unique take on theatre
Established musical improvisation troupe The Showstoppers promise to deliver a different entirely improvised musical with a unique selection of actors from their company every night they perform. Their comedic concoction ‘Eliotey-Bill’, erupting onto the Cambridge Arts Theatre stage, did not disappoint.
There is absolute integrity to The Showstoppers’ claim of a ‘completely improvised musical’, demonstrated through continual audience input. Sean McCann, our compère for the night, commanded the room to suggest their wildest ideas for a musical – an energising welcome into the world onstage. As per audience vote, the inverse version of Billy Elliot, ‘Eliotey-Bill’, was chosen as the evening’s entertainment. Almost immediately, the fantastic ensemble emerged from the wings, deciding within their first few seconds in the limelight that Andrew Pugsley was to play ‘Elley’, who just wanted a ‘stationary’ life down the mines, while Joshua C. Jackson, Miracle Chance and Adam Meggido would act as past generations of Elley’s family of dancers.
This formed a strong foundation for the show; however, following the details the company riffed on relied on some knowledge of the original musical to generate comedic effect. This was a trend throughout, with McCann calling out for the audience’s favourite musicals to form the compositional inspiration for ‘Eliotey-Bill’s’ score. Yet this did not appear to exclude viewers; rather, it charmed the room, who eagerly shouted out musical hits from SIX to We Will Rock You. Moreover, the fantastic ability of the band and performers to emulate each musical’s style was met with appreciative cheering and laughter throughout. Evidently, The Showstoppers are a company that knows their audience.
Each performer offered individual flair, from Chance’s soprano harmonisation to Jackson’s humorously inaccurate range of accents and Pugsley’s powerful rock-and-roll belt. The performers shared impressive synergy and formed a hugely dynamic group, delivering lyrics, dance numbers and dialogue simply through non-verbal planning and pure instinct. Though, I have to admit, Meggido shone particularly brightly. His hilarious multi-rolling was second to none, and he improvised with a swiftness and calm confidence that was impossible not to watch.
Duncan Walsh Atkins on keys and Alex Atty on drums were showstoppers in their own right, able to accompany whatever the actors threw at them with faultless, catchy compositions. However, for a show that celebrates musical theatre so enthusiastically, the band at the Arts was somewhat limited, with only two instrumentalists compared to the fuller ensemble displayed on the company’s programme. I would have loved the instrumentalists to step even further into the limelight, although I appreciate this would make an already impressive feat of invention and co-ordination even more ambitious.
The plot was entertaining but often incoherent, a trait the actors acknowledged to comedic effect. With the show’s ability to deconstruct the elements of writing a musical, musical theatre itself sometimes risked becoming the butt of the joke. At times, it felt a little like the playful chaos that might ensue at the closing-night party of a musical theatre troupe had been given a stage. But this was balanced by the undeniable talent of the performers. The plot of ‘Eliotey-Bill’ ultimately affirmed the power of dance as a unifying force and sought to equalise creative pursuit with industry, leaving the show on a positive note that reinforced the company’s lighthearted, playfully creative ethos.
It is rare to see an audience of such a wide age range at the Cambridge Arts, and The Showstoppers have mastered a performance style that appeals across generations through universally effective comedy. Despite this, I would say an avid appreciation for and knowledge of musical theatre is necessary to fully engage with their work. As the ensemble repeated in a catchy lyric from one of their incredibly quickly formed musical numbers, ‘it’s not for everyone’, but their work will be a hit that can be enjoyed many times over by any fan of improvised musical comedy.
This show comes to Edinburgh Fringe from 5th-30th August. Tickets here.