In a weekend jam packed with Jubilee celebrations, I took myself off to the Southbank Udderbelly festival to see a friend in action, playing percussion for Showstoppers! I know I'm bound to be a tiny bit biased but it was genuinely one of the best things I have seen for a long time and they only have two more Udderbelly shows left before they jet off to Edinburgh for the festival, so get on it quickly.
Showstoppers is an improvised musical, where the power of the show's theme lies in the audience's hands. In our particular performance, people suggested everything from 'colonial India' to a 'vampire's crypt'. For the next 70 minutes we were transported to India, and entertained with a story about a train journey, based on the orient express. With sly interjections from 'the director', the performers were required to think of new lines and songs on the spot (including singing them in particular ways, such as 'in the style of Avenue Q', which they nailed). I was genuinely mesmerised at their expertise and obvious intelligence at thinking up new stories and musical interludes immediately. And not only that, the play was genuinely hilarious!
I'll be going back again; every single show is unique, as with each new audience, comes different story ideas. I'm telling you folks - it's the best way to spend £15 and to top it off, there is a nice outdoor area to enjoy a cheeky bevvy post-performance.
