EDINBURGH 2011: BWW Reviews: THE IMPROVISED MUSICAL, C, Aug 13 2011

No Shoes Theatre, an improvisation company focussing on musical theatre, return after previous successes at the Fringe, including a sell-out run in 2009. The Improvised Musical consists of six actors, a live band, and a range of audience suggestions which determines the show you'll see that night.

Shows are confidently executed and the company clearly work hard together to fine-tune how each of their comedic sensibilities complement each other. While their experience provides a confident foundation for improvising, this is not at the expense of genuine spontaneity and fresh material.

What makes No Shoes Theatre truly different, and what has firmly established them as one of the Fringe's most popular musical improv shows, is the huge efforts they make not only to put on an entertaining show, but to involve the audience beyond the standard "give me a place, a musical style and a title" requests. Audience members are asked to provide any unusual items they have as props for the actors, and select audience members are also given the chance to hold up particular cards at the time of their choosing, which can influence the course of the story. In essence, they trust that their audience also have comedic contributions to make, and that this makes things funnier for everyone.

A thoroughly entertaining hour of five star improvised musical comedy.