EDINBURGH 2015 - BWW Reviews: PAUL MERTON'S IMPRO CHUMS, Pleasance Courtyard, August 15 2015

Paul Merton opens this performance with a little bit of stand-up comedy before introducing the other members of Impro Chums. Having performed together for over a decade, the group have an incredible working relationship. The Impro Chums are Paul Merton, Suki Webster, Richard Vranch, Lee Simpson and Mike McShane.

Audiences are given a different show every performance as each night is shaped by suggestions from the audience. A suggestion bucket is on the door for ideas for sketches which they perform midway through the evening. The first game the Impro Chums attempt is a storytelling one where audiences give them a character (in this case, the Duke Of Wellington) who is given an object and the group have to create a story based on this. Each member has to continue the story when they are pointed to, without missing a beat or they are knocked out of the game. The results are very clever and absolutely hilarious.

What I enjoyed the most about Paul Merton's Impro Chums is how much fun everyone appeared to have doing it. The group are incredibly skilled at improvisation and their enthusiasm for their craft is contagious. They weren't deterred by the random and inappropriate suggestions from the audience and were able to create a scene out of whatever was proposed. Nothing short of genius!

Ticket availability and timings are available on the edfringe website.