Review: ONE NIGHT ONLY is High Stakes Fun

ONE NIGHT ONLY: THE GREATEST MUSICAL NEVER WRITTEN is a unique night at a theatre; a fully improvised two-act musical featuring an all-star cast and a five-piece orchestra. As the name suggests, every night the musical is different based on audience interaction that drives the story. Every performance features a different (hilarious) plot, characters, songs and choreography. It's the perfect marriage between musical theatre and improv comedy.

Based on some audience suggestions; golf, the beach, and this guy's wife who was smiling in a photo while camping were the driving forces in the creative direction of the musical. This evening's show was suitably titled Hang Ten: The Musical. A hilarious piece about a golf course run by Ronald Dump looking to steal sand from a neighbouring beach. An innocent love story, a brutal father-daughter relationship, a few surfing lessons and 2.5 billion laughs later, the audience was on their feet by the end of the production.

Featuring an impressive lineup of Canadian Comedy Award-winners including Ashley Botting, Jan Caruana, Carly Heffernan, Reid Janisse, Ron Pederson and Alex Tindal, ONE NIGHT ONLY pushes the boundaries on improv theatre. Taking cues from musical director Jordan Armstrong, the cast pieced together a cohesive, laugh out loud performance number after number right before our eyes. Ashley Botting, Reid Janisse and Carly Heffernan stole the show with their impressive vocal range, near perfect comedic timing and chemistry. Some numbers were so catching that they're still stuck in my head - too bad no one else will ever hear them!

ONE NIGHT ONLY deserves to not only be seen once, but twice or even three times. This hilarious formula musical improv is high stakes fun. No matter what the story is about, you're sure to have a great night out!

ONE NIGHT ONLY is playing at the Factory Theatre until February 14, 2016. For more information, visit www.onenightonlymusical.com.