IMPROVISATION is the foundation for a musical theatre performance coming to Derby Theatre.
The Showstoppers is touring the UK this spring after a residency at London’s Charing Cross Theatre and sell-out seasons at Edinburgh and the West End.
The show, which is entirely improvised, arrives in Derby for a special one night only performance early next month.
The performances, which have been created by Showstopper Productions and Seabright Productions, all start with the same premise, but all turn out to be unique.
The improvised musical is loosely centred around a writer who has just one night to create a hit show in order to impress his producer.
Stuck for ideas, he takes audience suggestions for a title, storylines and musical styles that they’d like to see in the show.
The Showstoppers team then form a new musical from scratch, based around the suggested structure.
The show has enjoyed popular and critical success, as well as four sell-out seasons at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Cast members also recreated radio versions of the show for a series of six 30 minute improvised musicals on BBC Radio 4.
Now touring the UK, the show evolved from an acting exercise during a workshop at the Actor’s Centre in London.
Dylan Emery, Adam Meggido and Ken Campbell took a group od actors with little or no improvisational experience.
They then challenged them to perform an hour-long extemporised musical in front of an audience with just a week to prepare.
After recruiting a cast of professionals, the exercise spanwed a fully-fledged theatrical show.
The current cast includes Ruth Bratt (Mongrels; Ricky Gervais’ Derek), Fosters Comedy Award nominee Pippa Evans, David Reed, Lucy Cable and Oliver Senton, all of whom work within a team of talented actors and musicians.
The cast perform together in the improvised musicals, which often feature dance numbers, songs and full-group harmonies.
The Showstoppers comes to Derby Theatre on Saturday, February 9.
Tickets for the show are £15, concessions are £13.
More information about the show is available by telephoning 01332 593939
