Alcock Improvasaurus

This improvised comedy show was witty, fun, and thoroughly enjoyable throughout: great value for both time and money.

It contained the expected ingredients of improvised student comedy: surreal and sudden changes of plot and pace, ill-fitting lines, awkward pauses and unpredictable audience participation. The cast were quick and lively, with moments of brilliance punctuating a competent and amusing performance.

Outstanding moments included a game in which one of the two participant’s sentences had to be lifted directly out of a Ted Hughes poetry anthology, resulting in some hilarious and bizarre dialogue handled excellently by the duo. Another game demanded the cast switch from exchanging simpering pleasantries to vicious and vein-bursting

arguments at the appearance of an inflatable dinosaur. The finale featured all five cast members on stage, one of whom had to fully immerse their head in a bucket of water until tagged into the scene, which had in the meantime moved on in an inexplicably wacky direction. All these games and more provided the platform for the cast to showcase their natural talent.

Comparisons of this cast to the other improvised comedy setup in Cambridge, ICE, are inevitable and, in a review, helpful. So here goes... There are five in the Alcock setup, compared to the much larger group familiar to ADC lateshow regulars. This meant that the audience could appreciate the individuals more as performers throughout the progression of the show. On the other hand, the cast was more in control in this performance in comparison with the chaos of ICE shows. At ICE, there is a definite sense that the actors are attempting to get their colleagues into as awkward a hole as they can manage, whereas tonight’s Alcock crew played games in which they (more often than not) opted in when they

had inspiration. The musical number in the middle of the Improvasaurus was even funnier – and more ‘musical’ – than the ICE equivalent.

By way of performances, American Mark Gardiner shone in particular. It would be unfair to the others, however, to say that he stole the show. Ben Cottam, in only his second improv outing, looked right at home and his acting displayed obvious comic experience. Genuine comedic ability was also shown by Will Pearse, the founder of the group; Lucie Fortune, the only female in the cast; and Tom Hensby, master of ceremonies of the evening.

The cast hinted afterwards that they may want to specialise in ‘open improv’ – rolling scenes, questionably linked to the former as part of something resembling a plot – in the future. Our experience of their show, however, was augmented by the variety in their performance, and while their open improv provided many of the funniest moments, it also provided many of the flattest. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it; and

tonight’s performance was anything but broke.

Tom and Sam Woolford

Alcock Improv will be performing at Jesus College on 9th March. They also run workshops, details of which can be found at http://www.srcf.ucam.org/alcock/


Posted on Friday 23 February 2007