WSAF: The Improv Musicals 2013

‘Fat Camp’ and ‘Embarrassing Bodies’: The Improv Musicals

Having been lucky enough to see the debut of the Improvised Musical last year, I certainly had great expectations when it came to this year’s WSAF performances from Music Theatre Warwick. The shows featured a few returning names from WSAF 2012, namely Lottie Clitherow, David Levesley and AJ King with the addition of four new cast members: Beccy Ward, Jim Burrows, Richard Odufisan and Joseph Henshaw.

Some cynics last year commented that since there was only one musical, the whole thing could have been prearranged and therefore not truly improvised, with ‘plants’ in the audience primed to ensure the audience’s suggestions ran to plan. It only seem right then, that this year the group had the opportunity to perform twice, with each performance possessing its own, distinct and spontaneous humour, based on the locations, characters and plots that the spectators demanded on the day.

The first performance, ‘Embarrassing Bodies: The Musical’, was a foray into the tumultuous world of fame, revenge and… sexually transmitted disease. That’s right, this was the story of sterling leading lady, Chlamydia Clare (Beccy Ward) and her quest to expose the man who infected her. Clare found herself a victim of exploitative TV companies trying to make a buck off her bad luck. Featuring some impressive ballads, including the sisterhood inspiring ‘I’m Chlamydia Clare’ and the angst ridden ‘Freakshow’, the quality of the melodies and harmonies was high, with a real sense of climax (no pun intended) and power. The comedy throughout was often outrageous, sensational and eclectic. And I loved every bit. The dastardly dynamism of Big Ginger (David Levesley) and Black Beauty (Richard Odufisan) provided the perfect balance of pantomime and parody, relating to the media circus of today. While the structure of the piece was occasionally complicated due to emerging subplots time restrictions did not allow to fully develop, the show was carried by its charming personality. The highly vocal response of the audience was testimony to this. After all, who could resist clapping along to their opening and closing song, ‘Passing the Clap’?

The second performance, ‘Fat Camp: The Musical’ was a structural triumph being far more tightly knitted in terms of chronology, crisis and resolution. It explored the trials, tribulations and temptations of an obese youth group’s quest to get fit. Featuring the two Fat Pats (Jim Burrows and AJ King), playing trainer father and overweight, prodigy son respectively. The father-son bond of the two made for a wonderful, silly sentimentality, as the group set out to gather ‘Food in the Wild’, in true musical fashion, with song and dance. American Jerry (Joseph Henshaw) must be commended for his ingenious, on-the-spot rhymes and clever wordplay, which were complemented by Sarah’s (Lottie Clitherow) dry humour and masterful comic timing. The anthem of this musical, ‘I’m a Carby Girl’ had the audience in stitches, as the group performed workout exercises, jogging and star jumping around the space while the Drill Sergeant (David Levesley) mercilessly hurled insults and commands to hilarious effect. Resolving on a note of self-acceptance and teamwork, a picture perfect ending marked what was a well managed, tightly run narrative.

As founder and co-ordinator, Rob Kelly had done an incredible job at building chemistry, wit and quick-thinking across the group, so the fruits of his labour must be applauded. Equally, as musical director, Jonah Trenouth displayed astonishing talent in his spur of the moment accompaniments, which continually managed to capture the mood and provide the performers with the musical impetus to bounce off. Aside from his obvious technical ability, he proved to be impulsive and artistically sensitive. As a duo, the production team’s work behind the scenes shone through.

If the Improvised Musical returns to WSAF 2014, I advise all of you to grab a ticket. It offers a unique showcase of the creativity at Warwick and provides something refreshingly different from the wealth of scripted pieces being showcased. Bravo!