This improvised play, different every evening, is a surreal and absurd delight from the improvised comedy group of the University of Nottingham. The group welcome the audience in with huge, beaming smiles, clearly itching to begin the show. Their bizarre and hilarious storytelling is perfectly coupled with the magical and whimsical setting of Greenside and the stage is even lined with cushions to provide a homely feel. Buying a ticket for an improvised comedy show can often feel like playing a game of Minesweeper as the risk level is always high; however, there's nothing to fear with this show. Unstable Fables are slick performers and there’s not a university student union style performance in sight.
On this particular evening the show begins with an excellent physical portrayal of a chicken, observing the audience with curiosity. The performer was not afraid to jump into the audience and squawk in the face of the front row; he received uproarious applause and laughter. Soon this chicken is joined by another chicken, the next scene is a solo cow, then the farmer and his wife and it continues to develop in this way The audience provide many of the suggestions of how the plot should continue, but the performers provide 'either or' options to take away the pressure of intense audience participation. The individual scenes are linked together with a tight, interweaving structure to form an impressively coherent narrative for an improvised show. There are hilarious domestic scenes between Old MacDonald and his wife, as well as intelligent wordplay from the paranoid cow character who just hates being milked.
However, there are a few stars who particularly stand out throughout the performance, and Old MacDonald simply drips with sardonic wit. An ingenious piece of cross-gender casting, this young comedienne has impeccable timing and an unwavering delivery which takes away any of the nervous anticipation you can sometimes feel in an improvised show. There was no need to sit there willing her on, she was completely and utterly under control and embodied her character from start to end. The two male chickens also were masters of physical comedy and it was impressive to see them confident enough in their comedic chemistry to form a number of passionate embraces throughout the evening in their depiction of a husband and wife chicken.
Some scenes are slightly over egged and the group could do with a more concrete method of moving on from material which ceases to work. Also, the improvised songs were sung quite out of tune and don't add much to the comedy appeal of the show. It felt as though occasionally a performer would be done with their material, but the piano would mercilessly continue, forcing the skit to continue. Despite this, Unstable Fables are an original and innovative set of comedians who will create a play before your very eyes and will leave you giggling all the way home.
