Clive Anderson hosts one of the best improv shows on the Fringe with a troupe of seasoned professionals at his side. Backing him up on sound is Philip Pope, while you are entertained by the rambunctious antics of four headliner acts: Steven Frost, Greg Proops, Marcus Brigstocke and Colin Mochrie. A homoerotic evening of non-stop laughs,
An unmissable night of comedy that is made all the better by the audience, What Does The Title Matter Anyway? is sensational.
The night embellishes the best and most original kind of improvisation that comes down to the viewers. With the help of the audience, Mary Poppins became a neo-noir version of Brokeback Mountain, touting a series of sexual jokes. If you are running low on ideas, here are some suggestions to shout out: Nicholas Cage, 69, Jimmy Savile, Mike Tyson, earthworms, sulphuric acid and Miley Cyrus. The four heads sketch was pretty funny whilst the assisted movement part, involving the help of volunteers, was hilarious and a real crowd favourite. But topping both of these and the entire evening was the spontaneous Russell Crowe rap, something I found both witty and comical.
Some crowd requests are pretty rubbish, as are some of the on-stage volunteers, but the comedians adapt to them tremendously well. However, the main criticism I have is that the stage arrangements mean that volunteers and answers are only really chosen from the front left side of the audience which ignores the rest of the McEwan Hall. Anderson would do better to swap ends of the stage every now and then to diversify a little.
The evening ends with an improvised musical about an audience member that was both enjoyable and hilarious. All of the performers are fresh and original, and bring something unique to the stage, though Brigstocke is heads and shoulders above his peers. An unmissable night of comedy that is made all the better by the audience, What Does The Title Matter Anyway? is sensational.
