The GirlBand Improv was an entirely enjoyable experience but not quite what I expected. Hearing the name, and having already been exposed to things like Showstoppers, one might expect this to be a comedy show with improvised girl band music. It is possible these guys have missed a trick here, but what they offer is entertaining nonetheless.
The show is wonderfully silly, with the improvisation games resulting in situations that felt a little like being in a school drama class. Absurd but funny. It must be said that some of the games were familiar enough if you have seen any other form of improvised theatre, but there is actually a reason these games have been repeated so many times - they work. One especially funny skit involved two audience members manoeuvring the actresses bodies to shape a scene. Another resulted in an interesting moment with David Cameron doing a collaboration with Lady GaGa for his new track, Poke A Fox in the Face.
They had pretty good rapport going with the audience, but also proved they could be impressively ballsy and were not going to degrade themselves just for a few laughs. On the night I attended, there were several men whose only ambition for the show seemed to be to make the troupe do entirely inappropriate sketches. The girls were very impressive in both dodging these jibes and eventually fearlessly tackling the challenge when it became necessary.
Obviously the show will differ every night, and this variation is one of the most exciting things about improv comedy, providing the group is strong enough. These ladies are certainly imaginative and talented enough to produce a consistently entertaining show. Well worth a watch.
