Combining the improvisation talents of Mischief Comedy, Austentatious, and Showstopper!, Starship Improvise is a blast out of this world, filled with moments of hilarity and creativeness as the cast bends the laws of reality in a way that only a show based in science fiction can.
It is hard not to laugh so much that your ribs hurt, but in the way that comes from the knowledge and feeling that you are having a good time
The rules of improv are tweaked in this show, as the show starts off at a fan convention for the established hit sci-fi TV show Celestia 7. This is where the title of the episode, theme and opening location are set by the audience, as the rules of an improv show dictate. What differs is that the characters themselves are already pre-set and the cast incorporates elements of what happened in previous ‘episodes’ into the current show. This seems relatively overcomplicated and means that not only does the cast have to remember certain plot points, but have to impart them to us in a way that doesn’t detract from the current show in the time allocated. There is also no one to ‘guide’ the show, meaning that it is really up to the cast themselves to move the action along as they see fit.
Like with most improv, what happens is ridiculous, as the cast says the first thing that comes into their head, bantering between themselves, which leads the action down paths it would hard to get to otherwise. Of course, normal items that incorporate some sort of space words, like moon clock, get extra laughs, but the way the cast don’t balk when rattling off some faux science is entirely convincing and speaks ot a high level of professionality in their research and knowledge of sci-fi tropes.
This show is so immersive that when the fire alarm went off with maybe 20 or 25 minutes of the show left, everyone (including the cast it seems) thought it was part of the performance. The show must go on is a relative cliche that often isn't noticeable, but in Starship Improvise, it appears to be a doctrine. Summarising and then completing the show outside the entrance of a construction site for a gathered crowd made up of audience members and passersby, the cast wrapped up the episode at a pace and in a way that made sense, an incredible feat considering that they had at least three plotlines on the go. If it weren't for the change of location, the break that occurred would not have been noticeable and the overall quality of the show did not suffer because of it. Bringing it back to basics, it was incredibly impressive how they kept going which speaks to the cast’s dedication.
During Starship Improvise, it is hard not to laugh so much that your ribs hurt, but in the way that comes from the knowledge and feeling that you are having a good time. A truly enjoyable hour despite the unplanned fire alarm, this is hopefully a show that will stick around.
