Theatre / improvised
Review: The Bish Bosh Bash, Bristol Improv Theatre
For fans of improvised comedy, this regular night at the Bristol Improv Theatre is a cross between a rap battle and Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Team Bish go head to head against Team Bosh in a series of hilarious rounds, ably compered by the excellent Imogen Palmer and accompanied on the keyboard by the deadpan Tim Gilvin.
The first half features quickfire games to test the mettle of the performers. Very much a team effort, some performances stood out – notably the improvised opera about a broken washing machine from Bish, and a guide to toilet paper in the style of Sesame Street from Bosh.
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There was plenty of audience participation which lent the evening even more spontaneity; brave Tilda shared her mobile phone for a game in which the performers used her text messages as a script, and two audience members stood in for Guy Fawkes and a co-defendant during a Jacobean trial scene particularly well managed by Caitlin Campbell.
The second half saw cast members acting as directors to present unrehearsed scenes whose genres and subject matter were largely shouted out by the audience.
Justly triumphant was the improvised musical starring Ameira Yanni with Scott Mooney as her courgette lover, which ended with a hilarious finale with chords and feelgood lyrics delivered by the whole ensemble.
Team Bish eventually triumphed to win the golden welly, but in truth both teams were just as funny.
The name Bish Bash Bosh! suggests startling efficiency: but this was no race to the finish, rather a good value evening’s entertainment and plenty of playfulness. Five stars!
The next Bish Bosh Bash! is at the Bristol Improv Theatre on Fri, Dec 7. For more info, visit improvtheatre.co.uk/events/the-bish-bosh-bash-5
For full Bristol Improv Theatre listings, visit improvtheatre.co.uk
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