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THE COMEDY STORE PLAYERS
Verdict: Warm and funny impro delight
London - Comedy Store - March 03
Sundays and Wednesdays weekly. The Comedy Store. 1a Oxendon Street, London SW1. Ticketmaster 020 7344 0234.
and - not performing this night:
Twice a week at London's Comedy Store, The Comedy Store Players perform 2 hours of improvised comedy drama. Impro's a highly popular form, both for audiences and actors. These are the best.
There are 6 actors drawn from a company of 7; the evening's in two halves - 8 till 10 with a 15 min interval. It's broken into different sketches, each with its own format. The cast take ideas from the audience, with no obvious rigging. So each night's a new show - the 300 capacity audience includes regulars.
At the end of tonight's performance, Neil Mullarkey's receiving an award from Fringe Report.
Lee Simpson's on to welcome us, and elicit words from the audience: a household object, emotion, type of movie, type of theatre, unusual occupation, a place of work - all of use in the evening.
The cast's put straight to work improvising a story from the words. We're to shout 'Die' if they make mistakes: each in turn is eliminated.
Neil Mullarkey starts improvising a new scene. Any of the other actors can stroll on, say 'Freeze', and take over - changing the plot entirely.
Richard Vranch is sent off. He's to guess what he does for a living. We're to make up the cruellest and most unusual occupation for him. We do. He's allowed back. Josie Lawrence and the other actors have to create sketches giving him clues, and he's to elicit his job. He does, and rather skilfully, considering we've made him 'The Guy Who Smooths The Sand With A Chicken For David Hasselhoff While Naked And Wrapped In Clingfilm'.
We provide the name of a country, and a task. As a result, Jim Sweeney's to tell us, in a made-up language, how he delivers eggs on a moped in Uruguay. Andy Smart has to tell us what he's saying.
Lee Simpson and Neil Mullarkey create an advertising agency. They're to create a commercial and jingle - to styles we suggest - about our suggestion of 'coffee'. Chekhov, Carry On, Shakespeare ('Coffee! To the war!), Jackass, Comedia del Arte, Musical Theatre, Gothic Horror ('Care to sip from the cup?'), Cirque du Soleil, Badly Dubbed Western, provide some breathtaking comedy. It's a highlight of the evening, and a deft finale to the first half.
Richard Vranch comperes a new bible story. We choose 'Job's Final Stand - The Musical'. Andy Smart's Job is definitive - the Old Testament will never read the same. But the devil's behind him, especially when he goes on holiday to Galilee. Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney (Lazarus The Liar) play a pair of particularly philistine Philistines with élan. Jim Sweeney sings 'Job's got a devil up his arse; he should move to one side and let the devil pass'.
The Devil's tempting Job - 'Shag the camel; you know you want to'. Neil Mullarkey, as the camel, munches his oats provocatively.
Jim Sweeney's character finds a beautiful woman (Josie Lawrence): 'Excuse me, I'm new in this area, and I'm looking for a damn good fuck.'
Josie Lawrence becomes the Devil. She and Andy Smart's Job create and sing the fabulous 'Job's Last Stand' ('Get out of my life, and take your hand out of my derriere'). Josie Lawrence blends it into 'W.O.M.A.N.', and Job checks out of the hotel, with the Devil off his back.
Next sketch, and Josie Lawrence and Jim Sweeney are working in a chicken shed (we've suggested) - performing it in various innuendo-laden ways.
The other four actors: Neil Mullarkey, Lee Simpson, Andy Smart, and Richard Vranch perform the finale. They've to speak sentences together, each being allowed one word at a time. It's the end.
The Comedy Store Players present a blissful show. Josie Lawrence excels consistently, with affectionate, sharp, humour and sparkling wit. Neil Mullarkey's warm and stunning versatility peppers the show with comic genius. Lee Simpson sets the tone of the show with his endearing introduction, and performs gloriously throughout. Andy Smart's gifted and gentle comedy underpins every one of his sketches - his Job's an enduring delight. Jim Sweeney creates a dazzling set of personas, each infused with his unique and impish style. Richard Vranch's perceptive interpretation and charismatic presence are a constant joy.
At the end of the show, Neil Mullarkey is presented with Fringe Report's Best Satire 03 Award for his creation of legendary life-style guru L Vaughan Spencer in the Edinburgh 02 sell-out show Don't Be Needy, Be Succeedy. Although it's for a separate show, he takes the opportunity in a generous and charming acceptance speech, to pay tribute to his fellow actors in The Comedy Store Players.
Credits: Performers (alpha order): Josie Lawrence, Neil Mullarkey, Lee Simpson, Andy Smart, Jim Sweeney, Richard Vranch. Company: Technical - Comedy Store. Company: The Comedy Store Players.
END
John Park
reviewed Sunday 9 March 03 / The Comedy Store, London
Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2008
