Starship Improvise, is as the name suggests, an improvisational comedy show that uses science fiction tropes as its central theme. Specifically, the sort of sci-fi TV show where you have a roster of characters working on a space-ship. Star Trek, The Orvillie, Firefly, Andromeda etc. It’s a rich vein for comedy; these shows are filled with cliché and convention, after all.
Each cast member has a specific character, fulfilling at least one of the tropes from shows of that ilk. So we have a sexy doctor, and strong and steady captain, the air-headed empath and so on. All these characters are performed by comedians drawn from renowned troupes such as Mischief Theatre and The Showstoppers.
Of course to work as an improv show, we need audience input, and Starship Improvise handles this with some appropriate fourth wall silliness. We open with a pre-recorded cheesy intro for a fictional show called Celestia7 (which introduces the cast) and then cuts to the performers on stage, sitting in chairs talking about their time on the show, in some sort of convention panel. As the cast struggle to remember what the next show is called, the audience are invited to yell out suggestions and thus the fourth wall remains (sort of) intact. This trick is used a couple times through out the hour and never fails to be amusing.
The comedy is smooth with each of the comedians pretty much in perfect sync; they are having a blast on stage and it’s a pleasure to watch. Good improv values and balances input from every member of the cast; excellent improv makes all of that seem seamless and almost scripted (though it clearly isn’t). The crew also get the sort of sci-fi this is a homage to, no trope is left unreferenced.
This is Lower Decks or Galaxy Quest brought to the stage; a loving homage to beloved genre shows that is also flat-out funny. It’s also very, very easy to watch again as every show is different. An amazing source of great galactic giggles.
Ticket information can be found here.
