Notflix is an improv comedy show that claims that everything is better as a musical, and it seems that this all-female cast might be onto something. The show has been a reliable regular at the Edinburgh Fringe since 2016.

The set-up is pretty simple; members of the audience are invited to suggest a movie that isn’t a musical so the crew can, with no preparation, minimal props and potentially a very limited understanding of the movie itself, turn it into a 60-minute musical.

When we saw the show, the movie in question was something likely to interest Starburst readers;  2009’s horror comedy Jennifer’s Body. The troupe of talented and skilled improvisers where only passingly familiar with the movie itself and the audience member who suggested it only had the vaguest memory of the feature.  Yet somehow, because the Notflix team are so used to navigating movie tropes and cliches, they got very close to the actual plot of the movie.

The songs are slickly done in that style typical to improv troupes; grab a theme and keeping going, making as many ridiculous jokes and plot points as you can. The musicians are very quick to predict and improvise various prompts throughout each tune and though the songs are a little samey, this is all of the cuff stuff.   There’s a firm (and fun) feminist bent to the show and fun is poked at every possible trope and toxic element.

Notflix is a delight. This is a very experienced team who trust each other  throughout and despite having done this for years, everyone on the stage is having fun, and this translates straight to the audience; it’s a joy to watch Notflix in action and even if you know nothing about the movie being parodied, there’s still plenty to enjoy. One to watch again and again.

Tickets can be found here.