Impromptunes - Fringe Review

Thomas Levi
10 hours ago
2 min read

★★★☆☆

There are many improvised musical troupes at the Edinburgh Fringe, so how does the Australian company Impromptunes fare?

After a brief introduction, the audience provides the title of a brand-new musical, which the cast immediately performs. At this performance, that suggestion was Unicorns In Mars. From that single prompt, the company constructs an entire story complete with characters, songs, choreography and enough plot twists to feel like a genuine musical rather than a collection of disconnected sketches.

What impresses most is the confidence of the musicianship. Josh Cake’s piano accompaniment actively shapes the evening. The decision to let the piano take centre stage for 2 instrumental moments (an overture and an interval) gives the production something other groups don’t do, reminding the audience that improvisation extends far beyond dialogue and lyrics. It’s a lovely demonstration of trust between performer and musician.

The cast are clearly experienced improvisers with strong comic instincts, and there are some genuinely inspired moments where a throwaway idea snowballs into an excellent scene. The story remains surprisingly coherent throughout, and the songs feel integrated rather than obligatory. Creating a complete musical from a single suggestion is an achievement in itself.

Where the production loses a little momentum is when the mechanics of improvisation become visible. Early on, one scene stalls as two performers search for a narrative thread, and no one jumped in to save them, leaving us with quite a flappy scene. At other points, the eagerness to land the laugh means performers occasionally chase jokes instead of listening and building on each other’s offers. An ensemble better tuned in to one another would have made transitions effortless, jokes funnier, and the narrative more concise.

The audience relationship also feels slightly underdeveloped. Taking only a single title suggestion is undeniably impressive, but it misses opportunities for the callbacks and personalised references that are easy wins in improvised comedy. Likewise, topical material, including references to Andrew Tate and the manosphere, appears only fleetingly, leaving comic avenues that could have been explored further.

Impromptunes remains an enormously enjoyable hour. Its ambition, musical skill and willingness to embrace the unknown make it consistently entertaining, even when the occasional cracks appear in the façade.