Review: The Play’s The Thing!

The Imps’ ability to ad lib a brand new Shakespearean tragi-comedy and still elicit waves of raucous laughter among the audience is nothing short of astounding.

The hour of improvised comedy is born from mashing together ingredients from one-word audience suggestions and the yarn is spun from those bare bones.

Somehow the end result, though rough around the edges, is a coherent and thoroughly hilarious theatrical endeavour that the Bard himself would surely have endorsed.

Replete with references to the genuine article as well as contemporary popular culture, the subtle mix of old and new is a tribute both to the talent of the cast and their sharp direction.

That said, the troupe doesn’t attempt to carry off the production with a simple littering of the dialogue with Shakespearean quotes – the acting is intelligent and the pace moves quickly.

The production brims with elements brought in from a variety of the Bard’s works – a Florentine setting, a struggle for the throne, a play within a play and a generous dollop of ambiguous genealogy.

Oxford Imps producer Sylvia Bishop even managed to string together a speech in rhyming iambic pentameter as she expired on stage, an impressive feat in an entirely improvised setting.

Daniel Roberts as the much-reviled King Duomo was a particular highlight, as was  director Tom Skelton in his various guises of a priest, the conniving Uncle Firenze, and court circus’ bearded lady.

These were roles were executed with panache. The balance struck between flamboyance and logical storytelling meant that ‘The Play’s the Thing!’ rarely strayed too far into jumbled rambling or unmitigated slapstick.

A whole hour of improv passes seamlessly; the structure and pacing of the play were nailed to a tee.

While some sections and certain soliloquies moved more effortlessly than others, the finished product was thoroughly impressive and ensuing nights will assuredly leave any audience member revived and charmed.