Today I was back at the Improv Theatre located within Granville Island, here to catch their newest themed show. In time for the spooky season, this was murder mystery meets improv, and we, as the audience were casted as junior detectives. On the case, to help the lead detective, who also doubled as the host solve the case of who killed the eccentric billionaire.
Each player was given an occupation and got to make up their character ahead of time. Here, we as the audience got to shout out specific quirks to help round out their personalities. Each night these players and characters will be different so if you decide to come back and watch another show, it will be completely anew.
Tonight our assembly included a psychic medium, a cowboy, an art director at a gallery, a politician running for office, and the widow of the deceased.
The performance started in the middle, introducing us to all the characters, then back tracking to the beginning of the dinner party, where we would see the death and watch what happened leading up to it. Seeing how the characters interacted and predicting who could be the killer.
I was not a fan of the first act as they didn’t seem to be any parameters in which are improvisation-ers were acting on. It was set up as almost short stories between two characters at a time. They got to introduce their personas as well as the defining adjective we gave them.
It appears the goal was to look for a laugh, however many snippets drew long, and the show lost momentum. Although that is part and charm of live performances and improv in specific.
The second act introduced a game element, that I have been missing from previous Theatre Sports productions as of late. I like the set up of improv games, many of which popularized from shows like “Whose Line is it Anyways?”, and then built directly into the storyline.
Here, our starring detective solicited the audience to help craft secrets for each of the guests. Embarrassing stories and reasons why they would kill the deceased.
All the suggestions were then put into a sack and our Theatre Sports players were invited to pick out one for themselves. This was also how they decided who the murderer would be. The second time it was five chips placed into the sack and draw drawn in secrecy.
Our host detective didn’t know who drew what so through his investigation would be guessing the secret word, or characteristic of each player. He he did a good job, although it was somewhat obvious considering he knew it could be only one of the five options. It would’ve been nice to have both parties blind, or at least the host blind to the possibilities; and the actors instead, asking the audience for their secret, to be able to have the detective guess. They seem to flipped it from all the other versions of this game that I have seen.
In the end, the audience was asked to guess who the killer was by screaming out their guess out loud. However there is no clue or hints, so I felt like I was just shouting names out blindly.
Maybe I missed it, but my companion suggested that each poker chip also gave each character an additional persona, whether it was to act innocent, suspicious, or sad.
This was the critique I had with the last improv performance. We as the audience want to know what is happening, and be to be in on the secret and here I felt lost. As such it completely took away from the murder mystery element.
In truth, it wasn’t necessary the plot I was enjoying or laughing at, but the charisma and skill of a handful of the players. The ones who really excelled at callbacks and chirping into the situation. I also like it when they try to stump one another, or purposely push on player into the hole that they have been digging.
In short, I like the concept, I like the backdrop, and I like the fun. There just could’ve been a few more elements to better bring the audience into the scenario.
The Improv Centre
1502 Duranleau Street, Vancouver, BC V6H 3S4
604-738-7013
theimprovcentre.ca
