That was fascinating. I may have been zonked out due to exhaustion and long term dejection, and thus incapable of appreciating comedy at any level, but it was still interesting. I suspect it may even have been funny! There will be no details, however, for fear of spoiling. All I will mention is the Druid's Robe, and leave you wondering.
It was fascinating to see Paul Merton in what must be his most natural habitat, and yet he remains exactly the same personality that you've seen in a thousand episodes of 'Have I Got News For You' and listened to in 'Just A Minute'. There he stood amongst his troupe. Yes, he is part of a longstanding improvisation troupe that includes Mike McShane, Suki Webster (the Bride of Merton), and two other blokes. Who would have known? (The two other blokes are Lee Simpson and Richard Vranch.)
One of the unique aspects of improvisation is the audience participation: Every portion of the evening is partly determined by details supplied by the audience, prompting a different content every night within a partly fixed set of games or bits. At least, I assume it's a parly fixed set of bits! It surely can't be an entirely different performance each evening, that's for sure. It must be impossible to perform an entire improvisational tour and not build around some structure for each night! I know I couldn't do it, but then I'm only one person! More viewing is necessary.
Yes, in retrospect it was a good evening in the windswept rainy misery land of Swansea. How brave that gallant five must have been to venture this far off the beaten track, and how valiant to soldier on through it all! It was a brave performance, especially when you consider that they're so close to the end of their tour. The only thing that put me off was that it got a bit sweary after the intermission, which otherwise spoilt the most improvisational part of the evening for me personally. It's so troublesome to be so sensitive!
Oliver.
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