Paul Merton’s Impro Chums
Paul Merton, one of the UK's best-loved performers, and his world renowned Impro Chums Suki Webster, Mike McShane, Richard Vranch and music from Kirsty Newton create a new and unique comedy show, based entirely on suggestions from the audience, their own finely honed improvisational skills and an almost manic compulsion to show off.
Edinburgh Fringe 2023: Paul Merton’s Impro Chums
5 Stars : Jemima Hawkins : the Student Newspaper : August 11, 2023
Opening day nerves? Not a glimpse. This highly renowned improv show is without a doubt a league above the rest thanks to the quickest wits in comedy and a willingness to make a bit of a fool of themselves in the name of hilarity and viewer delight.
The ‘Impro Chums’ in question are Suki Webster, Richard Vranch, Kirsty Newton, and Mike McShane, and with host Paul Merton, they take audience suggestions to create a hilarious show that accurately demonstrates their positions as masters of the improvisation craft.
It is difficult for a prepared stand-up show to remain consistently amusing for an hour, let alone one totally improvised, but the chums bounced off each other in brilliant harmony amid a cocktail of different audience-led games. The nature of the show was as follows: give a prompt to the audience, select the most outlandish response and craft the wittiest of amusement in what could be called ‘tomfoolery’.
To name a few, as I can rest assured, they won’t be seen again: a scene in which Gordon Ramsay was fighting with a leaf blower; a panel discussion on the ethics of aardvark cage fighting; and a neighbourly row over an apple tree that manifested itself into being a Who Do You Think You Are episode on Nigel Farage. Yes, you read all that correctly – and that was just the first half.
This is the type of non-stop, laugh-out-loud comedy, that you could see over and over again and never tire of. Though Merton’s reputation is reflected in the ticket price, only true confidence in his abilities as an entertainer could leave this show without a moment of silence or hesitation. Aided by equally funny accomplices and a live piano soundtrack from Kirsty Newton that adjusted to the nature of the improv (the shift from a burlesque to punk rock soundtrack within moments was particularly impressive), Paul Merton is everything you know and love.
This show is an exquisite demonstration of the hilarity of improvised comedy.
Review: Paul Merton’s Impro Chums, Lighthouse, Poole
By Cliff Moore, Bournemouth Echo, June 15th 2022.
Show Featured: Paul Merton, Suki Webster, Mike McShane, Richard Vranch, Kirsty Newton and guest Chum, Ruth Bratt.
Their wit and speed of thought is extraordinary as they live on the edge through scenes such as Mary Poppins and a potato masher, a naked rollercoaster ride or the Great Catsby.
It’s incredibly clever stuff, keeps the audience marvelling at the wonder of it, smiling constantly and occasionally guffawing uncontrollably at the comedy anarchy of the proceedings.
Webster and Bratt combined beautifully for musical numbers, of which there were many, with the multi-talented Newton brilliant on the keyboards. Webster and McShane stole the show, though, with their film noir, Les Mis and Rocky Horror musical takes on life on a cruise ship.
It is, of course, an age-old format but to witness expert practitioners at the height of their game was a joy, particularly when Merton had to guess a fiendishly difficult occupation – something like the operator of a ventriloquist of a Joan of Arc dummy, dressed in armour in the Vatican on Shrove Tuesday – from cryptic clues suggested by the others.
They finished with a version of Shakespeare – The Comedy of Horrors, as suggested by someone in the crowd – which was so good I harboured thoughts (wash my mouth out) that some passages had been planned and then slotted into whatever play they were pastiching.
In any case, two hours flew by and I could have done with a third.
