A bit of
background: Whose Line is it Anyway? was
an improvisational comedy programme that ran on Channel 4 between 1988-1998.
Four performers would be called upon to act out a series of improvisation
games, often based on suggestions from the audience and host Clive Anderson.
Originally the show had an extremely highbrow tone (frequent panellists
included Stephen Fry and John Sessions), but over time the programme leaned
towards a broader, less exclusive style of comedy, which came to be embodied by
series regulars Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles. Whose Line was such a success that it was eventually transplanted
wholesale to the United States, where it can still be seen today.
The stage
version of the show had been advertised as a combination of both the UK and US
versions, which was fine with me as I love them both. Performing would be the
incredibly quick-witted Colin Mochrie, the razor sharp Greg Proops, the wonderful
Josie Lawrence, the delightful Brad Sherwood, and the effortlessly suave Jeff
Davis. Clive Anderson would handle hosting duties, and the music (also
improvised) would be performed by Laura Hall on piano and Linda Taylor on
guitar.
Entering the
grand yet surprisingly intimate London Palladium, I was interested to see that
the audience was mostly made up of people under 30, many of whom (like myself)
would not have been born when Whose Line
first aired. Surveying the crowd, I noticed a pair of faces peeking out from a
door at the side of the stage, who I recognised as series creators Mark Leveson
and Dan Patterson. As the theatre gradually filled up, they looked both
delighted and slightly humbled.
Before I could
decide whether or not to go over and bother them with questions, the house
lights dimmed, the music playing over the PA system was suddenly replaced with
a live piano, and we were underway. The first thing that struck me as the
performers made their way on to the stage was that none of them seemed to have
aged since 1998. But it wasn't just their appearances that hadn’t changed; their
comic talents had also been unaffected by the passing years. Greg and Clive
reanimated their friendly US vs UK banter, and Josie, Brad and Jeff all
distinguished themselves during the musical games. Colin, meanwhile, proved
that he is still hilarious without Ryan Stiles, displaying superb chemistry
with all the other performers. Although the show was essentially the comedy equivalent
of a greatest hits parade (all the great games like Party Quirks, World’s Worst
and Hoedown were played), there were some new ones (including a game called Handbags,
where two audience members volunteered their handbags to the improvisers, who
then used the often-embarrassing and sometimes inexplicable contents as props
in a sketch), and plenty of opportunities for audience interaction.
All in all,
this was a great show. The cast have been working together for decades now and
clearly enjoy each other’s company, and it’s always gratifying to watch people
who are the very best at what they do. The production had a suitably loose,
off-the-cuff feel, replicating the rawness of the British TV show as opposed to
the slickness of the American version. Also, the very nature of the show means
that you could, if you wanted, go to every show and see a totally different performance
each time! It’s a tempting idea, but I’m happy to wait until their next run of
shows. Since Whose Line is it Anyway?
clearly remains immensely popular, I‘m sure that they’ll be back sooner rather
than later.
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