The Improv Bandits

Before I arrived at the show, I’d only seen one other improv comedy show previously. However with improv comedy, no matter how many shows you attend, it’s going to be hard to predict the atmosphere and environment as the comedy is based on both the audience’s answers and crew’s interpretations. The show was split into different segment, incorporating references from Shakespeare literature to modern pop culture. At times, The Improv Bandits were absolutely spectacular, laughter coming from everyone in the crowd. Other times, it was silence with a chuckle or two. And I wouldn’t blame them for it. The prompts from the audience were difficult. Simply coming up with a story on the spot is hard enough when you have to tell it in the style of a ‘Physics textbook’. My biggest criticism is then perhaps the selections of answers from the audience. On one side, you want them to be challenging and on the other you want them to be entertaining. PIcking too challenging of answers results in repetition and less comedy. That being said, one aspect I noticed in The Improv Bandits that seemed to amaze me was the incredible cooperation between crew members. With the seemingly random prompts and scenarios, crew members had the appearance of knowing exactly what each other was going to say and all knowing when to cut away at the perfect time to keep the audience captivated. At one point I’d completely forgotten the show was improv until cutting away. Because of that alone, The Improv Bandits deserve to be recommended and seen for their awesome talent, humor, and unity.

7/10: Not Whose Line, but up to par