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★★★★
It’s no secret how much I adore a cappella music and the Pitch Perfect films, so when I found out that Acaprov: The Improvised A Cappella Musical was going to be at the Brighton Fringe again this year, it was one of the first reviews that I booked for the festival. I’d heard about the group’s performances in London, blending vocal skills with improvisation and I was keen to see how they would create a whole new musical in realtime in front of an audience. Performing at one of the spaces at The Walrus pub in The Lanes, the company took to the stage for 50 minutes in the relaxed venue, presenting a unique seaside-themed musical for one performance only.
Overall concept
As the name suggests, the show is a combination of improvisational performance and a cappella. Directed by Lisa Lynn, the cast devise a whole new musical on the spot, using location and title suggestions from the audience. At this particular performance, we were asked to name places where people would meet and the responses included a park and the beach (which was rather fitting for a Brighton Fringe show). ‘Sands of Love’ was born, thanks to very quick thinking from an audience member and we were treated to a one-of-a-kind musical full of swings, seagulls and a very amusing local council.
Combining music and comedy
Under Lisa’s direction, the group absolutely soared, bringing to life a production packed with beatboxing, lively harmonies and clever lyrics. However it was actually the humour of the story that was the standout moment for me. How the group managed to create such a funny, relatable narrative in such a short time is totally mind-blowing, proving how multi-talented they are. From the flow of squawking seagulls to the overly enthusiastic Gerald, I found myself laughing at all of the characters featured.
A novel format
The spontaneity of the format means that the show lacks the refinery of scripted musicals, but that being said, the overall experience isn’t impacted much, as it is the creativity and innovation that take centre stage. Even the occasional mishaps add to the novelty of it all. For example there was a moment where principal performers Jeanette (Beth Organ) and Gerald (Jonathon Whittaker) were each referring to Beth’s character by a different name (Jeanette/Janine) and the actors took it in their stride, explaining that they go by a first and middle name. It was a slick way to deal with the slip up, which is bound to happen with the group constantly thinking on their feet.
A creative fusion of theatre, a cappella and comedy
Supported by a ‘human orchestra’, I thoroughly enjoyed Acaprov: The Improvised A Cappella Musical. It is a refreshing and engaging concept that really works in a Fringe setting. The group play their last performance at Brighton Fringe tomorrow (Monday 27th May) at 2:45pm. Tickets for the final performance at The Walrus Basement Room can be purchased via the festival’s website.
On a personal note, 10 minutes after watching the show a seagull pooped on me on the seafront, which was even more amusing than usual, given that the seagull characters in ‘Sands of Love’ were explaining how much they wanted to do this to humans. What hilarious timing!
Thanks for reading my blog today.
Love Kat xxxx
*My ticket for Acaprov: The Improvised A Cappella Musical was gifted in exchange for an unbiased review.
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