Gazelle Theatre return to Brighton Fringe, taking comedy up a level with ‘Insert Title Here’ An Improv Comedy. Under the direction of host Brad Collett, two touring actors go up and down the country with an insatiable improvisation skill set to not only entertain but work with local legends to give a variety of scenarios, games and fun to brighten your evening.
The local legend varies with each show, so you will never get the same actor more than once. At the time of review, I had the pleasure of watching the rather multi-talented Matt Roberts. Roberts was a theatrical tour de force, as he gave a masterclass in how to really utilise various performance skills to heighten improvisational comedy. One moment he was a father searching for his lost son not realising he was on a date, the next a high-ranking army pigeon in World War Two! But the real surprise was discovering he also had a fantastic blues rock voice, which he used at one point to make up a song on the spot. From the amount of cheering from the audience, Roberts gained a few more fans from that song.
Joining him on stage were touring actors Richard Delroy and Zak Rosen, who were the hosts with the most-est as they encouraged us to shout out suggestions for the sketches, determining what was going to happen. Their natural rapport with each other, Roberts and the audience was a joy to watch, as it was upbeat and gave the intellectual vibe of Whose Life Is It Anyway. Whilst there are many shows out there which are similar in terms of set up, what made this particular show different was the way in which each sketch was carefully carried out. The structures for each sketch and game were extremely clear, and we knew exactly what we were getting into, which helped immensely with the proceedings. But the additional fun element of having a different local performer each night gave a level that had an edge to it, which gave the perfect mixture of risk, fun and entertainment. On this occasion, I happened to be very lucky to get the combination I did but be aware that each show will be different every time with new energy from the new actors involved, as well as the audience.
If you love unpredictable, improvisation comedy with a twist, ‘Insert Title Here’ An Improv Comedy is the perfect tonic for Brighton Fringe. It’s feisty, full of courage and extremely enjoyable. Not to be missed!
Reviewed by Sascha Cooper
Cast & Creative Team
Host – Brad Collett
Touring Actor – Richard Delroy
Touring Actor – Zak Rosen