Following its critically-acclaimed success in the West End, the talented actors of Showstopper! The Improvised Musical took to the stage of the Marlowe Theatre.

The expectation of a full spontaneous production loomed above them, which was comically addressed in an opening phone call to their producer Cameron.

This gag set the tone for the rest of the evening and the musical was rife with hilarious puns and genius songs, much to the audiences’ delight.

After many audience suggestions for the setting of the musical, the battle of applause was won by Ikea, the volcano setting just slightly missing out.

All that was left was to decide on an equally unusual and fitting title, and so the show named Meatballs was born.

The beauty in Showstopper comes from the small pieces of information only just agreed upon, the audience then being treated to a West-End level musical, created on the spot rather than the usual months of preparation.

So, with no script and just their improvisational skills, pure creative madness ensued.

To open the show, musical director Duncan Walsh Atkins and drummer Craig Apps stirred up a Les Miserables style beat.

The cast, playing Ikea Canterbury workers, belted their hearts out about their love for the company and some less than professional activity in the flat pack aisles.

The cast superbly told the story of a regional manager (Andrew Pugsley) who is haunted by the ghost of his dead wife Janet (Lucy Trodd, also playing Abigail his short-term lover).

He was replaced by the ambitious villain of the piece, Gareth (Justin Brett), who wants to take everything Pugsley has.

In a plot twist, we find out Gareth murdered Janet. The evening came to a close on an uplifting note with a musical number in the style of The Witches of Eastwick, which was so infectious that even the audience couldn’t resist singing along.

Overall, the perfect blend of humour and jaw-dropping improvisation provided a recipe for a musical that entertained audience members, and left them contemplating whether ‘life is like a meatball’.

Katie Hutson, part of the Canterbury Festival young critics scheme

*******

Every moment of Showstopper was filled with laughter, thanks to the fast thinking of the cast, and their sense of letting the audience in on their onstage jokes, with the ‘writer’ pointing out moments where our suggestions were being used.

During the interval, the audience were even invited to tweet ideas for the ending.

Memorable moments also included the workers joining a rock choir, who were played out thanks to some over the top sunglasses and cheesy dance moves, which the choir members in the audience seemed to enjoy.

While there were a few inevitable mistakes, the characters made jokes out of these moments and I felt it added to the authenticity of the play.

Overall, it was a sophisticated performance, with clever references to Ikea with the likes of Alan Keys, aisle 3 and meatballs along with the questioning of their meat content.

Instead of being a restriction, the simplistic set and costumes created freedom, and the creative effort produced an ingenious concept that is sure to entertain many more audiences with its charm and originality.

Amber Yoofoo, part of the Canterbury Festival young critics scheme