Review: CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation (Wilton's Music Hall)

Review by Daz Gale

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We are seeing a rise in the prominence of improvised shows lately. With Showstopper a regular West End fixture and Mischief Comedy bringing their improvised Mischief Movie Night back to London later this month, it was the turn of another show with a growing fanbase to hit the Capital for one night only, as CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation hit Wilton’s Music Hall. With the audience in charge of what happens, would this prove too dangerous to solve or would they absolutely kill it?

The premise of CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation sees a murder taking place with that evenings audience determining the nature of each event with only the suggestions of a name, career and weapon used to commit the crime. Through a rapid 60 minutes, we meet a cast of six including a detective and five others who have no idea who they are, what they do and even if they are the killer themselves. This means that no two shows are ever the same and nobody knows what is going to happen next… not even the cast themselves.

As improvised theatre goes, Crime Scene Improvisation are on to a great format. With the three simple suggestions, they are able to work their magic to create something that doesn’t feel made up on the spot, such is the talent of these six impressive performers. Though there are of course moments where they stumble or get something they had made up previously wrong, this is all part of the charm as they are in on the madness of it all, laughing with us at the often absurdity and unexpected developments that takes place.

Events play out until the show nears its climax when the audience return to being in charge, interrogating each of the five suspects through questions (the audience are all detectives, collectively by a different name each night. On this occasion, we were Eleanor). This can lead to some bizarre questioning as everybody tries to make sense of the story and ultimately vote for their murderer. It is this spontaneity that really puts the cast in their paces as they react with the classic ‘yes, and’ (not just an Ariana Grande song) and waste no time in admitting their guilt when the audience tells them they are, in fact, a murderer. You’d think they’d know something like that in advance, wouldn’t you?

For this particular performance at Wilton’s Music Hall, our victims name was Ron Plunger. With the audience all excited about the football (it’s coming home… or it didn’t. Delete as appropriate. This was written before the final), Ron was a referrer… a hockey referee to be precise, much to the delight of our cast of, shall we say, not quite hockey enthusiasts? To get a sense of the wacky nature and randomness we were about to witness, the weapon of choice was decided to be poor judgment. Well, we’ve all been there, haven’t we? However this doesn’t usually result in decapitation on an ice rink.

The six performers continually impressed with their quick thinking and comedic abilities. Improvisation is all well and good, but this show needed to be funny to succeed, and thankfully, that’s exactly what it was. Though the situations unfolded in ways nobody saw coming from the repeated usage of the word “bum” (the most it’s ever been said in one of their shows apparently. I’ll take that as a win) to the ridiculous yet utterly hilarious character developments, you couldn’t help but smile watching this, almost forgetting the skill and intelligence it takes to execute an improvised like this so flawlessly.

Now celebrating their 10th anniversary, it is clear to see why Crime Scene Improvisation has found itself playing to bigger and bigger spaces as the years move on. A great example of how to pull off an improvised show to its maximum potential and never forgetting the fun factor, the result was a madcap hour of hilarity. With the promise that each show will never repeated, this is the kind of show you can see over and over, always in awe of the talents it takes to pull it off. They truly solved the case in how to combine murder, theatre, and improvisation in a show that really is criminally good.

CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation play at Underbelly Edinburgh from 2nd – 25th August and return to Wilton’s Music Hall in London on 28th September. Tickets at https://www.crimesceneimpro.com/upcoming