Blackground

Really solid improv — I am so glad this group made it to Edmonton Fringe this year and was delighted to hear they’re coming back next year!

Long-form improv can be tricky but these are obviously experts in their field and they pulled off a coherent, charming, and hilarious Black version of The Mighty Ducks. Can’t wait to see them again!

Was great to see their rendition of Lord of the Rings. Nothing like seeing gollum slapped down and having the ring taken. All actors were amazing and would love to see them again.

One of the funniest shows I've seen so far at the Fringe. Our show was an improvised musical based around the Shawshank Redemption. Very entertaining despite never having seen the movie. The improvisors played off of each other really well and had excellent physical comedy and timing.

Holy shit what can I even say - this troupe is one of the funniest, tightest troupes at the Festival. It might've been the tightest improv I've ever seen.

I have seen some very technical improv in my life, but rarely have I seen a group perform at such a high level while totally preserving an obvious sense of fun and joy throughout the process.

GO SEE IT

Blackground is an improv troupe from Atlanta GA, made up of four Black performers, Josh Quinn, Swift Rice, Markis Gallashaw, and Maria (sorry didn’t catch her last name!). Their setup is that they get the audience to suggest and vote on a well-loved movie, then they show us the story of what the Black people were doing in and around the parts we know. Our audience chose Titanic. The Blackground version included Jerome, a character who’s never seen the ocean but wins a ticket in a card game, a high-born woman travelling with her father, some crew members shovelling coal to fuel the steamship (and one whose goal is to make it “steamier”), a preacher and congregation condemning the hubris of the ship-owners’ claims that not even God could sink the ship, Their transitions and tap-outs were very smooth and their show was very funny! At Rapid Fire Exchange.

Best show of the Fringe hands down (and I went to see Colin Mochrie three times)! I attended this show because it was one of the discounted ticket shows and I was incredibly delighted at the energy that the performers brought to the stage. It was so much fun! I will definitely catch another one of their shows before the end of this fringe.

Best improv show I've ever! Definite must see!! You should go, bring a friend - you wont regret it. The players have perfect timing, great energy and had me laughing out loud the entire show.

What happens when you take one of the most famous movies ever made and give it a completely new perspective?

Blackground turns classic films into hilarious improv experiences, imagining what the Black characters might have been doing while the original story unfolds. This all-African-American comedy troupe brings together talented performers to create a fresh, unpredictable take on familiar movies. For this performance, they tackled Titanic, transforming the well-known film into a series of unexpected, ridiculous, and genuinely hilarious scenes.

The performers worked incredibly well off each other throughout the show. Their “yes, and” skills were a highlight, with each performer building on the others’ ideas and somehow keeping the chaos moving in the right direction. Even when a scene went completely off the rails, they were great at finding their way back to the main storyline without missing a beat. Their chemistry made the performance feel spontaneous and energetic, and the audience was constantly given something new to laugh at.

Overall, BlackGround was a fun, creative, and highly entertaining show. If you enjoy comedy, improv, or just want to see a familiar movie turned completely upside down, I’d definitely recommend checking out BlackGround!

I just saw these guys playing with Colin Mockrie and I’ll be checking them out. Really fun group and format!