U UP?

Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast reviewed U UP? in PART 1 of our 3-part post-festival Review Roundup.

Click link for YouTube, or search for the audio-only version wherever you get your podcasts. TIMESTAMP: 2:01:39

TL;DL: Super rough improv from a team that doesn't feel like they have the best cohesion performing together. The premise has lot of potential, but could use more work to iron out precisely what they're trying to say about nationalism and geopolitical borders. And yet, it eventually reached a point of transcendent roughness that I actually wound up having a lot of fun.

Four Canadian/US border guards get into workplace hijinks in this genial semi-improvised comedy that relies heavily on audience interaction. (Half the cast needs to project & enunciate more to be heard consistently in the large space.)

Improv is tough & my hat is off to the cast for their efforts. There might have been more to work with if the love story was opposite sex. The two women had a hard time making it believable. They did a really cute bit in front of the stage holding different parts of their bodies. But later on when singing was added, the results were a bit hide behind the couch. Huge commitment from the American man and good timing from the Canadian man. I agree with the other reviewer that the ending needs revising - yes, they needed to wrap up the audience volunteer somehow, but ours got basically kicked out of the theatre & I had to bring her her bag afterwards.

Timely premise with some interesting staging ideas. Before the show, the cast circulated among the audience to interview travellers entering the USA and Canada. They deftly combined the expected questions at the border with quirky, open-ended questions that yielded great material to work with later in the show. Giving the border itself a personality and physical presence onstage was clever and opened up interesting opportunities. The performers bring big energy, but occasionally a setup or punchline is drowned out by exuberance. An attempt to use an interesting corner of the stage sometimes results in poor lighting and awkward blocking. The show is a success, unfortunately the unique manner in which the show ends denies the audience a chance to demonstrate their appreciation.