You Choose: An Improvised Murder Mystery
Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast reviewed You Choose 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: 1:41:02
TL;DL: Great improvisers, working within a very well thought out structural container. Due to its signature variability, some nights might have been better than others, but that comes with the territory.
My favourite show so far. I loved it so much, I wanted to see it again. Sadly it was sold out when I tried. I was next in line to rush but was turned away. Hopefully it gets best of Fringe!
You're in capable hands with the host who both makes us laugh and cracks up frequently at the absurdity of audience suggestions and of the character choices of her cast.
The Howland Company returns to #FringeTO with a top shelf cast of improvisers for this murder mystery. It's all MC'd & directed on the fly by Liz Johnston, w/ few surprises, but lots of set-ups for the cast to crack wise in costume (and character).
Improv at its best in the hands of seasoned actors, very funny show.
I love improv. I know it can be hit or miss. Maybe I was lucky enough to attend a particularly strong night, but this was hilarious.
The setup worked really well, smoothly weaving together improv games and audience participation to create a loose storyline. It also feels highly rewatchable, since the outcome could be completely different depending on the audience and the prompts the performers receive.
All of the performers were extremely talented. Everything ran smoothly, and they played off one another expertly.
I just caught You Choose: An Improvised Murder Mystery, and I absolutely loved the premise. Imagine Clue crossed with a Choose Your Own Adventure book, except it's happening live and nobody, including the cast, knows where the story is going.
The performers were delightfully unhinged in the best possible way. There were accents flying in every direction, wigs that had clearly given up on life, and a slightly violent imaginary owl that somehow became one of my favourite characters.
One of the absolute highlights was recruiting an audience member to act as the medium who could communicate with the victim's ghost. It was such a clever twist, and the cast milked every second of it for laughs.
The joy of improv is watching incredibly talented people commit 100 percent to absolute nonsense, and this cast did exactly that. The mystery was fun, the comedy landed, and the whole thing had the kind of infectious energy that makes you wish you could see it all over again.
Every performance is different, which is reason enough to come back. If I'd had more time, I would have happily bought another ticket and let a whole new mystery unfold.
A brilliant example of the power of improv! Such a great time and you literally cannot see the same show twice!
Read my full review at the link below!
Saw this with a full audience and was not disappointed. There’s a rough plot that dictates the direction of the story, but the rest is improvisation of the highest caliber. It doesn’t make sense in the end, but it’s not meant to. All that matters is that it is fun! A must-see!
You Choose is an improvised murder mystery a la Agatha Christie. The cast really throw themselves into it and are making fun of each other and their characters as much as anything. The packed house laughed like crazy and I can see why.
Full review below