The Haunting of the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Center.

A Wuthering Frights: An Improvised Gothic Play Review, by Andrea Noga (AYTC)

A slimy coffeehouse in the 19th century. If you’re intrigued, this might be the right show for you.

Wuthering Frights: An Improvised Gothic Play is an improv show from Calgary– featuring 6-7 talented improvisers as they walk you through a tale from the past, inspired by Gothic literature. Asking only for an adjective and a non-geographical location, the improvisers of Wuthering Frights create a 60 minute comedic narrative that’s guaranteed to make you laugh.

The version of Wuthering Frights I attended was a slimy coffeehouse, which later revealed to be a ruse for Satan to kidnap souls in an orb. You know, normal stuff.

While there were no weaklings in the bunch, improvisers Kelsey Schoen and Jessie Whipp impressed with their ability to crack jokes while keeping the story moving. Both moved with the flow and never turned an idea down, taking “Yes, And” to a splendid degree. However, the entire cast spoke the same language. Interruptions were rare, and even when every cast member was in the scene, they were all given their chance to shine. This was a true ensemble cast, with balanced and hilarious performances from every improviser.

While the show was quite funny, even for this admittedly not-an-improv-fan reviewer, it did not quite earn its name. The costumes were dark, belonging to the 19th century where the show was set. However, the Gothic elements seemed to stop there. Moments of horror were few and far between, and the show focused mainly on the logistics of running a coffee shop. The show was not any less entertaining, it just was not significantly Gothic– especially as a strong fan of horror and mystery myself. Milo Sinclair, one of the improvisers, was the darkest, and I mean this as a compliment. When he was onstage, he brought a mix of horror and comedy with him. If you’re looking for laughs with this show, you’re sure to get them. However if you’re drawn to it because of the Gothic element, I would not deem it to be a considerable part of the show. Though again, it did not make the show any less hilarious!

Gothic or not, this show packs a strong cast who work well as a cohesive unit. They use every inch of the stage, and commit fully to their characters. There is no imbalance of talent, and all the performers are rich in it. There’s no fright in this one, just lots and lots of laughs.

Wuthering Frights: An Improvised Gothic Play plays at the Old Strathcona Performing Arts Center.