Seeing at least one improvised show at the Edinburgh Festival is something of a Fringe and this year I decided to check out Shamilton: The Improvised Hip Hop Musical, hoping that my love of Lin Manuel Miranda’s work would pay dividends.
The premise is simple – the audience suggests and then vote on a celebrity, historical character or a fictional person to create the show around. Our choice was between Darth Vader, Harry Potter and Margaret Thatcher and the iron woman lady. Out of the cast of five, four were American so the audience then spent some time filling in some blanks in their knowledge to assist with creating the piece going forward.
The show started with a song remarkably similar to the opening of Hamilton itself, replacing Alexander Hamilton to Margaret Thatcher and this set the tone for what followed. We met the miners, Sleepy, Grumpy and Peggy alongside Ronald Reagan and Dennis (both of them – don’t ask!!). The plot twists were wild, including a duel between Reagan and Thatcher’s and the USA being pitted against the UK so one of them could come out on top. There were also plenty of amusing asides referencing information volunteered by the audiences earlier in the show, demonstrating just how quickly the cast could incorporate unexpected details into the developing story. What is particularly impressive is that is didn’t feel like six performers desperately trying to keep a story afloat. Ideas are picked up almost immediately, characters are established within seconds and a throwaway line can become the basis for the next musical number. There were moments that I found myself thinking less about whether the joke had landed and more about how on earth they had managed to create it so quickly.
The cast of 6 including Lily Ludwig, Will Naameh, Derek Demkowicz and Raquel worked brilliantly with each other, constantly bouncing off one another’s ideas and jumping in without hesitation with a funny way of furthering the story. I am always impressed by those who are good at improvisation but adding music, and in this case rap, takes the challenge to another level. There were some moments of lyrical gold, testament to the quick thinking and musicality of the cast.
The wonderful thing about Shamilton is that you can attend time and again and see a completely different show. The audience’s choice genuinely shapes what happens meaning that there is an element of unpredictability even for returning audience members. It certainty helps to know the Hamilton, allowing you to appreciate the musical references and parody but it is not essential viewing and anyone who enjoys watching performers think of their feet will find plenty to admire.
Shamilton: The Improvised Hip Hop Musical is exactly the sort of show that works well at the Fringe: spontaneous, ridiculous and different every night. It won’t necessarily have the polished musical theatre experience of a scripted production but that’s precisely the point. Watching s group of performers create an entire hip-hop musical from a single audience suggestion is hugely entertaining and at times genuinely impressive. For musical theatre fans, it is an especially fun way to spend an hour, particularly if you are willing to embrace the chaos.
Shamilton: The Improvised Hip Hop Musical is on at Assembly George Square from 19:50-20:50. You can find out more about the show on their website.
If you like this review you might also like my reviews of One Man Musical, Bliss, Girlhood In The Bathroom