Of all the styles of comedy and theatre, Improv is sadly perhaps the most maligned. Perhaps it suffers from a stigma of university students hamming it up in a rather contrived manner. Nevertheless, Sarah and I are big fans and done well, it can be outstanding. We saw Showstopper! The Improvised Musical at The Everyman earlier this year and it was highly entertaining; cue us frantically clicking to book tickets for the sold-out Austentatious at this year’s Cheltenham Literature Festival.
The Play
Austentatious is already a runaway success, transcending from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival into a UK wide tour and the West End. A Victorian-esque cast greets the audience, resplendent in top hats and petticoats. Having taken title suggestions for Jane Austen’s long lost work from the audience, the trusting cast leave the show to fate, picking a title at random.
In a satirical homage to her immortalisation on the back of the new £10 note, we had suggested ‘Tena Lady’. However, the Cheltenham audience went off piste and chose ‘The Day My Hippopotamus Went Missing’. Miraculously, the cast then launched instantaneously into an hour long show, having no time to prepare whatsoever.
They took us to Whipsnade Zoo, following the theft of their star attraction, the hippopotamus. Cleverly woven into the tale were several tales of love, including one gentleman’s secret fondness for the hippo, and a lustful servant.
The cast are clearly comfortable performing together and the story was virtually seamless, maintaining the classic Austen style and dialogue throughout. Perhaps my favourite aspect was watching them try to catch each other out; introducing ludicrous group songs that the rest have to catch up with, or repeatedly flicking imaginary hippo dung from an actress’ face.
Whether you are a fan of Jane Austen, improv, or you just fancy a night away from the television, we’d definitely recommend Austentatious. A cast of strangers will perform a play you always wish had been written; what more could you ask for!
Where can I see Austentatious?
Austentatious is on tour all around the UK until mid-November. If you missed them in Cheltenham, the best bet is Bristol on Saturday 18th November.
What else is on at the Cheltenham Literature Festival?
Here is a handy guide to What’s On. If you are at the Festival, you’ll need to stay refreshed. Don’t forget to check out LewisLoves’ Top 10 Places to Eat and Top 10 Places to Drink during the Festival.