Kaboodle Improv Theatre – 17 December, Theatre Delicatessen

I’m a massive fan of improvised comedy, starting whereby in my childhood watching “Whose Line Is It Anyway”, so when I found out about local improvised comedy troop Kaboodle Improv Theatre (KIT) were having a Christmas show (promised by one of them to be more entertaining than Christmas television) I couldn’t resist the challenge.

Performing comedy with a Christmas twist at Theatre Delicatessen on Thursday 17 December, KIT is made up of Dave Williamson, Rob Whittle, Jack Prankett, Amy Westlake, Rhys Howell, Rob Jones, George Critchley, Sarah Boyd and Ryan Offutt, supported my musician Jonny Laidler.

Performing since 2010, the company believe that the biggest laughs from the audience take time to build, focusing on storytelling and improv games. In honour of the festive season they working their magic to provide an evening of seasonal hilarity using the suggestions of the audience, including me and my boyfriend, to craft comedic crackers of Christmas scenes.

Knowing each others comedy strengths, host Santa (if Santa wore a oneise) and his team of elves (plus Carlos the Christmas chicken) alternated between scenes in Santa’s grotto (the most successfully involving half a sex change) with classic improv games, the highlights of which included a 1940s public information film on the danger of grandmothers at Christmas, a seasonal tale of Muppets (for copyright reasons puppets) and their missing donkey (ass), and (mine and my boyfriend’s personal favourite) the sound effects round with Carlos being used to select two members of the audience to provide the noise.

Like all great improv shows, the show ended on a musical note with performances of forgotten Christmas songs from a new improvised album, including drunk giraffes, the second lost donkey (ass) of the evening and kissing without tongues under the mistletoe, with the performers having the voices, imagination and musical talent to make it a showstopping end to a night of laugh out loud unplanned comedy.

KIT are promising more shows and beginners improv classes in the new year. All the details to be announced on their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KITImprov or by following @KaboodleImprov.