By Natalie Ristovski
Dearest readers,
There is nothing quite so comforting as a good cup of tea. Presented in the most delicate of porcelain cups upon a saucer, paired with a scone slathered with jam and cream, tis a balm for the soul that can cure almost any ailment and turn what might otherwise be a run of the mill night at the theatre into a charming evening foray into another world. Such was the fare on offer as we ventured into the back streets of West Melbourne for Impro Melbourne’s ‘Jane Austen Improvised’ – a completely impromptu performance based on the writings of Jane Austen, fortuitously playing for the Melbourne Comedy Festival during the 250th anniversary of the writer’s birth.
Heralded by strings of fairy lights to guide the way through the night, patrons were ushered into the foyer by a dedicated crew, endearingly dressed for the times and mingling with their audience as they perched on aptly arranged chairs around a small sitting room. I do not jest regarding the tea and scones, our humble hosts immediately pointed us towards the complimentary comforts, beautifully presented in hand-painted fine china (my knowledge of luxury teaware is exactly zero, but were this an actual sitting room in the Regency era, that is what they would have so that’s what we shall call them). And for the record, it was some damn fine tea – 5 stars to whomever made it.
The time prior to the show was spent in repose, filling out small pre-printed cards handed to us by the serving staff, who suggested we might like to assist in selecting the piece to be performed that evening. Balancing our teacups as we all scribbled away our thoughts, a sampling of the latest Bridgerton soundtrack playing pleasantly in the background, one would be hard pressed to not give in completely to the atmosphere of the affair. In setting the scene well before the stage lights went up, Impro Melbourne more than excelled, a refreshing change in today’s clime of hit-and-miss interactive theatre. This was not some hackneyed group of students jumping on the latest creative bandwagon – it was clear from the get-go that this particular crew had been crafting such worlds for a good long while before ‘immersive’ became a buzz-word.
Onstage, we were treated on this particular evening to a retelling of Austen’s (tragically) little known classic ‘A Scandal Amongst the Roses,’ an uncomplicated and very much enjoyable affair, sporting every Regency trope, bombastic side-eye, rakish rogue and charming courtship one would expect. The plot was simple – though there were a few thrilling moments involving burning orphanages and drowning horses that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. As a theatrical piece the show lagged once or twice, there were some missed opportunities throughout the evening where the breaking of the 4th wall could have greatly enhanced the audience’s engagement in the material, but this is more a matter of artistic choice than any real criticism. Overall, the performance seemed to be played for authenticity over laughs, which did not diminish the frequency of the latter, but did make for some dead spots, noticeable only because the rest was so very well executed.
The cast was solid and for the most part worked extremely well together. There were certainly standouts – Rik Brown’s comedic melodramatics completely kidnapped the show, galloping off with it across sandy dunes on horseback, while Adam Hembree’s more reserved yet razor sharp wit saw him hold his own (and quite a few others) throughout, his expressive features making him engaging to watch even when on the sidelines. Brenna Dixon was born for Austen, melting so perfectly into her role that it seemed more like breathing than acting to her, and props need to be given to Katherine Weaver’s rakish swagger and on point brooding. A handful of times the cast seemed so eager to interject with their lines that they cut one another off, but this is bound to happen when improvising an entire show, and certainly did not affect the overall impact of the night.
A special mention must be made of Jake Leaney, our maestro for the evening, whose comic timing when launching into whatever mood music he saw fit to play during each scene was nothing short of brilliant. It takes a special kind of artiste to be able to read the room alongside the sheet music (if there were even any sheets to read), and the supporting soundtrack was on point every step of the way.
Long-form improvised theatre is one of the most difficult of the performing arts, relying not only on an artist’s ability to react quickly and believably in theme, but also requiring them to engage an audience over an extended period of time – which in this day and age is difficult even when a show is fully scripted. With Jane Austen Improvised, the team at Impro Melbourne prove that they are masters of their craft, presenting a show with all the love and care that the source material deserves.
Jane Austen would be proud.
