It's not theatre, it's comedy and it's free
29/08/2012
If you find yourself in the Covent Garden area of London town on a Tuesday night and fancy a drink with some free entertainment thrown in, then you could do worse than the Shoot From The Hip improvised comedy night at the Secret Comedy Club or the Africa Centre, to give it its unsecret name.
Now I'm not going to lie (as if I ever would) but the Africa Centre is a bit of a dive but it has a small bar, lots of seats and it is free so that is easily forgiven.
The improv is enthusiastically and sometimes chaotically performed. Lots of different 'games' that involve the audience shouting out suggestions such as different emotions and scenarios and some work better than others. Some have too much interference from whoever is compering that game which can spoil the flow but there are flashes of inspiration with some laughs and general amusement - it does get very silly.
This isn't the most polished and intelligent improv you will see. The range of the performers does feel limited so that, for example, anger and hatred become the same performance as does passion, ecstasy and love. The improvisers side-stepped a suggestion of 'indifference' because it 'was showing no emotion'. Quickly decided there was probably not a lot of point shouting out 'taciturn'. But, for zero dinero you don't feel short changed and there is some entertainment to be had.
Shoot From The Hip's improv is on every Tuesday at the Africa Centre on King Street, Covent Garden