REVIEW - ST. DOCTOR'S HOSPITAL

If you love improv and medical dramas… this one’s for you.

The Free Association are a London-based improv group, they are a firm favourite and the largest improv training provider in the UK. Their approach to this show was quite different to the improv I’ve seen in the past, in that instead of asking for audience suggestions, they simply spoke to one member of the audience, asking him about his occupation and his day. From this, they gained ideas for the performance which then took place.

I feel as though it may have been better to get more of the audience involved, as this approach instead seemed to create a show that felt tailored to just one spectator. We were left with a show featuring Dungeons and Dragons, and 200 six years olds. Asking the audience for storyline and character ideas may have created a more varied piece, that the majority can enjoy.

The two standout performers during this show were Shaun Lowthian, who kept popping up as a guy from internal affairs, and Chris Gau. Both of them performed in perfect harmony, following each other’s lead to create some hysterical moments. You could tell they were both just trying to make each other laugh, and having lots of fun throughout.

There was a point during the final scene where only one person wasn’t involved and simply stood at the back of the stage. It would‘ve been great to have seen everyone involved at the end, even if they were only reacting to what was occurring, rather than standing on the sidelines of the action.

St. Doctors Hospital is a good concept but this particular show resulted in pretty niche humour, if you like Dungeons and Dragons I’m sure you’d have found it hilarious. But the rest of us were left behind. It did stay true to most medical dramas where nurses are not featured and instead attending/ consultant surgeons take patients’ blood pressure! Although this particular show didn’t wow me, I would be very keen to see what else The Free Association have up their sleeve, they’re clearly a talented bunch, and the beauty of improvisational comedy is that you get something different every time.

{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}

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