Living is like… at BATS Dome is a title that lends itself to an enticing spectrum of theatrical exploitation. Luckily for us audience members, we’ve been invited to provide written suggestions for development by the seven improvisers already seated onstage.

I’m impressed by their somewhat uniform appearance: they’re all dressed similarly in monochrome colours. It isn’t boring – in fact it suggests solidarity and a preferred emphasis on performance.

Early on, my biro runs out, but I’m rescued by the young woman next to me who obligingly rummages in her bag for a substitute. Improvisation indeed. First up are two women whose conversation about gifts, Santa and family relationships reveals true feelings and ends with an affectionate closure. “No one knows what they’re doing till they’ve done it” is my favourite line.

“Falling in love is like finding out the stars are like other suns” is next up. Two women are on a date and their objective is to meet the parents of one for the first time. We get a delightful and moving trajectory of the emotions involved. Humour is provided by discussions of how impressive their credentials will be and what kind of gift to buy for the occasion. A highlight of the evening.

Two men then muse on “Losing someone is like losing a part of me”. Both indulge in nostalgia for past relationships with the analogy of a chess game put to good use. In perhaps the best denouement we get, they sit down to a game, claiming “black” or “white” as their preference.

Last on, two women discuss getting old and how that is like seeing a mirror image of your father. I’m not sure why that thought evokes the image of a mushroom trail for one of our improvisors, but it leads to some entertaining reflections on this highly contentious fungus. Vulnerability is to the fore: “Why does this shit still bother us?” And then, probably fortunately, our host decides against Beef Wellington for dinner and goes for Fish’n’Chips instead!

The show concludes with a group improvisation on a variety of themes where all players exhibit the talents that improvising develops and delights in.

Congratulations to Andrea Ferpo (Perú) and the players: Susan Zheng, Kathryn Fitzpatrick, Georgia Mae Pringle, Tony Yuile, Wendy King, Keith Paterson and Jessica Charlotte – and to muso Matt Hutton and operator Mary Little.

Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer