You get the feeling that these ConArtists may be very clever fraudsters indeed when you arrive upstairs at the intimate events room of The Drake to a shower of free nibbles, fridge magnets and drinks.

They have you before you’ve even had a chance to cement your cynical evening entertainment expression. There’s a floor manager called Randy asking if you are too, and handing you questionnaires to fill out, saying things like: “What’s the naughtiest place you’ve ever done it?”

Randy’s (Nigel Burrows) audience warm up, which involves getting the audience to make communal orgasm sounds and asking for our porn star names has me slightly nervous. At this point, it looks like the jokes will be all on us. Again, the con? However, when the true MC, Clare Kelso, enters the room as the experienced mistress figure who can take a mildly uncomfortable cross-legged audience by the reins, the comedy begins.

Starting out with some welcome improv audience interaction, Kelso encourages us to “unclench”. She carries on to introduce her cast of practised improvisers; all clad in PJs to aid the theme of sex and lies, which is the wedgie-like through-line of the evening.

Clad in a maroon velvet dressing gown, Kelso lures the improvisers’ creations along, whips them into shape when they are becoming boisterous, pulls them out mid-climax, and puts a price on their performance at the end of each scene. 

Inspired by the audience’s questionnaires, the improvisers display a wide array of talent; with some of the actors complementing each other well. The cast – including Aaron Ward, Lindsey Brown, Scott J Sinclair, Nigel Burrows, Simon Cameron and Eli Mathewson – keeps the momentum up throughout; never leaving room for a moment’s silence and feeding each other opportunities like model team players.

Some highlights include Burrows’ improvised Limericks (clearly his forte), Mathewson’s hilarious performance throughout (one to watch) and Lindsey Brown’s sheer enthusiasm and opportunism.

Having seen the Improv Bandits’ protégés earlier this year putting their fresh-out-of-comedy-school talent bravely on display for the first time, it is clear that the ConArtists are the professional, seasoned variety of improv artists. They don’t miss a beat.

The Sex, Lies and Improvise show last night was a free performance to showcase the group’s abilities to potential corporate clients. It is a feat that the commercial element of the show didn’t get in the way, and I would certainly have preferred to see this group of improv comedians than the motivational speakers I’ve seen at corporate events in the past.

[Note: This Thursday Night Comedy show at the Drake is open to all comers (so to speak) – ed]
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