The Taking off the Bird Suit format premiered at Bats in June. Itsreturn brings a talented blend of nine female improvisers from Australia, New Zealand and afar. The intention of the show is to explore roles beyond the maiden, the mother and the crone.

Christine Brooks (Artistic Director of the 2013 New Zealand Improv Festival), directs and MCs the performance, following a one day workshop. Now they hit the stage, adding a live musician, lights and a super-friendly friend-packed audience …

Take nine improvisers, throw in any type of personality, situation, location with the odd one liner, give a jolly good shake and you might end up in Waitomo Caves on a tour with a couple of women revealing their martial secrets of murder and hitmen.   

Next you’re in Wainuiomata meeting the mum with super powers; a good start. A decent attempt is made at creating a storyline but with narrow offers given, the story has very limited space to develop. Sadly the opportunity is lost when the big superpower reveal is a fizzer: “The power to regenerate brain cells after a cigarette has killed them” doesn’t quite cut the mustard. Full credit to the fellow improvisers who still manage to pick up the offer and run with it. Add in a visit from the Blues Brothers and treble mayhem ensues. Thank goodness for noise control who put a nice stop to the shemozzle.

The highlight for the evening is a touching moment in a cafe were two friends catch up, one pregnant the other asking the repetitious million dollar questions: When are you due? Is it a boy or a girl? etc… Nicely developed into a tender moment of two friends supporting and caring for one another, with a few sprinkles of sexual innuendo added from the side-line, it makes for a lovely slice of improvised theatre.

If you’re into mayhem, shemozzle, shambollocks and a right old mess with audience participation then take off your bird suit and jump right in.  Regrettably at times I find the performance a little clunky and messy, but maybe I’m just the crone part of the show as I am definitely a minority. The packed house loves it and laughter aplenty is heard, just not from my seat.

So thank you Ladies for your talent, courage and enthusiasm and the entertainment of watching a Wellington audience bellow with laughter.

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