Wannabe Academy is an improvised nostalgia trip back to the 2000s where we were bombarded with TV shows searching for the perfect pop group and producing the likes of True Bliss, Bardot and Hear’Say. The premise is simple: Five hopeful popstars, but just three will make it through to join the band of the century, Trifecta!

This is Megan Ritchie’s solo directorial debut and she is also one of the competitors, joined by Austin Harrison (Poprox, Coro), Tara McEntee (Poprox) Guanny Liu-Prosse (The Big Hoo Haa) and Elliott Lam (High School The Improvised Musical). Matt Hutton on keys is Duke Wellington, setting the scene and backing the musical numbers.

As people enter they are encouraged to answer two questions for later use in the show: a line from a famous pop song, and what member of the group you would be (think baby, sexy, sporty).

Hosting Wannabe Academy is popstar Myra Skanks played by Millie Osborne (Poprox), who perfectly portrays the role of a washed up star turned host in a bid to stay relevant. She asks the audience about our favourite popstars and songs and informs us of how the show is going to work.

Time to meet the stars who are competing for the chance to join Trifecta and they are being assigned their character traits from – you guessed it – our answers to what member of the group we would be. We have Tara McEntee, the ‘druggy’ one; Megan Ritchie, the ‘sexy’ one; Austin Harrison, the ‘wild’ one; Elliott Lam, the ‘creepy’ one; Guanny Liu-Prosse, the ‘emo’ one.

Lam is really embracing his creepy role and has decided to portray a vampire straight off the bat (pun intended), with an imaginary pet frog named Rufus which he strokes and puts on a seat. Harrison has decided that ‘wild’ means misogynistic play boy and this is a very rare but hilarious side of him that makes me and anyone else who knows him squeal with laughter.

The first round is introductions to our wannabes and involves them incorporating the audience’s lines from pop songs into their stories, which is done brilliantly. Millie Osborne is vibing with the audience and putting her improv skills to good use as she throws spanners into the works for various wannabes, giving Harrison and McEntee the twist that they have met before. All this is moments before a long-lost sister arc is revealed between Ritchie and Liu-Prosse (who is sitting in the corner facing the wall, embracing her emo side).

Time for the first elimination and in true popstar show fashion Osborne is giving us overly long suspense before announcing who is safe and who will be singing for their life! Lam, Ritchie and Liu-Prosse are safe, and McEntee and Harrison must battle it out by singing songs about whatever the audience suggests. What ensues is Harrison letting us know why he has groupies, and McEntee getting the crowd to clap and sing along to the lyrics “I’ve got cash coming out of my ass”. Audience Loud-o-meter determines Harrison’s fate and the wild one is eliminated!

Lam shines in between scenes when he is just standing there looking creepy, baring his teeth (fangs) and flapping his arms like wings, or reacting to things that Osborne is saying as host. It does make it hard to not focus on the others at times, and means that while I’m focussing on his antics I am laughing in awkward moments. Still, I hope he stays in the competition so he can creep some more.

Round two is a dance-off set at Eurovision, with Osborne skilfully making up what that is and what countries compete. The Chatham Islands represented by Liu-Prosse wins Eurovision, and sadly our resident creep Lam leaves the competition.

For those counting, it is now down to three people so Trifecta is formed, but they must still pass one more test: a press conference!

The press conference is a fun time, using an endowment style of the 3 competitors leaving the room and the audience picking a cause, the group it affects and a solution for them to guess when they return. The press give hilarious clues. My favourite is them trying to portray a solution of peace by using bits of a pie and jigsaws, which McEntee interprets as slicing and sawing someone to death!!

A shocking twist and final round are announced and now the remaining competitors must sing in a group to showcase their individual and combined talents. The song suggestion is “Sex in the Circus’ and a masterpiece is made. There are lines such as “There’s no guilt, we do it on stilts” and ‘When I’m on the big top, I like to slut drop” – and the audience chime in with “sex in the circus”.

Trifecta are officially announced and signing away their lives and souls to the host Myra Skanks, and they perform one last number for us, solidifying them as the next big thing!

Oh and for those who like a few of us there are wondering, Rufus the imaginary vampire frog was sat on by a member of the press and staked by their wooden splinter wielding pants. R.I.P Rufus.

Wannabe Academy has had the audience engaged and laughing the entire time as these master improvisers worked their magic. They have portrayed their characters brilliantly and seamlessly incorporated the audience suggestions throughout the show. This is definitely an improv format I would watch again.

[It’s on again at Circus Bar tonight, then at BATS on Saturday 28 June – click Production Details, above.]

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