The Gided Balloon
Musicals & Opera
3-22, 24-26 Aug, 11:00pm-12:10am 

A musical performed for one night only – because it’s composed on the spot.  That’s the ambitious promise of The Showstoppers, the cult sensation returning for its fifth year on the Fringe, which each night weaves together a song-filled show from the threads of suggestions shouted out by that night’s crowd.  It sounds impossible… but if its constellation of five-star reviews is anything to go by, it’s actually just impossibly good.

Our own reviewer Lee Zhao was among those to praise its special magic.  Tightly-plotted and with well-developed characters, he wrote, its off-the-cuff script rivalled many brought to the Fringe in the conventional way.  With clever use of props and costumes, the actors perfectly capture a milieu decided just moments before… and of course, it’s very funny too, with the improvised story having both emotional depth and the right amount of comedic wackiness.

In the eyes of true improv purists, The Showstoppers do cheat a bit – they clearly confer off-stage, and there’s a “director” to step in if the plot loses its way.  But few in the audience really seem to care; indeed, in the ultimate vote of confidence, we met several paying punters who went back more than once last year.  So, it’s our pleasure to welcome these amazing performers back to the Fringe… and we’re betting the show won’t be stopping any time soon.