#NoFilter – a review of Vancouver TheatreSports latest improv by George Froehlich

 

In comedy, improv is the art of responding instantly in a live theatre format.
And the response can be dialogue, a story or just a statement that a comedian has to respond to. And while it can be hilariously funny it is also one of the hardest things in comedy to do right and get that audience response that every comedian is looking for.
When it works it works and can be hilariously funny.

And when it does not work it can be deadly as the comedian responds but the audience does not, or if it does, in a low-key way.

Vancouver is lucky to have the Improv Centre on Granville Island where comedy rules supreme.At this small intimate venue, a combination of tables and regular seats, one can enjoy a vast choice of comedy shows that will give you more than a few giggles.The in-house bar allows you to enjoy a drink or two before show time or during the short and snappy intermission.
The latest effort, #NoFilter, is all about the dominant world of social media, providing rich fodder for the cast of talented comedians at the Improv Centre.
At this one-hour show nothing is off limit.
Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram to Instagram, Weibo, you name it.  They were all featured and often the skits were infectiously funny and other times fell short of their mark.
What worked best in the show is when situations were chosen that the audience could relate to and indeed, that was the case in the second half of the show when a higher energy level was so evident, resulting in more outrageous laughs by everyone.
The show was quite interactive, using the theatre’s giant screen on which live social media items were used for responses from the comics, or supplemented by suggestions from the audience.
Of all the performances I have seen at the Improv Centre this was the hardest for the comics as they often faced situations, ideas and places that really did not lead themselves to be being funny.
#NoFilter plays every Thursday evening at 9:15 p.m.
Half Price Hilarity – Tickets for #NoFilter are half-price $7.50 (plus fees/taxes) instead of $15 so come on your own, or put a group together. To see ticket prices and show length for all our shows, click here.