🎭 Talking People
📍Underbelly Boulevard Soho
🎟️ Gifted
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I was invited to Talking People, an improvisational show directed by Richard Vincent and produced by Elina Saleh. The scenarios focus on relationship dynamics, created through audience participation. Each show offers a unique experience, as no performance is the same!
The story
We are introduced to 5 characters: Tony, Ria, Carly, and Zoe (played by Will Merrick, Aaliyah Odoffin, Elisha Applebaum, and Amelia Clarkson), who have been friends since university. Now, in their late twenties, their friendship dynamic is disrupted by Tony’s new relationship with John (Alexander Theo). Tony’s friends clearly dislike John and have strong opinions about the relationship, including intimate details. Meanwhile, John believes the group are using Tony for his money. It’s a funny and surprising evening exploring the dynamics of friendships and how people are perceived.
My thoughts
In the first act, Richard remains on stage, asking the characters probing questions. Richard (and the audience) control who hears what, meaning some characters are unaware of the conversations happening.
Richard has a bag of prompts and playing cards that audience members can draw at random. The cards contain key details that determine the circumstances of the relationships, such as ‘who loves their partner more?’. This was a fantastic storytelling tool that allowed the actors to showcase their impressive improvisation skills. They were quick to craft believable backstories and develop their characters. With improv, it’s not just the quick thinking, but also the ability to bounce off one another, using all the small details to create the drama, which we saw during the second act.
I attended a Talking People show back in the summer and was amazed by the concept. The show incorporates audience participation in a way we don’t always see, and it works brilliantly! The floor is open for the audience to ask the characters questions directly, testing the actors’ improvisational skills. These ranged from playful (who is the weak link in the friendship?) to deeper questions (how much do you love your partner?). The overall responses were great; we were cheering, laughing, and snapping our fingers.
The second act is entirely improvised. The scene is Zoe’s birthday, as she hosts pre-drinks before the group heads out for a fancy sushi dinner. Odoffin, Applebaum and Clarkson are natural performers, portraying a typical friendship group. As there’s no structure in the second act, it can be easy for one or two characters to dominate the story. In this show, John became the central character. Theo’s portrayal of John was a standout. He had such confidence and wonderful comic timing that it genuinely felt as if it were scripted at times. Lines like, “I’m seen by the right people”, and the proud declaration about buying his own Arsenal season ticket had us all full-on cheering.
Talking People provides the collective joy and connection that comes from watching a totally unique show. The focus on relationships is an interesting concept; it felt like we were all agony aunts, analysing every character’s decision, confession, even their movements! Conversations continued during the interval and even after the show ended (Justice for John was my tagline of the evening).
What makes Talking People special is that it’s shaped by everyone in the room! It is exactly the kind of connection we need right now, which is what producer, Elina, emphasised at the end of the show, thanking the audience for their support.
I am manifesting even more Talking People shows – perhaps a monthly residency! 😉
