one4review | On 07, Aug 2024

There are a lot of Fringe staples that don’t live up to the hype for newcomers, and I’ve found this to be the case a few times, especially in the case of Improv shows. I was beginning to think that the sheer core of what makes improv fun – the chaos, the rawness and energy – was just something that any show that ran long enough eventually smoothed out as the cast became so familiar, so rehearsed, that there was just no way a long running improv show could keep its energy.

Suffice to say I was wrong.

Baby Wants Candy has become something of a Fringe institution, now in it’s sixth sell-out year and it’s clear to see why. The energy, talent and imagination of those on stage, including the live band, is immense. Sensibly cutting back on the number of audience prompts, the cast take just one suggestion for the name of an – as yet – unproduced musical and weave their magic from there.

In our case, the title that was chosen in a landslide was “Dracula Love Island” which lead to such numbers as “We’ve Got Fangs (But We’re Wearing Thungs)”, “Low States Relationship” and “Best Friends (Forever)”. Also, one about volleyball for reasons that now escape me. The team go all out on, rather than trying to give the most polished looking production they can, the funniest. And it is so worth it to see them having actual, genuine fun on stage, making not just the audience, but each other laugh. The first improvised musical I’ve been to where I wanted an encore.

*****
Reviewed by Tom
Assembly Studios – Studio one
20.00 (1hr)
Until 25th Aug

Assembly George Square Studios