one4review | On 22, Aug 2016

Tom, Sam, Charlie Mark and another Tom are collectively The Noise Next Door and have been turning out themed quality improvised comedy for almost a decade now. They do two shows the one I saw nominally for children, and a late night one as well for adults.
This year the intrepid quintet are astronauts and have a quality(!) set on stage throughout and prescribed roles, engineer, robotics, navigator, medic and defence guru, but these versatile improvisers can turn their hand to virtually anything.
They take turns to play their pre-written characters but actively seek audience interaction, shouting out names, jobs, places, you get the idea, to move the plot along. The pace is fast and furious, the laughs flow freely from the huge audience from the off.
It is delightfully silly at times, very clever at others but totally entertaining for all ages throughout. It doesn’t matter if you are seven or seventy, it is impossible to not have fun and get involved with the mayhem that occurs on stage.
Often show titles over state their case, however I believe The Noise Next Door actually don’t sell theirs anywhere near enough.
*****
Reviewed by Geoff
Gilded Balloon Debating Hall
15.00 to 16.00
Until 28th