Assembly
Baby Wants Candy is musical improvisation chaos at its finest -thrilling when it lands, occasionally wobbly when it doesn’t, but always a firm favourite of this reviewer and thoroughly recommended viewing.
For the uninitiated, this is musical improv with the volume turned right up. A live band accompanies a rotating cast of five performers, who take a suggestion from the audience and attempt to create an entire musical drama on the spot. No script, no rehearsal and absolutely no idea where the story is going, meaning every show is completely unique and unpredictably different. Age guidance 14+, and with good reason: expect plenty of swearing, sexual references and the kind of content that might have teenagers quietly wishing they’d chosen to sit anywhere other than next to their parents.
On the night we reviewed, the audience offered up ‘James and the Giant Peach Clitoris’. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this proved to be a slightly constrained creative brief, and the show got off to a somewhat tricky start. But that’s also part of the joy of improvisation; you get to see the performers work their way through the uncertainty in real time. It wasn’t long before the cast found their rhythm, the story gathered momentum and they started switching through the gears.
The cast are incredibly capable performers, with an impressive knowledge of historical, political and cultural references that they can pull into the action at a moment’s notice. Of course, the success of the show is hugely dependent on what the audience throws at them; so come prepared…
As one cast member sang: “If your head’s in the game, your heart needs to be in the song.” And frankly, we couldn’t agree more. A firm fringe favourite that embraces the glorious unpredictability of live improvisation. Just pray for a good audience suggestion or offer one of your own. Either way, it’s a must-see!
(Written by Kieren Geaney)
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