‘Improvised Real Housewives’ takes inspiration from the reality television genre as a whole as well as some of the specific tropes of the Real Housewives brand. In a fully improvised show, the evening starts from an audience suggestion and builds on it. Each of the performers created their own unique (and sometimes over the top) characters and developed relationships with one another.
The show is open to fans of the genre as well as those who avoid reality television. The format pays homage and hints at many of the ridiculous elements of reality television. The RIOM crew did well to mix in different elements of television editing, which included cut-aways, many asides and moments of gossip.
The humour of the show was often drawn from the overly dramatic nature of each of the scenes or the quips that the performers delivered. These quips and one-liners were the highlight of the evening, which demonstrated some wit and comedic intelligence.
As with ‘real’ reality television, there are characters that you may be drawn to and others that you would prefer not get any ‘screen time’. Perhaps intentionally, this was the case for ‘Improvised Real Housewives’ where the repetitive quirks of certain characters became irritating over time. Where the performers did not communicate or build on a scene, these repetitive quirks became more evident. The above considered, there were also scenes where characters took charge with strong characters and worked diligently to add value to the show as a whole.
While this show is open to all, it appears tailored to those who appreciate reality television so if you are a fan of the Real Housewives brand, then ‘Improvised Real Housewives’ is worth checking out. It will be at The Improv Conspiracy Theatre (Level 1, 19 Meyers Place, Melbourne) for three more performances on 29 June, 6 July and 13 July. For more information and to book tickets, click here.