Make Your Bubble.

By hlimprovers | September 8, 2020

Level 2 did not stop the Honest Liars Improv show going ahead at the Jam Factory last Sunday night.

Nor the fact that many dads were spending time with their kids and family celebrating Father’s Day. Even so, there was a very respectable turnout considering all the obstacles.

Forever the positive people, the players set up the Factory for a show and as the punters arrived, they were signed in, sanitised and instructed to move the chairs to create their own little bubbles. Laughter is definitely needed in these times.

The show began with Jon getting the players warmed up with the ‘Categories’ game. And, as was fitting for the occasion, famous fathers was the first category to be suggested and so it began with Winston Churchill, Lincoln and the Queen… wait a minute, that’s not a father!!! Then buzz out the player was the message from the audience.

‘Foreign Film Dub’ had Sally and Kevin playing two French lovers in lockdown in a film title ‘Sacré Bleu’. The translators, Kathy and Kim had them going from bedroom antics to Kevin making crepes with extra gluten for Sally whose allergy to gluten made her swell up to large proportions.

The ’Cube’ game with Kevin, Brett, Kelly and Kathy had suggestions ranging from a motorcycle to rats. But it was the suggestion of ‘horny’ that gave Brett the idea of putting Kevin into the zoo enclosure with a rhino telling him to watch out for the two horns. Kathy and Brett then had the word ‘eggplant’. But the quick-thinking Kathy gave a great twist as she complained to her ‘husband’ that the eggs had not grown after she’d planted them, nor had the toast or the bacon for that matter.

Kelly was the complete star of the show with her sign language as she ‘translated’ the interview with the expert who taught lions to do brain surgery. The audience were in both hysterics and awe with how she managed to ‘sign’ the pack of lions, their surgery skills and the mating rituals they did.

In ‘Pocket Note’ Mark was meeting up with two women in the infamous IKandy bar. Sally was rather posh and didn’t think Mark was at all like his profile pic whereas Kelly was more interested in the shots on offer. From “You’re looking good today, Chief” to “Sticky on the bottom” the notes proved another winner helping with the flow of the scene.

The best line though came, not from the players, but from an audience member. In the ‘Press Conference’ game, Jon and Brett were sent outside while the audience concocted a scandal the two would face. It was agreed that they owned Mammas Donuts and were responsible for taking the holes out of the doughnuts. Back inside they came to face the ‘press’. A hand from the audience shot up and the first question was, “So where have you taken the holes from the doughnuts?”

The entire audience collapsed with laughter and shouts of “nooooo” before the emcee could explain to the baffled audience member that the questions have to be subtle and hints.

The players went outside again and a new suggestion was created.

Everyone thought it was a great and entertaining faux pas and just went to prove how wonderful it is to have audience participation.

The last game of the night was another favourite, ‘Puppets’ as it involves a couple of members of the audience coming up on stage to participate by being puppet masters. Kevin and Kelly were at the emergency room as it transpired that Kelly had a drinking problem and was there to get her stomach pumped.

Mood Lounge, across from the Jam Factory, was extremely busy that night looking after the players pre and post-show along with audience members wanting to have a drink before and at intermission. What a great place to hang out, especially to wind down after the show.