Florian François and Jackie Twomey performing in ‘Before We Go’, Photo by Barry McCluskey
Presented by Shy Lil Guy
I’ve had some uncomfortable experiences with improv sketch comedy. I mean, it’s very hit or miss with those misses being pretty cringe-inducing. Some real magic can happen. though, and I got some with the performance I attended of Before We Go. Created by Cecilia Serafina and directed by Alec Toller, a core cast (Florian François, Jackie Twomey, Mark Shyzer and Patricia Tab) invite guest performers (Nkasi Ogbonnah and Christy Bruce on July 9) to invent an end of the world storyline.
Serafina herself acts as a sort of MC for the event as DJ Snake Eyes, a radio host leading us through our final 6 hours on earth. Her radio-voice crooning and quietly clever repartee with the audience is on point and a highlight. At the top, she gets some recommendations from the audience to establish the specifics of the scenario—a place, an object, a song. At the performance I attended we got Exhibition Stadium, a theatre ticket (CATS) and Bonnie Tyler’s “I Need a Hero.” Suggestions that tapped directly into the nostalgia centre of my brain.
The key elements of the July 9 storyline: a husband (wants to do stand-up) drifts apart from his wife (obsessed with performing an amateur CATS); a sport-obsessed father tries to connect to his un-sporty, poetry-writing son; a mother and daughter discover each other after years of mutual indifference. Pairing off, set-up scenes establish character and relationships, pairings get switched up to create new dynamics, characters come together in cute resolutions and a finale. This team employ the format well with some hilarious callbacks. I particularly liked the way dramatic music would creep in as scenes reached their hokey emotional conclusions.
As with any improv show, there are some minor hiccups as certain bits don’t quite catch, but this troupe recover quickly enough. The audience was also very much on their side; improv in particular relies so heavily on this partnership. Everyone has moments they knock out of the park, but I’d like to shout out my personal favs: Bruce’s delusional yet manically eager CATS-obsessive, Ogbonnah’s “Sports Dad” and Shyzer’s artistically-inclined son, his “I have no way to verify that” (you had to be there) just killed me!
A broad and intriguing conceit rich in comic potential, solid execution of format and a charismatic ensemble make for some good laughs.
Before We Go
@ Toronto Fringe Festival
running July 3 to 14, 2024
Tarragon Theatre Solo Room (30 Bridgman Ave)
running time: 60 minutes
