8pm every Monday, at the Wheatsheaf (doors open at 7.30pm)

“As the performance unfolds, the Imps continue to dazzle and dumbfound with fresh comic genius. The gags aren’t crude or obvious but rather intelligent and unexpected. As the director Simon describes, the Imps are striving for ‘deeper humour’ by being unphased by the unusual.” Zoe Burgess

Review by Zoe Burgess

Backed by booming beats, the Imps bound on stage and stun me with their energy. Jumping up and down, arms flailing and eyes gleaming, they look crazed and I lean back somewhat dizzy with anticipation. An Imp hops into the aisle, a buzz dissipates through the crowd, and he elicits a noun and an adjective from the audience for the next scene. Within seconds, the profound plight of ‘Alison the corrugated chipmunk’ is being narrated in fragments by a line of Imps, first over a pint, then in a Geordie accent and finally without the letter ‘r’. The troupe rises to the challenge and succeeds in stringing together a series of quick-witted rhymes and fatuous metaphors that have members of the audience in stitches.

As the performance unfolds, the Imps continue to dazzle and dumbfound with fresh comic genius. The gags aren’t crude or obvious but rather intelligent and unexpected. As the director Simon describes, the Imps are striving for ‘deeper humour’ by being unphased by the unusual. They build the comedy by layering funny situations and pursue subtle routes and interpretations. For example, in flawless rap two coal workers (who are incidentally both married and siblings) spot a massive black hole beside them that absorbs all animals within the vicinity. Failing to detect the absurdity of their context, an Imp urges the other to enter ‘the rift’ so that they will ‘move along to infinity like continental drift’! The Imps love to entertain and lose all inhibitions: they can act, they can dance and they aren’t afraid to sing!

At each suggestion, the Imps develop clearly defined characters, relationships and environments on the spot. Every performance is spontaneous, and the material is never recycled, although one may find this hard to believe. Their success lies in the synergy between the team members, who support each other at every step and appear to second-guess one another’s moves. They are professional but relaxed on stage and, most importantly, know how to have fun. Each Imp gets a chance to front the performance, which gives the audience a sample of their personal style: from bouncy and charming to weird and wacky. The repertoire of games, scenes and musicals varies each time to keep regular audience members on their toes but never fails to warm the room with laughter.

Of late, multi-scene musicals have featured prominently, which may be the hardest acts to pull off but are often the most ingenious. ‘Brook the musical’ impressed me with its ludicrous storyline and rhyming couplets. Located by a ‘bubbling brook’, the musical featured an awkward couple, a stolen boat and a set of Yorkshire angels speaking in rhetoric. Three angels pilfer the boat to create a floating pasty shop, which angers the owner and triggers a hunt. The tension crescendos as the cry  ‘some angels stole my boat, I’m going to slit their throats’ echoes around the room, a knife threat ensues and the boat is reclaimed. However the angels are not at a loss for long before one realises that they all have wings and an aerial pasty shop would be far superior! The finale draws all the Imps together bellowing the chorus and as I look around the crowd I feel like a young child at a pantomime: glistening eyes eagerly fix the stage and eye-wrinkling grins adorn every face.

The audience cheers and I can’t help but wonder how the Imps manage to generate new material so fluently. Having met the team, I realise that the Imps are a sprightly unintimidating bunch keen to enjoy themselves. There is a positive vitality about them, which enables them to relax on stage and adapt to any situation. Their ability to flit across time periods and switch between accents, emotions and styles of speech spontaneously is exceptional. I could happily list my favourite characters, games and scenes, but this would be gratuitous given that comedy is a very personal experience. The only way to really understand what the Imps do is to see their skill in action, which I would highly recommend. Regardless of your expectations, I guarantee that you will leave the set feeling refreshed and uplifted. The director Simon describes the Imps from the inside as ‘hilarious, challenging and gratifying’; from the outside I would call them vibrant, quick-witted and painfully funny.