Starship Improvise
The long-running popular science fiction television show Celestia 7 celebrated at Fancon with a reunion of the main cast, they are reliving their first year playing the now famous characters Captain Kim Kardassian, Doctor Richard Vitamins, empath Perrymen O’Pause, cyborg Tripp Hazzard and even the doglike Labb Raydor, played by Adam McGuido who also serves as host, the audience prompting their memories before the adventure commences…
Starship Improvise intending to create a full season of stories through their Edinburgh Fringe run, each episode maintaining continuity with what has already been established, the agony of The Captain’s Birthday is followed by Meeting the Future, described as “an experimental episode” before it has even begun, the notes given by the self-nominated producers that the themes encompass “horny” and “absolute confusion.”
Improvisation normally working best in short sketches, to carry an hour show and keep within the framework of the premise is not an easy task, but with a live soundtrack and locations provided by a projection screen the cast of Starship Improvise manage to keep the crew of the Celestia flying, following simple tropes in the early stages (an alien object in the ducts, what can it be?) but gathering confidence and pace as they progress.
Tripp wanting an upgrade to allow her to explore complex emotions and Perry exploring personal relationships, the consequences to the ship and the command crew are profound, forcing them to confront their feelings and their future selves, the cast somehow managing to conceive, develop and wrap up the strands of the complex plot within the allotted time.
An affectionate homage to Star Trek and its associated fandom and the broader worlds of televised science fiction, Starship Improvise does not depend on slavish knowledge of its inspirations though they are apparent to those in the know, an enjoyable and unpredictable trip to the stars were literally anything could happen, at least within the confines of the stage.
Starship Improvise runs at Pleasance Dome until Sunday 21st August
