Wandering into Caravanserai yesterday evening, we were bamboozled by the intense thrash metal howling coming from the Luna Parc theatre. Thrilling no doubt, but we were in attendance for something a little less prolapse-inducing.
We headed into the intimate Junk Poets theatre and took our seats for Bla Bla Land, a smart and witty improvised musical from Brighton troupe Tea & Toast. In homage to the Oscar-winning La La Land, the performance is audience-led, taking the cast on an unscripted musical adventure night after night.
Thanks to a destination suggestion from the couple sitting next to us, we were transported to a picturesque Italian walled town, famous for its ice-cream parlour and bell tower. The performers leapt into melodic action and as the show unfolded, we met quirky locals, loathsome villains and would-be ice-cream-crossed lovers. Making up lyrics and melodies on the spot takes expert craft and the cast from Tea & Toast were spot on, never missing a beat.
The performers riffed off each other from song to song as their pianist played along (also completely improvised). We enjoyed drama, tension and plenty of laughs as the cast cleverly weaved an hour-long musical together. It was triumphant, funny and joyful from start to finish.
Having seen and reviewed loads at the Fringe this year we can’t recommend Bla Bla Land enough. We weren’t expecting it to be, but it was definitely our highlight of ‘23. So leave your troubles at the door and go and see the show for an evening of whimsical, Oscar-inspired, musical escapism. Lovely stuff.
By Christina Angus
This is an updated review of the 2023 production, but Brighton’s Tea & Toast Improv are bringing the hilarity back for 2024.
Friday 3rd and Friday 10th May; 6.45pm; from £5
Bleach, upstairs at The Hare and Hounds, 75 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4JF
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