Anyone who saw the live improvised comedy show Sin City last season and is expecting the same visual experience this time around is going to be surprised, to say the least.
The show, now in its second season, is tackling a whole new era with this season, according to director/producer Ian Ferguson. They were living in the past before, but now they’re going back even further.
“We went from 1984 with big hair and Jordache jeans, bright colours, and Flock of Seagulls haircuts to the ‘30s with the dustbowl and many, many shenanigans,” he says.
But one thing remains a central focus in Sin City: music, all of which is improvised. Ferguson says that the musicians who are performing at the show are making everything up as the production unfolds, which can be just as entertaining.
“The music is a huge part of the show,” he says. “They are improvising a live score, so if we are having a serious scene or a love scene they’ll totally set the mood and then they’ll change it up when we’re being really goofy.”
Actress/producer Kirsten Van Ritzen (who jokes that Ferguson is “kind of like an evil puppet master”) says that season two – which is set in the 1930s during the depression, with the characters portraying a band of mischievous travelling carnies who rip people off – will feature no shortage of on-the-spot musical numbers from the cast as well as the musicians.
“We also do improvised songs,” she says, “and usually those just happen spontaneously.”
The overarching concept behind Sin City is that it’s an entirely improvised comedy soap opera spanning the duration of 24 weekly episodes.
Each episode’s plot continues where the previous left off and lasts approximately two hours, containing a full cast of experienced local actors, comedians, and musicians.
And for those audience members who miss some shows, the characters introduce each performance with a mini monologue explaining the plot to new viewers. This way, no one misses out on any of the good times that Sin City is offering this season.
“It’s just terrific fun; its addictive, really,” says Ferguson. “I think it’s probably, for your buck, the most fun you’ll have.”
Sin City
7:30 pm, preview October 18; show every Tuesday, October 25-April 17 (excluding December 27, January 3 and January 10)
$10-$15
Victoria Event Centre
sincityimprov.com