CSI: Crime Scene Improvisation is currently in Luxembourg for three shows and a workshop, courtesy of the New World Theatre Club (NWTC).
With their tagline "no one knows who the killer is: not even the cast", this unique and riveting improv production encourages active audience participation, but not by picking on any individual - instead, one of the players get the audience to shout out first names and family names - the more different and outlandish, the better - then occupations and, finally, a murder weapon.
Art Thursday evening's opening performance at the Centre Culturel Altrimenti in Luxembourg city centre, it was Heinz Bean, a cockroach exterminator who died by a woman's scarf. The audience had played their part for a while; now it was up to the cast, with one assuming the role of the detective and the rest being murder suspects. The scene was set and what followed was a madcap 30-40 minutes of clever, witty and revealing improv dialogue and acting.
It was very amusing indeed and, at times, downright hilarious. There was no stuttering nor hesitation anong the actors who took it in turns, either solo or with another actor, to act out short scenes, the content of which both linked to what had come before, and also revealed more of their character.
Then it was the time for the audience to become involved again, with the detective encouraging questions from the audience to each of the suspects. In the end, it was the audience who chose the killer.
From start to finish it was just 60 minutes, but so much fun was packed into that hour... The cast then shared in dialogue with the audience who enquired as to rehearsals, character development, timing, etc. - well worth staying behind for.
There are still a few tickets left for Friday's and Saturday's performances (20:00 @ Centre Culturel Altrimenti).
For details and tickets (€15; NWTC members €12; students €10), from email: Tickets@nwtc.lu or tel 356339.
See www.nwtc.lu for further details.
