It’s hard to believe a West End-quality musical could be created entirely on the spot in just over an hour— but that’s exactly what happened at the Pleasance Courtyard with Showstopper! The Improvised Musical. This year’s Fringe performance, produced by Pyromaniac, was built from scratch before our eyes, shaped entirely by audience suggestions.
On this night, the crowd offered Arthur’s Seat as the setting. From that, the cast spun Hot Seat, a riotously inventive tale set on Edinburgh’s most famous hill. The musical styles chosen by the audience were an eclectic trio: the propulsive rap and rhythmic storytelling of Hamilton, the lush romance of South Pacific, and the soaring, defiant anthems of Wicked.
From the first scene, the show moved with electric energy. One minute we were in the middle of a tightly choreographed rap battle between rival hill goers ; the next, swept into a tender South Pacific-style duet overlooking the city. Each shift in style felt effortless, with the live band changing gears so smoothly you’d swear they had rehearsed it for months.
Although Showstopper! can fill the stage with a full complement of 20 performers and a 10-piece band, the version we saw at the Pleasance had a more intimate set-up: 8 actors and 3 musicians. The smaller scale brought a different kind of energy — looser, warmer, and more collaborative. With fewer people on stage, each performer’s presence felt magnified, and the band’s nimbleness kept the music fresh and reactive, able to change pace or style at the slightest provocation. The result was a show that felt both tightly knit and wide open to possibility — a reminder that this company’s magic doesn’t depend on numbers, but on the way its players work together in the moment.
Then came the shift. The “fire” spoke. Not with a shout, but in a slow, measured voice, the two performers gave the blaze a consciousness. It told of the travellers it had guided, the legends it had burned into memory, the nights it had illuminated and the days it had consumed. The on-stage narrator, usually directing the story, found himself listening as intently as the audience. For a moment, the show belonged entirely to this elemental presence until we all fell apart laughing as their intertwining scarves and choreography fell apart hysterically.
The cast reprised the night’s themes in a big Wicked-style closer.
Verdict: Showstopper! Hot Seat was more than just a clever display of improvisation. It was a vivid reminder that live theatre — especially at the Fringe — can combine comedy, music, and pure visual poetry in ways that surprise and move an audience. With clever and talented performers like this with wit and skill galore, this was one night on Arthur’s Seat we’ll never climb again, but will remember for years to come. Showstopper! plays daily throughout the festival . Grab a ticket if you can.
Reviewer - Kathryn Gorton
On 13th August 2025
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