The guys and gals from Scriptease have put together an excellent impro show about the lives and drama’s of some of Harry Potter’s most overlooked characters. With a different character every night and over 170 to choose from, any Potter-head is almost guaranteed to be entertained.

Jarrad, whose enthusiasm is contagious, hosts the show. He introduces the other cast members on stage and explains how the show will work. While he speaks, the Goblet of Fire is brought out and three audience members are asked to draw a name from the goblet, and from those names, the audience indicated by cheering which story they wanted to hear. The show that I saw was about Phineas Nigellus Black, and gave some real insight into the most disliked headmaster that Hogwarts ever had.

Nigellus’ story was quite a simple one. Pressured by his parents who wanted to maintain their pureblood Slytherin line and high social standing, Black was an ardent rule-follower and aimed to please. He even made an unbreakable vow with his mother that he would become the next Hogwarts Headmaster and thereby live up to their high expectations of gaining a position of influence in the wizarding world.

Instead of risking death by angry fans screaming about the cannon, the players appointed a crowd member to be ‘guardian’ and honk a horn if they said anything out of line (e.g. discussing mobile phones or light bulbs). This was a great way to avoid the inevitable criticism of mishaps in the performance.

Each performer acted in a variety of roles including teachers, students, and family members. Despite their lack of costuming each character was readily distinguished from the actor’s other characters by their stances, voices, and mannerisms. These actors worked well to characterise themselves, and the entire performance ran smoothly despite being improvised.

You cannot love the wizarding world of Harry Potter without being able to enjoy a show like this. Scriptease are hilarious on stage and will certainly satisfy your needs when it comes to Harry Potter related puns.