Reviewed by Tatum Stafford
Before even setting foot into the performance venue, the premise of ‘Love Slaps’, presented by Elise Wilson and Tamara Creasey, had me very excited about what we were in for.
Love Slaps is an all-female, improvised show that takes its audience on a romantic and absurdly funny adventure, with a twist: at each show, one of the performers will be slapped.
The show kicks off with a bang with a hilarious parody (complete with sassy choreo) of “Love Shack”, aptly edited to “Love Slaps”, and we were introduced to Elise, Tamara, and their guest performer for the evening (I sadly didn’t catch their name but they were absolutely fantastic!). We were also introduced to Maddie on the keys, whose improvised numbers set the tone for the show’s scenework and whiplash-fast scene changes.
After taking a few suggestions from the audience (a love story set in an art gallery, where the dealbreaker for the couple is ‘men’), the show kicked off and we were whisked into hilarious scenes where Elise, Tamara and their guest played multiple characters in all sorts of wacky scenarios.
The chemistry between all three performers was palpable and so much fun to watch. Their improvisation skills are razor sharp, and it was a delight watching them make and accept offers, no matter how ridiculous.
Maddie’s accompaniment on the keys was a fantastic addition to the show, and gave it plenty of layers when more ‘emotional’ scenes played out. Conversely, her rendition of “Love Shack” that played through each of the scene changes gave the audience plenty to bounce along to.
This was a really great show with plenty of fun, and lots for people of all ages to giggle at. Highly recommend giving it a look, and I hope they make a return for Fringe 2024 as I’d love to head back and see it with another person from their suite of guest performers.
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