Three performers. Two fighters. One winner. The (Improvised) Hunger Games is here.

The Quarter Quell is an improvised version of The Hunger Games that, instead of focusing on the socio-political representations of late stage capitalism in an uncaring world, opts to showcase the sheer absurdity of the games themselves. It’s a non-stop series of phenomenally structured pieces that form a hilarious and cohesive whole.

Flicker Cesarman, played by Campbell Wright, introduces us to the concept of The Hunger Games, just in case there’s anybody who hasn’t yet heard of the setting. It’s short and sweet without delaying the fun stuff for too long. Austin Harrison and Millie Osborne then fill the stage with their massive personalities and treat us to a series of characters, most of which we are about to see die over the course of the next 50 minutes.

From there, the show is broken up into the beats of a typical Hunger Games media cycle. You’ve got interviews with the tributes, the reaping, the showcase of skills, everything that a Hunger Games fan could possibly want in a show. The trick that The Mad Hatters have up their sleeves is that each one of these semi-contained bits is excellently devised and provides a unique game that keeps the audience completely engaged throughout. It’s also an excellent trick for pacing as you’re always certain what part of the story you’re in and what is left to look forward to. It’s a beat perfect parody.

Adding to the immersion is the tech and music, manned by Malcolm Morrison and Ben Kelly respectively. Morrison reprises his tech from It Came From Beyond the Script and it’s so much cleaner now. The images projected onto the back of the stage capture the scene without being overbearing, sound cues punctuate deaths with impact, and even fight scenes are given respect in the form of foley from slicing knives and swinging punches. This, coupled with the music played by Kelly, who always knows when to drop a tune, provides an immersive experience that needs to be experienced first hand.

And everybody is just so engaged.

The audience loves every moment of this show. The performers find new games within the games they’ve set up, and before long, everyone is echoing their words as they find themselves talking to ghosts in caves. This is my favourite kind of improv, where the audience is treated as a character in the world that’s being built. Audience members are called to the stage in a way that is safe and inviting, since only people the performers are closely familiar with are at risk. There’s an implicit level of trust that’s been earned here, and whilst I’m not sure if that level of audience participation could be extended to those who are aren’t personal friends of the performers, I have no doubt that it would be done so in a safe, secure way.

And that’s because the performers themselves are so fun to be around. Wright‘s Cesarman is a devilishly charming MC who makes great use of Wright’s Roll For Initiative experience to keep the story moving in a fun and spontaneous way. He never feels out of control of the narrative and maintains the story’s throughline for the entire show. Osborne is hot, showcasing a full range of emotions and juggling so many characters at once. She consistently fleshes out the world she inhabits and prioritises relationship building for her characters. When one of them bites the bullet, the audience is audibly upset. Harrison rounds out the cast with a series of great movements to distinguish each of his characters. Each one has a unique presence which makes it so easy to tell which one he’s embodying at any given time, even though his characters undergo the most interesting arcs. He’s a master of change and his instincts allow him to tell amazing stories which just a shift of his arms.

If that cast feels a little small, that’s because it is. I’d love to have seen an extra person or two, just to really sell us on the fact that 23 people die over the course of the games. Essentially, I’m being selfish and asking for more, which is a testament to how good the execution is.

The Quarter Quell is a gold standard improv show. The performers have fantastic chemistry in a format that’s intelligently designed to keep the audience laughing. There is a cornucopia of talent here that’s just overflowing like crazy, and any semi-serious Hunger Games fan owes it to themselves to check out this show this week -eek -eek -eek (That’s an echo, you had to be there omg)

Disclosure: As a somewhat active member of the Wellington performing arts community, I am quite familiar with a number of the performers in this show.
Having said that, I am not a liar, and there is zero bias in my reviews, shut up.

Also, tickets were provided to me for free by the production. Literally changes nothing, though.