UVic theatre alum skillfully combines music, humour, and quick thinking in recent one-man show
Photo courtesy of Ryan Kniel.
Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre recently hosted TOO BAD, a one-man improvised western/noir/science fiction show set loosely in the world of the anime series Cowboy Bebop.
Set to Cowboy Bebop’s jazz-infused soundtrack — created by Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts — and told in short, five- to 10-minute bursts, TOO BAD takes its audience across the stars in a variety of self-contained stories.
On opening night, performer Ryan Kniel — an alum of UVic’s theatre department — showed his improv chops, asking the audience about their expectations based on the show’s various genres, which he then used in some of the scenes. Kniel’s improvisational work was quick, and most importantly, so was his ability to get the audience engaged.
TOO BAD’s comedic stories are front-loaded, with the more serious topics appearing later — but Kniel is able to get the audience on his characters’ side, whether through sympathy, comedy, or both.
The soundtrack overall does most of the scene setting by establishing the mood, with only brief moments of exposition about which planet each story takes place on. The stories alternate between the music introducing the scene and Kniel doing so when he enters the stage, with the music following his lead.
Both Kniel and Ciarán Volke on Direction/Tech are remarkably quick to set the scene and play off of each other. The frequent inclusions of sound effects by Volke never interrupt or detract from the flow of the scene, because Kniel is quick to adjust on the fly.
Volke’s touch also shows up in the lighting, with the use of spotlights at certain parts of the stage, and a blend of colours in the background. Paired with the music, Volke’s lighting work goes a long way to setting the mood, and is often used to great comedic effect. In one scene, brightening and dimming the lights was used to reveal and hide Kniel’s face during a dramatic moment.
There were a few times when Kniel broke character in the more ridiculous scenes, but he always recovered quickly. Given that it is an improvised production, it may not be as smooth or as structured as a scripted one — but that isn’t the point of a show like this. Like any classic noir work, the appeal is the vibe.
TOO BAD is at its strongest when it’s working off of audience expectations and setting up a mood. Ranging from the classic femme fatale to a game show, a deal gone wrong between two different gangs, a captain stranded on an alien planet, and, in a particularly ridiculous scenario, Kniel wandering the audience, prop gun in hand, asking audience members “Have you committed any crimes?” Kniel and Volke work quickly and skillfully — no matter the scene — to introduce the audience to it, establish it, and then subvert it and deliver the conclusion.
Overall, the characters in each short scene aren’t particularly deep, but again, they don’t have to be. What matters is getting the audience on board with the premise and getting a reaction, and Kniel really knows how to engage the audience — and uses audience participation to great effect. Involving the audience with the prompts helps to build this relationship quickly, and allows Kniel to effectively play within that space.
TOO BAD captures the tone of its inspirations, and takes the audience on a highly enjoyable journey. If you have the chance to see Kniel and Volke collaborate again in the future, I highly recommend that you do.
