FALLOUT FRINGE FESTIVAL 2026-Day 20

By Erik Engman

Author, Clown and Improvisation Teacher, Theatre Critic EatMoreArtVegas.com

IG: ErikReviewsVegas

Here is my final review of the final new show, with only two more days left in the Fallout Fringe Festival! This has been an amazing festival, and I hope you have enjoyed my reviews, whether or not you agreed with them. Can’t wait until next year! There’s still time to catch these final shows tonight and tomorrow, but act quickly because I suspect they’ll sell out quickly. You can access the full schedule at www.falloutfringe.org/schedule.

Shakespeare the Musical! By the ensemble      

Delicious ★★★★★

Improvisation as an art form is hit-or-miss for me. I’ve had the good fortune to see some of the best players at Second City and the Groundlings (many of whom went on to SNL or sitcoms), at a taping of Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and, now, in the ensemble for Shakespeare the Musical! Yes, I’m putting them in that category because this show was incredible. When you enter, four buckets labeled Characters, Confessions, Dialogue, and Music are on stage. The audience is encouraged to fill out notecards for those categories. Once the show starts, we are introduced to many characters. Who? Whoever was filled out on the card. Sometimes they sang. What genre? Whatever was written on the card. Same with confessions and random lines of dialogue. All of this was incorporated into the scenes and justified. This is basically an hour-long version of the games “Whose Line?” and “Greatest Hits.” But what makes this work are the three players - Brad Sherwood, Paul Mattingly, and Matt Donnelly. Seriously, some of the best improv I’ve ever seen, and that’s not hyperbole. And I can’t forget the incredible musical stylings of Spadoni, who easily kept up with random genres like Swedish Death Metal, Rap, Ragtime, and Jazz Fusion. I laughed so much my face hurt as they effortlessly, yes,and-ed their way through strange characters, situations, and out-of-nowhere audience suggestions. And, being an improvisation teacher myself, watching their technique was a masterclass in the art form. What a fantastic way to end the Fallout Fringe. This is an amazing display of improvisation done right.

@ Vegas Theatre Company: June 24 and 25