Despite their individual popularity, “original” and “true crime” are not two genres you generally want to witness overlapping. Improteater IMPEERIUM’s newest show format, Kriminull, however, allows you to enter an entirely new world each night, where the audience decides the details of the crime, but watching how the investigation unfolds is the real story. 

A quick rundown for anyone not super familiar with the format: Improvisational theatre creates new shows at each performance using a framework that involves different levels of audience input. People might be familiar with television shows such as  Whose Line Is It Anyway?, which is based around a series of mostly disconnected short-form games played by a rotating cast of four actors, focused on delivering original, topical, and occasionally self-referential scenes, using prompts, characters, or scenarios from the audience.

On the other hand there’s long-form improv, like that being produced by Improteater IMPEERIUM, where said rotating crew of actors use a selection of those same games and frameworks to develop a deeper narrative. Only at the beginning of each act is the audience consulted for details and new twists; instead of being treated as a game show, improv of this form tilts more dramatic, though not necessarily towards theatre. The quick responsiveness demanded from improv games and gestures – for example, an actor “tapping in” to a scene to replace another, forcing their scene partner to adapt in character – can easily lend itself to the rapid cut scenes and montages more familiar in edited video formats.

Over the course of two hours, this night’s cast – Merilin Kirbits, Rauno Kaibiainen, Erki Aule and Maarika Mesipuu-Veebel – builds an entire narrative world around a scenario supplied by the audience at the very beginning: Kriminull is a murder mystery, and the audience chooses the victim, the murderer, and the actors that portray them, as well as the location and cause of death. But knowing the end never spoiled a good story, and Kriminull follows the unfolding investigation into the murder through the eyes of the chief detective – whose actor is also chosen by the audience.

Improv theatre is by its nature dependent on both the verbal and physical swiftness of its actors, but whether you’re quick to catch puns or, like myself, working with a non-native grasp of the language, the narrative and humour are easily digested. The tighter and more familiar a troupe is with one another also smooths the delivery, making Kriminull a stand-out caper. On the premiere evening, Erki Aule’s wearied, dutiful-son detective was assigned to the case, the rest of the cast playing an assortment of roles beyond murderer and murdered, from old colleagues to romantic interests to strategically-important shrubbery. Playing with non-linear storylines and deeper motivations, the cast made us witness to the dramatic, hilarious unravelling of both the mystery and the detective himself.

Special credit is owed to the sound (Madis Kreevan) and lighting design (Mario Saarik), whose work was just as inventive and essential to the developing story. Not only were they able to respond in the moment to the action on the stage, but they also set up circumstances for the cast to react to, as though music and light were themselves actors, making choices that required quick-thinking to shift the narrative and follow through on improv’s traditional motto: “Yes, and…” 

Even if you don’t speak Estonian, improv often translates well enough physically to follow and enjoy, and maybe pick up a word or two along the way. If you are learning Estonian, it’s a fantastic crash course in everything from classic characters to intonation and inflection, with a solid side of impeccably-timed delivery. And for the truly daring and sufficiently advanced, they even offer improv training courses – it’ll be a while before I find myself ready for those, but I’ll definitely be enjoying more shows while building skills and confidence with the language.

As the newest show format in IMPEERIUM’s repertoire, there will be plenty of opportunities to catch – and help create – another original true-crime mystery, with the next production on 6 November swapping three of the actors and letting others in the troupe have a crack at the format. Not interested in true crime? IMPEERIUM’s other show formats include musical theatre, realism, and sketch comedy with celebrity guests.

Kriminull promo image
Laurie
Author: Laurie

Laurie likes alliteration, ambiance, and lists with three things.

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