Laughing and Wanting More: ‘All-Inclusive Comedy’
A show so hilarious and chaotic, my mouth was left sore from smiling too much. This past Friday night, I made my way over to catch All-Inclusive Comedy, an improv performance by Wilding and Tony Babcock.
Wilding and Tony’s enthusiasm is infectious. From the moment they are onstage, they draw all attention. I am referring to them by their first names because as the show progressed, I saw them more as friends rather than performers. This is achieved through fantastic crowd work and the setting’s warmness.
The audience interaction is incredible to watch. In between improv games or scenes, each performer talks to the audience and asks them questions. This in itself creates hilarious moments but also provides Wilding and Tony with material. After a few minutes of talking to the audience, they seamlessly transition into either an improv game or a scene, using the audience in their stories as characters. This seamless transition demonstrates their undeniable chemistry. The duo bounce jokes off each other effortlessly and even when not on the same page, are able to still get a laugh out of the situation.
The structure of the show is also interesting as it is an improv performance with a little twist. Given this is an improv show, both Wilding and Tony are creating these scenes on the fly. However, they also do not know what games they are going to play next—I guess you can say they are improv-ing improv? They decide the games they are going to play then and there. This is cause for what some might call “organized chaos”, but in a good way. The chaos always comes full circle with callbacks from other scenes or even other shows.
Being a comedy show, one might wonder if it is suitable for children. To that, I say absolutely. Wilding and Tony try to keep it PG but audience suggestions sometimes veer things in a more mature comedic direction. However, when it does veer this way, it is done so with caution, using things such as sexual innuendos that would go over most children’s heads.
All-Inclusive Comedy is an hilarious improv show by the immensely talented Wilding and Tony Babcock. It is a show for everyone and will have you laughing the whole way through.
More information on ‘All-Inclusive Comedy’ can be found on their Facebook page.
This review was edited on November 28th, 2023 to update editorial changes and was edited on December 1st, 2023 to update formatting.