Adopted from the popular 90s short-form improvisational comedy TV show,
Whose Line Is It Anyway?,
Jittery Citizens now brings the local theatrical version to stage, which is known to invoke spontaneous laughter from even the most serious audiences.
Born in Johannesburg in 2012, this new improv company has come just in time to South African stages, when audiences are needing something that’s not only fresh and funny but highly innovative and fast-paced, too.
Jittery Citizens brings it all, from laugh-out-loud in-the-moment one-liners to audience interaction and downright raucous on-stage behaviour.
Three talented and quick-witted South African performers, namely Alex Radnitz, Jessica Taylor and Claudine Ullman, make up the Jittery Citizen troupe, who collectively decided on the name because “we feel it is a good description of South African citizens”.
Their greatest desire is to deliver a genuine improvised experience to audiences. “We want them to feel that we represent everyday people and experiences as well as delving into our fantasy of how we see the world,” says Radnitz.
With the support of some of Johannesburg’s finest and funniest actors, they make up everything on the spot with the audiences feeding them suggestions and ideas. Imagine the pure unadulterated fun when they have to make up comic scenarios dictated by the audience and then switch characters when told to. This and more hilarity makes up a night of
Jittery Citizens.
When the talented trio launched their debut show at the Old Mutual Theatre on the Square in October 2012, their comic antics were received by enthusiastic audiences and rave reviews. The three usual suspects will be joined on stage at The Drill Hall by well-known actors Toni Morkel, Tony Bentel, James Cains, Briony Horwitz, Kyla Davis and Roberto Pombo.
Tickets cost R50 and the show runs at the
National Arts Festival from Thursday, 27 June to Sunday, 7 July, nightly at 22:00.
For more information about the
Jittery Citizens, visit
www.jitterycitizens.com.