Bunnings is certainly having a moment right now, with the sold-out Bunnings Warehouse rave taking over Preston in August and now, an improvised comedy about the sausage sizzle gods has arrived at Melbourne Fringe Festival.
Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning, an improvised show about the cult of DIY, is clever, hilarious and downright absurd. If you haven’t seen improv before, then it may be hard to imagine that it could be anything more than ten strangers with social anxiety chanting “Yes, and” in a circle. However, long-form improv puts the emphasis on storytelling and if done well, you’re left with a polished hour-long show where each character arc is tied up neatly(ish) in the show’s finale.
Well that’s exactly what happens in Lowest Prices Are Just The Beginning. The red polo-clad staff who work for an unidentified DIY shop (*cough* it’s Bunnings *cough*) embark on a DIY journey inspired by an audience suggestion, which eventually comes back around full circle.
Upon entry into North Melbourne’s Club Voltaire, audience members write down their “dream DIY project”, which will become the inspiration for that night’s show. Whoever wrote “dripping tap” as a suggestion definitely has a sick sense of humour, but the improvised story that evolved from it did not disappoint (although, I’m still gutted that my suggestion of “Liam Payne cloning device” didn’t make the cut).
What unfolded was a hodge-podge of piss jokes, horny staff members, virgin staff members and heinous one-liners that remind us this is indeed, all made up. That’s why improv is so hilarious, because nobody knows what is about to happen next – not even the improviser.
Nobody in the audience could be prepared for the nephew of the store manager pissing his pants and an older employee slipping in it. Or, the manager trying to seem hip by referring to “Google Bing” and “Ask Geeves” as normal internet things that the youth understand.
And absolutely no one could be prepared for the young lady putting her hands in the piss and calling it “art”. But that’s improv, baby.
Lowest Prices Are Just the Beginning is the most horrible play you’ve ever seen, but because it’s improvised – you can’t help but be in awe of it all.
This improvised show is playing at Club Voltaire until October 20 and tickets are available over here.
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