Judge Moody offers an improvised comedy court case at the Camden Fringe 2024 at the Hen & Chickens Theatre
“The judgement is final”
There’s a whole lotta improv playing at the 2024 Camden Fringe so to stand out, you gotta get a gimmick as some composer or other once said. Judge Moody have alighted on our enduring fascination with legal thrillers for theirs, the pun in the name referencing the infamous US reality show in this field which fortunately doesn’t really feature so much in the presentation with its staged outrageousness.
Here, the company slide into the hour with an informal chat with the audience, drawing out biographical details from the most willing participant who has a grievance that they’re willing to share. And from there, the judge arrives, accuser and defendant take their seats and the court comes into session, prosecuting a case initially based on the details we’ve just heard but spinning off on tangents as only improv can.
The quick-witted and quick-thinking set of performers have great fun in the early stages, riffing on the life and times of the perfect yet humble Julio, all sunflower-growing, El Salvadorean food-making, suit-fearing charm. On the other side of the courtroom is his partner Ariana and if there was any weakness in the show, it was that it took a very long time for it to become clear what the actual dispute was between husband and wife.
Once that clarity kicked in though and the freedom to spin off into way left field was fully embraced, the comedy really exploded, particularly in the rapid-fire reactions to things going slightly awry, the company gleefully willing to jump on any mistake made by a colleague and get the big laugh. I’d still argue that a little more tightness around the case itself would benefit everyone but this was still a good time.
