(To learn more about this show, please visit the show’s page here)

Performance 6/11/26 – Portland Stage Studio

AN HOUR OF IMPROV? At a Fringe festival? That sounds like a daring prospect for performers, but honestly, maybe even more so for audiences. The lottery system at a fringe festival is a wonderful thing, of course, but it always brings the chance of finding yourself chained to a chair for an hour watching a cringe fest that nobody vetted. So when you see a show title like AN HOUR OF IMPROV, you have to ask yourself – am I willing to take the risk?

Fortunately, in this case, you don’t have to. Tandem Tricycle has the goods. Thursday night they were funny, polished, and kept the crowd with them. It is often the case that during AN HOUR OF IMPROV a narrative can stall a bit, but if you’re lucky that’s the fun part. The performers earned my trust such that I was rooting for them to find their way out of inevitable comic dilemmas, which they generally did. The prompt from the audience was “candelabra.” Turns out they ignored it. I didn’t care. I was laughing quite a lot, so what’s to care about? I would say definitely go see them, but because every show is different you never know what you are going to get. Are you willing to take the risk?

Submitted on 6/12/26 by Mark Shaughnessy, PF26 Independent Review Team

Performance 6/13/26 – Portland Stage Studio

Opening with a banging soundtrack and hellos that had the audience begging for more in the first few seconds, I instantly knew this was going to be a good time.

Using one randomized audience generated prompt question to fill the full 60 minutes, ‘An hour of improv with Tandem Tricycle’ hit it out of the park. Set in a doctors office and working with the keyword of ‘seahorses’ during the performance I had the privilege of seeing, each actor played multiple characters expertly. Riffing off each other in just the right places, the troupes’ reaction and memorization to the curveballs of interactive improv kept the audience engaged the full hour. With great chemistry and the use of the stage apparent to all, everyone in attendance was clearly having a good time in between belly laughs and happy tears.

A definite good time and a unique experience guaranteed at each performance, this is a show I would highly recommend you see. Turn down for what? Absolutely nothing.

Submitted on 6/13/26 by Christina W. Richardson, PF26 Independent Review Team

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THIS. IS. HOW. YOU. DO. IMPROV.

There is a common misconception about doing improv: if you’re “making it up on the spot”, it means you don’t need to rehearse or prepare the same way you would a scripted piece. I cannot emphasize enough how 1- how false that sentiment is, and 2- how this is not the case for the Tandem Tricycle Gang. To wax poetical for a moment: improv is an incredible tool for storytelling: short form and long form teach artists how to listen, to sustain, and to truly play with every single element that builds a successful story. Good improv feels effortless while taking the audience through a clear narrative, yet not shying away from bold choices and surprises.

Tandem Tricycle is GREAT improv. From the very beginning, this trio set the stage (teehee) for fun: these three clearly love this art form, but also just as clearly are attuned to each other, and they took the stage to “Turn Down For What”. This type of trust and awareness comes from the practice. Our scene began with a few minutes of silence while each actor sat, thought, observed, and settled before launching in. Silence can feel scary on stage, but sitting in the nuance and wheels turning was a delight; it built anticipation, and I personally just love watching artists think like this.

Oh! And because each show is different, you can keep returning and get something entirely new AND I get to talk about ours! Our word to inspire the scene: seahorse. What happened: three siblings in a pediatrician’s waiting room overcame existential dread and familial scandal to mutiny against home-wrecking doctor, in a tale that justifiably ends in murder. Youngest sibling Johnny’s spontaneous, open mouthed cough is maybe concerning, but also totally getting better, and 100% the most accurate detail to establish that someone is portraying a child. The middle sister, the self-appointed Matriarch since mom is elsewhere, fights with all of her might to keep her family together. Oldest brother Chuck quietly carries the burden of being the oldest child while trying to mask that he’s wildly ill-prepared for this role.

This adventure was hilarious, yes. It was also supremely touching and earnest, not only relying on the jokes and bits to build the narrative. Our older siblings helped Johnny practice for the examination table so he wouldn’t be afraid. They regrounded themselves around the waiting room aquarium, where those sea horses (a close family unit, do you get it??) peacefully lived their lives among their aquatic buddies. Implied symbolism without hitting us over the head with it in a scene they are making up ON THE SPOT and sustaining for 60 MINUTES. C’mon. I’ve seen less fully realized characters, plot, and concept in pieces that have taken months to create and they did this on the spot. THAT’S WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT BAYBEE.

Anyway. No one wants a blow-by-blow recount of an improv show to someone who didn’t see it, because it will not translate, so I will refrain from this impulse (but also this totally hilarious choice was made–). SO. I will leave you with: “When he says hi to me, I’m gonna cough right in his mouth.” May this sentiment give us all some extra strength in this weird twilight zone of “reality” we’re navigating.

Daniel, Kate, Brendan: Congratulations, you hilarious and brilliant hooligans. Everyone else: TREAT YO SELF to an excellent show.

Submitted on 6/15/26 by Allison McCall, PF26 Independent Review Team