SHOWSTOPPER! The Improvised Musical rolled into York on Thursday, bringing drama, dancing and laughter on its latest British tour.

Described as a must-see fixture of the Edinburgh Fringe for the past ten years, the Olivier Award-winning show has gone on to enjoy both a West End run and a series on BBC Radio 4.

The concept of Showstopper! is disarmingly simple. The show leans heavily on requests to the audience to flesh out the details, with the method of selection involving taking suggestions and then subjecting them to a cheering/laughter-based voting system.

It’s delightfully involving, whether you want to contribute or just sit back and enjoy the performance, especially with actor Sean McCann leading you through the process. Thus, the stage was set for I Wish I’d Left Earlier, a ridiculous tale of desire, ambition and revenge, set in ancient Pompeii.

The hilarious spectacle of a funk introduction to life in Pompeii, a Cats-inspired ode to Fred the Stick Collector or an operatic quartet piece espousing the virtues of a small, highly anachronistic West Midlands pub inside Mount Vesuvius took hold with immediate effect.

The cast, and especially the musicians, acquitted themselves marvellously in bringing the audience’s ideas to life. The breadth of skill on display was jaw-dropping, to say nothing of the fact that the whole thing was uproariously funny throughout, but it also dispelled the notion that you’re just watching on-stage Mad Libs where a "blank" walks into a "blank". It’s organised chaos of the most original kind.

Showstopper! The Improvised Musical is a triumph of making it up as you go along. Anyone with a fondness for either comedy or musicals will find plenty to enjoy.