Merry/Happy/Jolly brings bundles of audience-directed holiday cheer to The Improv Centre
In festive new show created by Jalen Saip, the plot is propelled almost entirely by viewer suggestions
(Left to right) Jalen Saip, Will Vaughan, Della Haddock, and John Voth in Merry/Happy/Jolly. Photo by Chelsey Stuyt
The Improv Centre presents Merry/Happy/Jolly from November 21 to December 29
MERRY, HAPPY, AND JOLLY are three synonyms that perfectly describe that sparkly feeling of holiday cheer a person might get when they’re sipping a steaming mug of peppermint hot cocoa while listening to Michael Bublé croon festive tunes, or decorating a tree for the season with twinkling fairy lights and handmade ornaments, or opening presents with family while the yule log channel plays on TV (it’s a modern-day staple).
All those warm, fuzzy feelings—plus a stocking full of laughs—is what The Improv Centre’s artistic director Jalen Saip wanted to encompass when she created the aptly titled show Merry/Happy/Jolly. Running from November 21 to December 29, the production is an ultimate choose-your-own-adventure story for audiences, who will get to decide every important detail of the festive plotline.
There’s no telling whether what plays out on-stage will be as heartwarming as Love Actually, or chock-full of enough quirky antics to rival National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation—and that’s the sheer fun of it all.
“I am such a little Christmas baby,” Saip tells Stir over a phone call before the show’s premiere. “I love holiday shows, I love Christmas specials. And I think that where most of our comedy comes from—and I don’t just mean at The Improv Centre, I just mean culturally—is real-life experience, and from the funny truth of everyday life. So for this show in particular, we’re playing it honestly as characters. And I think that the funny mishaps that happen throughout the holidays, whether it’s in relationships, or in work situations, or even just in interactions with other people, is what’s going to make this both relatable to the audience and also a lot of fun.”
Jalen Saip.
One thing that remains consistent each time Merry/Happy/Jolly is performed is the setting. In the first half of the show, everything takes place in a small town, and viewers get to dictate what goes down there. Then for the second half, The Improv Centre’s actors take those suggestions and flip them over to a big-city setting to switch things up. Audiences will have their say as to which locale they prefer; and of course, they’ll determine everything that happens within those parameters, such as who the villain and love interest of the story will be.
“It’s going to really depend on what they’re feeling and what they’re enjoying,” Saip says. “So we are really just going off of where their instinct is in terms of what’s going to make the story work, and then we have to make it work.”
Each night will feature a rotating cast of five from The Improv Centre’s 30-person ensemble. As the show’s creator, Saip will be hosting opening night on November 21 to kick things off, and then throughout the run she’ll alternate between hosting and playing different characters.
The Improv Centre usually wraps their annual holiday show on Christmas Eve, but this time, audiences can also catch Merry/Happy/Jolly in the week leading up to New Year’s Eve (and then there’s NYE at TIC on December 31 to ring in 2025 with laughter—plus a dessert bar, candy buffet, and photo booth).
“I just like the mood in the room during our holiday shows,” Saip says fondly. “People are often there with family members as a holiday event, or a special thing that they’re doing to celebrate together, and I think it changes the energy. People are there for a good time. They want to enjoy some levity and laughter, and the people they love, and I like being a part of that. I like contributing to the joy of the season. And I think all of our cast members really enjoy being part of a memorable experience over the holidays.” 
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