A Strange and Distant Manor at Orlando Fringe Credit: Courtesy Photo

Travis Ray, the director behind 2017’s improvised Stranger Things spoof, has returned with his troupe to skewer gothic horror conventions in A Strange and Distant Manor, another entertaining exercise in unscripted comedy. Starting with three audience suggestions — “a cave, a Vespa and a fear of spiders,” during the press preview — Ray and company spontaneously compose a credibly creepy tale that’s equal parts silly, spooky and simply strange.

This cast boldly bills themselves as “Orlando’s best improvisers,” and there are certainly several standouts in the ensemble, which is largely assembled from Sak Comedy Lab alumni; Ray shone in the preview performance as the scion of a coal mining dynasty, alongside James Blaisdell as his befuddled boyfriend, Darren Smith as a fishy physician, and especially Marina Russell as an unsettlingly inappropriate uncle.  

Squeezing laughs out of a series of short skits is one thing, but crafting cohesive long-form improvisations is a tricker task. Fortunately, this troupe passes the test, overcoming some low-energy diversions around the 45-minute mark to rally in time for the comically chaotic climax. If I had one critique, it’s that there are two or three too many players, leaving several characters underused as offstage actors visibly crowd the wings, distractingly cackling at their compatriots. 

If you enjoy your improv comedy super-sized and served with a side of screams, don’t stay distant from this mirthfully macabre Manor.

Travis Ray (Altamonte Springs, FL)
Scarlet Venue, Orlando Family Stage
55 minutes; 18 and up
Tickets: $15

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This article appears in Orlando Fringe 2026.