Imagine this offsite conference icebreaker:

After a day of flowcharts and visioning, facilitated by a CEO wearing a conservative suit and professional demeanor, the evening showcases that same CEO in a gangster costume, being taught the Charleston for an impromptu dance contest.

The one-dimensional corporate image will never be the same.

When employees come together for business purposes, the team is strengthened and the lessons remembered - if the work is mingled with pleasure.

That's the driving concept at Ken Atkinson Musical Productions (KAMP), a company that provides interactive dinner theatre shows for corporate functions.

"It lends a certain unifying effect," says Atkinson, a professional dancer and choreographer, who started KAMP in 1985, when employment opportunities dwindled at the CBC and CTV due to budget cuts and a broken union.

"They take home the fun of the show which also tends to help them take home what they've learned."

When members of the leadership team take a larger part in the proceedings, it also provides role models that help further a company's dedication to a healthy life-work balance for employees.

A gangster theme shows up in 'Al Capone's Birthday.'

It's one of KAMP's five musical productions that incorporates dinner into the storyline. Set in a 1929 speakeasy, all guests (conference goers and actors alike) are invited to a surprise party for the famous gangster. First, they must gain entrance to the event. Typically, this is allowed only after saying 'Eddie sent me' to the bouncer on the other side of the door with the sliding window.

An extensive sound system and discreet microphones allow the entire group to hear the plot unfold. Non-actors are regularly invited into the action either by chance or by design. They can decide for themselves how involved they want to become.

"They often rent costumes or fashion something out their own wardrobes. And, they will make up stuff, like names, to play along," says Atkinson. "The audience entertains itself by becoming the characters we want them to be."

A few also have the chance to play a larger role. At one point in the play, Capone decides it's time to eat, and places an order for the entire group (in keeping, with the event planner's catering needs).

One guest stands up and challenges Capone's unilateral decision.

"I don't beef," he could assert. "I want fish!" Capone's henchmen escort the troublemaker outside where he is roughed up.

Later, much to the delight of his colleagues, he returns disheveled, bruised and carrying a rubber fish in his mouth.

The show could be scheduled on the first night of a conference, as an icebreaker for a group of people who don't know each other well, or at the end of the function to finish on a high point for closer collegues.

Either way, shared laughter builds their relationships.

Atkinson says he often gets a call a year or more after performing at a conference from companies who want to re-book KAMP for a Christmas party or other social function.

The people he talks to report that memories of the evening still spark laughter around the office.

KAMP also offers two Columbo-style murder mysteries, a return to poodle skirts in a 1050s-inspired musical, and a cozy evening in a neighbourhood pub. All shows offer lavish production numbers and a lot of laughter. More information about the group can be found on its website: www.kamp.ca