The Melbourne International Comedy Festival
National Theatre, St Kilda
Reviewed on April 9, 2011
Watch the clock and walk the acting high – wire in 10 seconds flat.
The legendary composer and lyricist, Stephen Sondheim, was recently quoted for disapproving that Gypsy, a show he created with Arthur Laurents, is being filmed yet again. He said, “you want a record because the theatre is ephemeral. But that’s wrong. The theatre’s greatest essence is that it is ephemeral. You don’t need a record.”
Improvisation is a critical part of any professional actor’s training.
Schools such as NIDA and WAAPA encourage students to think on their feet, experiment with the intricacies of character development, and learn how to thrive in the moment. Therefore, it was only a matter of time before this classroom exercise would be developed into the full – blown interactive phenomenon known today as Theatresports.
The Calgary based, Canadian theatre director, Keith Johnstone, came up with the idea 35 years ago. He wanted to create a competitive theatrical format that took opposing teams of actors, getting them to perform short scenes based on audience suggestions, which in turn would be rated by a panel of expert judges. Games include such madcap titles as Emotional Rollercoaster, Word at a Time Story, Typewriter, Paper Chase, Status Switch, and Guess My Word.
Theatresports enjoyed a brief, but successful run on ABC TV back in the 1980s, kick-starting the careers of Andrew Denton, Glenn Robbins, and Shaun Micallef.
This idea spawned other programs such as Drew Carey’s Whose Line Is It Anyway, and more recently, Channel Ten’s hit series, Thank God You’re Here. Another theatrical offshoot is Spontaneous Broadway (also playing at this year’s festival) where cast members make up songs and musical stories courtesy of a suggestion box placed in the box office foyer.
Hitting its quarter century, Celebrity Theatresports is a yearly tradition that has run in tandem with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival since 1987. In 2011, sixteen players were divided into four groups of four.
With teams sporting titles like Befuddled, Fire Blanket, Revolution, and Remember, It’s a Family Show, you could feel a real sense of anticipation in the air. There was no shortage of show business talent on hand, either.
The celebrities’ acting backgrounds were diverse as hosting a nationally – televised game show (RocKwiz’s Julia Zemiro), star turns on Neighbours (Sam Clark & Matt Werkmister), drag cabaret (Virginia Gay) and industry voiceover work (Genevieve Morris). Jimmy James Eaton, Australia’s Best & Fairest Improviser, and Cale Bain, the National and Canadian Impro
Champion were thrown into the mix as well. Keeping track of proceedings, the amiable Lliam Amor got the afternoon off and rolling.
No stone or theme, it seemed, would be left unturned. Because, the more wild the idea on offer, the better it worked.
Some of the nutty fun and games included a space – age alien infested musical, a disaster flick set in a sewerage works, Anna Karenina in dubiously – spoken Russian where the protagonist is run down by Thomas the Tank Engine, an Italian Opera for short, balding men, a blind date where the characters kept switching roles, a gender – reassignment love story, and modern – dancing kangaroos hopping in the shadows of Ayres Rock and Mount Everest.
One notable highlight included a pantomime re-enactment of Cinderella. Firstly performed in a minute, it followed by the same scene done in 30 frantic seconds, then even more outrageously, in ten. Observing the actors compressing their actions, dialogue and drama six – fold, had to be seen to be believed. Both the team (then eventually everyone on stage) and the Saturday afternoon audience ate up every ridiculous moment.
Though this was a one – off event, Impro Melbourne hosts a regular series of Theatresports nights. Check out their website at www.impromelbourne.com.au for details.
Image Source: Theatre People