2 April 2018
Backstage Room, Melbourne Town Hall (& the Lunch Room)
to 21 April
comedyfestival.com.au
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| The Big HOO-HAA |
Hearts V Bones. Regular HOO-HAAers don't need any introduction.
The Big Hoo-HAA is a weekly improvisation show where the Hearts and Bones teams work with audience suggestions and compete to win the loudest applause or the most groans. Unforgivable puns and jokes that'd get rejected by Christmas crackers win points.
Just be warned that one show might not be enough and that they turn the dial up over 11 for the comedy festival.
What I love about improv is that it's so far away from writing. Writers can think about each sentence, we can fix mistakes and no one has to read first-draft drivel.
On an improv stage, there's no time and the performers have to work with whatever comes out. And if anyone thinks that we have control over our brains, look at the face of a performer when they are as surprised as anyone at what they just said or did.
There are rules to every game (the last time I did improv was back in the days of Theatre Sports) and that there are many skills to learn that make it easier. None of which make it any less terrifying or exhilarating. Life on stage without a script is a bit like life – except more people are watching.
It doesn't always work. But when the best on offer is that dinosaurs are allergic to tissues – where did that come from?! –, there are moments when someone realises that T-Rex rhymes with Kleenex and the team burst through from behind.
But the winner for the night: "Sex with me is like paprika: spicy and a little bit dry."
PS: The cast this week.
MC: Brianna Williams
Bones Team: Anna Renzenbrink, Elly Squire, Dan Debuf
Hearts Team: Candice D’Arcy, Caitlin McNaughton, Mark Gambino
Muso: Caleb Garfinkel
