Circa
May 21-28, 22-27 | Reviewed by Megan Fleming

“IN THE first instalment of an eight-week battle of wits, two teams will duke it out theatresports-style!” boomed the MC last night, addressing an enthusiastic audience at Circa’s Theatresports. The improvisational chaos of Theatresports is more engaging than straight up stand-up. It’s also more likely to fall flat. But Wellington’s own Improvisers are quick, witty, and you can tell they love it.

By asking the audience for suggestions – ‘perpetual teabags!’ ‘trolley theft!’ – the two teams created spur-of-the-second storylines, which they acted out on the spot. The skits are fully unrehearsed, and their success is reliant on the ability of the actors to work together. You have to know when to jump in, and when to hold back. You have to have, apparently, a wicked sense of timing, combined with incredible quick-wittedness and the ability to rhyme sonnets on the spot. I fully was impressed with “The Blackstreet Massive” and “The Improv Whisperers” (the two competing teams).

Some actors were better than others. And some games were more innately suited to hilarity than others. For example, the ‘emotional rollercoaster’ game, where the actors play out a storyline and switch their emotion when the MC calls out, ‘befuddlement!’ ‘despair!’ ‘lust!’ This game was fully reactive. The actors spent less time thinking and more time acting, than in, say, the ‘alphabet game,’ where each sentence has to begin with the next consecutive letter of the alphabet. The less energy an actor spends on planning their next line, the more energy they can put into creating an outrageous story and entertaining the audience.

I found the on-stage band distracting at first, but it turned out to be essential in games like ‘sermon, sonnet, song.’ After all, you can’t preach to a band of nose-pickers without some gospel music in the background. The last skit of the night was also a highlight - a ‘native american creation myth,’ complete with totem-pole chanting and an animal-spirit love story.

Circa was packed out, and the actors played to an appreciative audience. I dug the fact that I could actually participate in the action. Unlike a play, where the actors have rehearsed, and unlike stand-up comedy, where you’re more often than not being talked at, you can really engage with the show. Nearly every skit got a score of four out of five from the audience. The Improvisers are good, no question. But even if they come up with something mildly clever, you’re amazed, because you can’t help thinking: I could never do that! If anything, Theatresports is a vehicle for pressured creativity, crazy characters, strange accents, and lewd behaviour. Don’t miss it!

For full programme, venue and show details on this and other Comedy Festival events, visit comedyfestival.co.nz.