Solidifying the experience at the Brisbane Comedy Festival, ImproMafia has delivered immensely with its tournament of the Queensland Theatresports™ Championships.
Presented on Brisbane Powerhouse’s Turbine Platform and in the heart of the festival, the night of free entertainment sees two teams battle against each other in various rounds of games and improvisation.
Armed with wit, confidence and a love for performing arts, competitors partake in songs and scenes devised completely on the spot. There’s no planning, no scripted lines and the content is purely determined by an audience's input. That is, audience members make offers (by calling out) and topics are randomly selected. The improv teams then build the show right before your eyes.
In a night of hilarity, the show proved to be much comedic fun displayed by improvisation superstars. Each contending team featured three performers who adequately took turns making people laugh and jesting with each other. The night was assisted with a Theatresports™ referee, who determined the goal winners of each round, and a musician on the keyboards.
In fact, the hardest job out of the entire evening is set for the keyboardist. As his music supports the show, he also improvises a melody dependent on subjects or themes selected. By the end of the evening, you’ve witnessed absolute theatrical genius.
Queensland Theatresports™ Championships is a no holds barred approach to comedy, where everything can be said and anything can happen. It is a stunning display of humour made by some of the fastest brains in the business. The level of commitment, entertainment and ability is truly mind-boggling.
The beauty about this live show is that the teams also change every night depending on the round. It’s a true contest to determine the ultimate winner. You won’t see the same show or same people battle for the title (unless they’ve won).
Due to its unpredictable nature, it’s advised to expect the unexpected – including audience involvement, mature scenes and some of the best spontaneous jokes you’ll ever hear.
Stand-up is hard to do. Improvising a complete show is even more difficult. So kudos should be given to every member of this production for spontaneously creating an engaging presentation.
There’s one fact and that fact is simple – you need to see this contest. It’s fast-paced, side-splitting and your cheeks will hurt from laughing.
