This article contains coarse language.
On Tuesday, April 16th, the Interhall Arts Committee (IAC) held the 2024 Theatre Sports Competition at Burton and Garran Hall (BNG).
The room was packed to the rafters with spectators, supporters, and slightly confused BNG residents who may have forgotten the event was on while getting dinner.
Ten teams (for each hall of residence) consisting of four members, were ready to do whatever it took (within the given prompt and location) to win the coveted title of THEATRE SPORTS 2024 CHAMPION.
All teams were judged on three categories; entertainment, narrative, and technique, which were rated on a scale of 0-5.
Lodge left the night carrying the wooden spoon, but not without some memorable moments. The night’s host, BNG, placed second to last. Ursula, Griffin, and Burgmann all finished the night tied for 6th, followed by Yukeembruk and Fenner. John’s came in at third place, Bruce finished in second place, and Wright took home the win.
From last to first, here are just some of the highlights from the night. ‘3… 2… 1… Improv!’:
A couple of the members from the Lodge team admitted that they had not practised or planned how they would approach the prompts for the evening. But the night could’ve ended before it began for the group, as we discovered after speaking to Kiarah and Ishani; that Ishani was a ring-in just 15 minutes before the event was due to start.
“After we got through the first round I think we got more comfortable with each other,” said Ishani, after reflecting on the evening.
“Most of us haven’t acted in like three or four years, so it’s a learning curve, but it’s fun to be here,” said Kiarah.
BNG breached one of the rules of the prompt for their second scene (where they needed to act out the same scene with different emotions each time) as one member came on stage to say that his Grandma had asked him, “Have you washed your ass today?” Which may have lost them points but had the audience breaking out with laughter. By the end of one of their scenes about roommates cleaning their house with a magical (but messy) singing mop, they had the crowd singing along to “No matter what you think, it’s gonna smell like shit!”
The Yukeembruk team performed one of their prompts in the location of a board meeting, the team made a reference to what they think the Woolworths board spends their budgets on.
“I would like to remind you all, not to be spending your money on prostitutes anymore. I know that’s very difficult as members of… Woolworths.”
Coming into round four of the night, it was announced that Fenner and John’s would have to play a round of ‘statues’ (where each team would have to place each other in certain positions to begin the scene) as a tiebreaker. While Fenner’s scene did include an attempt at a French accent to the French MC, flattery did not get them the win, and John’s came in ahead of the Fenner team.
The reigning champs of the event, Bruce Hall, started the night with a skit about a student and professor falling in love over a syllabus.
While speaking to Bruce supporters Mandy and Jasmine, they spoke about the team’s “incredible” performance and that “they have soo much talent and they looked great up there.”
But there could only be one winner for the IAC 2024 Theatre Sports Competition:
“Oh… my… goodness,” said Wright Hall as they performed their first scene; a story about a bus told one word at a time.
The Wright Hall team – consisting of three first-year students and one veteran improviser – came into a landslide victory after performing their final musical scene about a Philosophy Professor turned divorcee, who cheated on his family with a vacuum cleaner.
“All the guilt I feel knowing what I have done to my family because the vacuum cleaner seduced me so,” sang the Professor.
The team gave credit to themselves, saying they had practised a few scenes together and worked out their strong points whilst also acknowledging that there was “tough competition,” and that really it was just a “great night”.
And… Scene.
If you would like to see all the action for yourself, the full live stream is available from the ANU Observer’s Facebook page.
Written by: Amy Briggs
Graphics by: Annisa Zatalini
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