IMPRO AUSTRALIA’S CELEBRITY THEATRESPORTS : A Can Teen FUNDRAISER @ THE ENMORE THEATRE

CanTeen’s mission is to support, develop and empower young people living with cancer. The charity engages 12 – 25 year olds who have had cancer or supported sick loved ones to offer counselling, peer support programs, information and resources. It’s no wonder a night of big stars and big laughs was the perfect event!

Fun and naughtiness was rife from the get go as the Umbilical Brothers emerged from behind the curtain, kicking off the show with an imagined fight between George W Bush and Kim Jong-un. With ‘slaps’ and ‘biiffss’ thrown left, right and centre, the duo warmed up the crowd to set the giggle-meter on high.

Hosted by Playschool’s lovable Jay Laga’aia and vivacious Australian actress Monique Dykstra, Impro Australia’s family friendly fundraiser welcomed six teams of celebrity improvisers to battle for impro glory and the coveted Theatresports Celebrity Cup. Team Fake News featured presenter and comedian Adam Spencer and Australian actor Rob Carlton. Comedian and social worker Jioji Ravulo alongside John Knowles contributed to the strong lineup of team Raiders of The Lost Laugh.

The stakes were high as seasoned acting professionals Lyn Pierse, Genevieve Lemon and the hilarious Kitty Flanagan sat amongst audience members as the official impro judges. From jousting cheetahs to an angry yoga class conflict performed as a ballet, impro games and spontaneous topics pulled out of a hat (Jay Laga’aia’s stylish upside down fez) provided highly entertaining storytelling.

CanTeen members got in on the fun, sharing the stage to instruct performers to improvise the conflict that arises when you catch your sister wearing your shirt – without asking!

Throughout the night the hosts spoke of CanTeen’s important initiatives, promoting generous raffles and prize giveaways to raise money for the cause. From large scale National Bandanna Day initiatives through to personalised counselling support services, CanTeen helps young people explore and deal with their feelings about cancer to build resilience.

As the home of theatresports, Impro Australia has been running for over 30 years and offers fun and challenging courses to improve creativity, public speaking skills and provide a supportive team environment. The annual Celebrity Theatresports event which took place this year on Sunday August 13 is a fantastic opportunity to raise money for CanTeen and remind us of the healing power of laughter.