No laughing. This is serious. 9 months of heats are over. It’s the finals. The teams have done their warmups. The rules have been reviewed. There is a quiet expectative hush in the sheds. Who will take home the coveted Cranston Cup for 2015?
Waaaait. The Cranston Cup? Theatresports Finals? Start laughing … none of this is serious! It’s Theatresports finals and 1500 people crammed into the Enmore are about to have an hilarious evening of advanced silliness.
Originally created by Canadian Keith Johnstone. That’s why it’s spelled properly with an re not an er … but I digress. Johnstone created a series of games, based somewhat on the sport of wrestling, to strengthen actors’ improvisational range. It is not describable. If you don’t know what it is … look it up! It will be a nice break from what you usually look up.
Just the team names should give you enough info anyway.
Morpheme Addiction : Robert Boddington, Jim Fishwick & Maddie Parker
Ridgey-Didge: Liam Maguire, Adam Sollis & Jane Watt
Sesame Streetwise: Sam Jenkins & Anne Wilson
Simple Simon & the PaddyKates: Kate Coates, Simon Greiner & Pat Magee
Sure. Whatever. I Don’t Care. Shut Up Already!:Will Erimya, Edan Lacey, Jordan & Rachel Raskopoulos
The Old Spice Girls:Bridie Connell, Steve Lynch & Jon Williams
The theme for the finals is obviously back to the 80s when musical maestro Benny Davis treats us to some great preshow tunes from 1985 when the Cup first began. 30 years in any industry is no mean feat let alone in the entertainment business ! And 30 teams have competed to get this far. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, Relax, Power of Love. All the great music of an era to build the excitement. But it’s the lighting change and the sneaky Dire Straights intro to Money for Nothing leading into that irresistible riff that explodes hosts Susie Yousseff and Jane Simmons onto the stage. In their Desperately Seeking Susan outfits and 80s dance moves they take control of the crowd straight away and introduce the teams and judges and timekeeper and sponsor… you know all that stuff. Then it’s on to the main event.
Ist game : Just do it. Morpheme Addiction smelling each other . Let’s say no more about that except to quote one of the hosts “Love it when young people do well”. The hosts are giving teams quotes from 80s movies as topics. Mad Max,Rocky, Colour Purple, The Goonies all get a mention. Teams can decide how to play them. Some of their choices include Aussie Soap, Dance and Ist line: last line. Civilised so far.
2nd section: Team Challenge where other teams give the topic. The crowd bays: there should be blood on the floor here. But no… they seem to get on well and even jump in and help out when a team is in trouble. Touch of the John Landy’s there (look it up!). Several highlights in this section. The Genre Roller Coaster manages to squeeze Gothic, Swashbuckler, Science Fiction, Western and Bollywood into 3 minutes and it almost, nearly, very nearly seems to make sense. Poor marks given here so the crowd boos the judges. That’s my favourite bit actually, the booing. I just don’t get to do that enough. On reflection, maybe my second favourite. Jon William’s interpretation of Lava was boiling good. (Hot pun: point for me!)
Going into interval it’s close. Simple Simon and the PaddyKates is floundering at the bottom, which is a pity because they have nice stripy outfits, while Ridgey-Didge teeter at the top on 44 points.
In from interval, after Take On Me , there’s a hush descends. That’s not true really … it’s just a narrative device. But I got your attention. Two teams will be eliminated after this next round. We are treated to : Film Noir; Loser is Revered; and High Class Opera. Question from the host … is there low class opera?
One major highlight here. Jordan Raskopoulos does a helicopter that no man can mime better … and he does it in another team’s scene. (Serious extra points for him.) But sadly, exit time for Sesame Street Streetwise. And Morpheme Addiction are also now free to go smell themselves.
Frozen in the style of Tarantino, Mafia Shakespeare, Soap Opera Opera (not a misprint …it’s a thing!) and the Frisbee of Elderon vie for the final points. But there is an upset. A 5 across the board from the judges for the first time in the finals goes to Simple Simon and the PaddyKates for their chicken Soap Opera Opera. It’s a thing.
This is an upset here. The crowd hushes as the final points are announced. Nah they don’t really. There is lots of yelling and foot stamping. This is not contemplative moment, this is a time to cheer on your team. “There are only 3 points between 1st and 2nd” . And the winner is. Coming from last to first, getting a Nadia Comaneci (look it up) and wearing nice stripy outfits. It’s Simple Simon and the PaddyKates.
It only remains for the ugliest trophy in Improv to be presented. Congratulations all round, medals around all the teams necks and the brilliant hosts bidding good night. Tomorrow, back to training for the 2016 Cranston Cup.
The 30th Anniversary Theatresports Cranston Cup played at the Enmore Theatre for one night on Saturday 28th November but you can follow the new teams as they complete for inclusion at next year’s Cup by going to the Impro Australia website.