Theatresports Grand Championships: River City Rivals (Improv Queensland)
Brisbane Powerhouse, Underground Theatre
May 18
The last time I made it along to a Brisbane Comedy Festival Theatresports event, was 2022, when the Powerhouse Theatre stage was set for a state vs state showdown of fast-paced, action-packed competition. This time the stakes are even higher than Queensland vs New South Wales, with River City Rivals teams (representing Brisbane’s south and north sides) battling for bragging rights in the ‘showdown of the century’ in Brisbane Powerhouse’s Underground Theatre.
With no script, the directions of the impromptu performances are often at the mercy at the boisterous audience’s ‘should have said’ (for example) shoutouts to reconsider character statements or en-masse sound effect contribution to, in this instance, a skydiving story. The more intimate venue works well from an audience perspective, making our suggestions of scenarios more manageable and, at times, the enthusiastic performers (Wade Robinson, Liz Talbot and Natalie Bochenski representing the northside and Luke Rimmelzwaan, Fiona Bergstrum, Carla Haynes for the southside), are spoiled for choice from the suggestions, such when a neutral scene is replayed in different audience-instigated historical periods including the Roman Empire, Wild West and Jurassic era (because who hasn’t wondered how a T-Rex might wash the dishes, let alone open doors). They are all incredibly talented in terms of their improvisation, imagination, characterisation and teamwork. Not only are they able to find the humour in anything at a moment’s notice, but insert cultural references and call backs while moving their respective scenarios forward plot-wise. Bergstrum, in particular, plays well in response to others to up-the-anti of the funny, even in song.
The brave players are all quick witted in response to audience suggestions, and also the contributions of their teammates. And effective teamwork is, of course, essential, especially in a final quick round of ‘Oracle’ which sees the three northside team members uniting to interact in unison, speaking as one (shallow) being in answer to audience questions and offer of mystic advice around how to get a girlfriend et al. Kudos also to Kris Anderson who improvs musical accompaniment according to the needs of each scene, particularly when ‘Sing About It’ audience interjections add to the contrasting considerations of a couple on their first date.
At less than 50 minutes, the run time is a little under what has been advertised, and things could easily have continued with a few more scenes, on way to grand champion victory by the streetwise Southsiders (as ‘judged’ by emcee ‘techs’ Amy Driscoll and Scott Driscoll’s assessment of the audience’s reaction). Still, there is lots of topical, locational laughter to be had in the short, sharp contest of this year’s North vs South Brisbane battle, or, if you will, the Bee Gees vs Savage Garden (if Redcliffe and Logan were actually a part of Brisbane).
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