The first Brisbane Improv Festival: "Those heightened stakes inspire some of the wildest leaps, connections and ideas."
From the 18-21 Feb 2021, you can expect to spend a hilarious long-weekend celebrating all things improvised comedy at the Brisbane Improv Festival. Over the four days there are a range of shows from local and interstate crews, workshops where you can skill up, and even a special family friendly event on the Saturday afternoon.
Hello, Gaz Rhumbo! | Lightning Bolt Creative & Willem Whitfield
A fascinating play, with a whole lot going on. Hello, Gaz Rhumbo is a bizarre and fun-filled trip into the life, and untimely death, of our title character. The entire affair is reminiscent of a slightly perturbed gameshow, wherein the contestant gets a short recap and then has to fumble his way through a series of zany questions he is woefully unprepared for.
Booff | Clint Bolster
A delightfully imposing clown, when captured in the intimate setting of the tea room, Booff becomes even larger than life. I felt quite giddy, it’s such a space to step into, an otherworldly experience. If you were to enter this beautiful parlour from the chaos of a summer festival, you would be instantly transported to another world entirely. In this Booff has done that most perfect of magic theatre tricks, he has made the outside go away and the inside somewhere else.
Hello, Gaz Rhumbo! | Lightning Bolt Creative & Willem Whitfield
The show advertises itself as an absurdist comedy. The absurd element is spot on, with clever writing and joke props. A fully grown man in a diaper wails like a baby. A woman uploads information directly to her head and seems to orgasm. Frequently, the characters spoke in a voice from beyond their own experience, laying down exposition that felt simultaneously jarring and hilarious.
The Secret Ingredient | Hoopla Clique
The two cooks scamper in and out of the kitchen, the apprentice in search of a squeaky mouse and the tipsy chef convinced there is no such rodent. A range of improbable ingredients are added into the sauce, and there’s the age-old argument over doing the dishes. It’s not the tidiest kitchen to start with, but by the end of the day, it’s a right royal mess.
Rear Vision | Vulcana
Ever the innovators in live performance, Vulcana offers us the perfect way to consume the arts in the time of COIVID; drive-in circus. Safely ensconced in our cars, we are catapulted into the world of the performers through a gorgeous soundscape playing on our stereos created by Brisbane’s maestro of sound, Anna Whitaker, and the captivating poetry of Angela Pieta. Our headlights are used for lighting at times and the performers try to connect with us through our individual cells.
Rear Vision | Vulcana
The show tread gracefully the emotional arc from the trepidation of this year’s beginning, to the desolation and disquietude of its middle, to the elation at its approaching ending, and touched on themes of the pain of seeking human connection in a physically distanced world, the fragility of ‘normality’, and the power of collective action.
Moon with a View | Calum Johnston
Moon with a View has that classic B-Grade science fiction vibe to it, like something you might see on Mystery Science Theater 3000, however the story of losing a loved one never got lost in the comedic nature of the show. For me this is what made it special. Beyond the fun, silliness and at times absurd, there was still a beautiful heart-warming tale of a relationship between a grandson and his grandma that was inspired by Calum’s personal life.
The Underground Hour | Claire Owen & performers
As they share their story of coming together, they dance and sing their way through a great range of classic show tunes and contemporary commercial hits. The fourth wall be damned, they performed directly to us, sharing their story and all of themselves. They love the audience as much as we love them, and crave our adulation. And we were more than happy to give it to them.
Jingle Bells Sucks Baubles | Ad Astra
Jingle Bells Sucks Baubles is a show that will 110% get you in the Christmas cheer, but is definitely not one for the children. From hallucinogenic cacti, to in house workouts via a smart watch to silent marches in Chermside over the environmental impacts of Christmas, Pierce Gordon’s script has it all.
"There was a tangible sense of what “live” really meant, and to feel and see the energy feedback loop between performers and audience members was incredible"
David Carberry reflects on programming Sideshow West End Fringe and providing a platform for local artists to get back in front of audiences after the COVID-19 lockdown. “The first event we had on July 31st, just a week after restrictions had lifted was incredible … I think everyone was feeling it, and pretty much all of our events were sold out from July onwards. I feel like generally people missed it, and there was a renewed sense of appreciation, and I sincerely hope it can continue.”
Note this interview was completed before the Sideshow needed to cancel the events of the closing weekend of the Fringe Program due to ongoing noise complaints.
The Underground Hour | Claire Owen & performers.
The Underground Hour - a crowd-pleasing, glittery cabaret that harks back to times of feathers and Frank Sinatra. If you like your performers giving you all they’ve got and your showtunes to go up a key to hit a big finish, then this is the show for you. Big talent, big energy and a full house almost burst the seams of the small underground bar, Brooklyn Standard, in Brisbane’s CBD. Someone give these people a big band and a wall of lights. They deserve it.
Dream a Little Dream | For the Record #17
Hosts Maja and Siobhan are fresh and natural fronting the night and bring what they like to call ‘chaotic MCing’ to keep us entertained between acts. Their effortless banter and truly random segues alone would have me coming back month after month. Even if Siobhan’s penis hands will haunt until my dying days.
Flat Out Like A Lizard | Robert the Cat presents the play by Norman Price
Flat Out Like a Lizard is a play that will have you feeling, though you have to spend some time untangling what it is that you are feeling and why. Presented by Metro Arts and Robert the Cat, it is a confronting piece of theatre that is minimalist in its execution and leaves nothing in the way of performer connecting straight to audience.
Tales from the Colony | Voices of Colour & Skin Deep Collective
It’s hard to believe that it took only ten days for ‘Tales from the Colony’ to be created and then performed on stage. For a work that was complexed, multifaceted and spoke on deep themes and issues, it was suspiring to hear how quick it took for it all to come together, but that’s also a testament to the rawness that was on full display. And when the ending came, the audience on their feet standing, clapping and cheering on in praise: the emotional toll on six incredible performers was evident, and with that the realisation of what we had experienced was more than a show, but a journey of exposing truths, finding identity and baring trauma.
Tales from the Colony | Voices of Colour & Skindeep Collective
Escalating emotions aside, one of the many highlights of the night was sharing the same space with such a rich mix of people of colour from so many different ethnic backgrounds. This truly felt like being back home again. Besides the delivery of the original material, what impressed was the message of hope and reconciliation this conveyed. The youth of the performers belied the intensity and ferocity with which they boldly embraced their storytelling by speaking out about taboo subjects.
"The artists should be at the centre" - Anywhere Festival widens it's scope for 2021
No other festival in Brisbane (Queensland? Australia?) is so supportive of indie artists, from facilitating production, to teaching marketing skills, to opening access to unseen corners of our city, to streamlining the festival administration to truly create an equitable access opportunity for independent creators. The end result? A line-up of fresh, innovative, and utterly original works performed by artists from absolute first timers to seasoned stars, presented across the length and breadth of Meanjin, extending up to the Sunny Coast. And we are pleased to find out, that this year the festival will extend into Ipswich and Moreton Bay as we
Can I Help? | Aaron Dora & Renee Dobbyn
It’s strange to think about how when the lockdowns initially began, I was filled with anxiety and fear around what would happen to me both physical and mentally; to now watching a reading of a play that delves into those fears and anxieties, but finding myself laughing at certain scenes and then being taken back to sadness when the emotional scenes hit. ‘Can I Help?’ does a really good job at weaving in the drama and the serious nature of its topic, while also providing laughs and a fun quality to it.
Smiley | Liam Burke, Sergio Ulloa Torres & Matt Young
Any intimate production lives and dies in its casting and luckily, Smiley is in good hands. Sergio Ulloa Torres and Matt Young effortlessly bring both the comedic chops and depth needed to charm the audience and make Smiley work.
Three Unmissable Acts at Yonder
Following its successful debut in 2019, Yonder Festival is back for another glorious weekend of art, theatre, music, dance and workshops. This year the line-up is rich with fresh independent acts, grown right here in our own backyard. To help you navigate your way through the program, here are three promising performance picks to point your peepers at.