Improv Till You Drop...
Improv Till You Drop...
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Wellington Performing
Arts Centre, 12-13 February 2010
For 30 hours
in early February, performers from Wellington Improvisation
Troupe (WIT) will take on the ultimate comedy-endurance
challenge. The performers will spend 30 hours on stage non
stop providing 30 different one hour shows. Improvathon
is the ideal way to kick off the Fringe Festival 2010,
with a feast of improvised comedy.
Alongside the WIT performers going the full distance will be teenage performers from Wellington schools and other top class improvisers from all over New Zealand - Christchurch's Court Jesters and Auckland's Improv Bandits. They will be performing a huge variety of improv formats, some tried and tested and some completely new. Information on the schedule is available from WIT's website. The Improvathon pass costs only $30, meaning bargain hunting audience members can get their full of improv for $1 per hour.
WIT Co-Creative
Director, Geoff Simmons, says this is the ultimate
performance challenge. "It's a chance to go beyond your
comfort zone and into unexplored territory. After that
amount of time on stage all your barriers start to come
down, and things can go to some pretty interesting places.
You can start to explore the dark, dusty corners of your
psyche. This makes for some amazing improv, and you learn a
little bit about yourself at the same time."
This is the
second time WIT has performed an Improvathon, the first
being in 2007, which raised over $2000 for World Vision.
This incarnation of Improvathon will kickstart WIT's
fundraising for its own theatre. "It is time Wellington
lived up to the name 'Creative Capital' and had a permanent
home for comedy and creativity" says WIT Co-ordinator Paul
Sullivan.
For up to ten audience members, WIT are going
further by offering them the opportunity to join the 30 hour
challenge. Those audience members will be offered full
refunds if they can go the full 30 hours themselves.
"Normally we get offended if people fall asleep in our
shows," says WIT Co-Creative Director Christine Brooks, "but
this time we kinda understand."
Starring WIT regulars from improvised soap The Young and the Witless, Simon Smith, Anton van Helden, Paul Sullivan, Christine Brooks and others,
Improvathon is a must see.
Performance dates and times:
Friday 12 February
at 6pm until Saturday 13 February @ midnight
$30 for a 30
hour pass
Individual show tickets $10/8/5 with cash on
the door only (if seats available)
Bookings at
Downstage in person, downstage.co.nz/book or 04
8016946
ENDS