The Secret of Capping Show’s Success
Globe Theatre, 104 London St, Dunedin
18/03/2011 - 20/03/2011
Production Details
Capping Show, the student sketch comedy show, has been a Dunedin and an Otago institution since 1894, making it surprisingly older than both the Dunedin Railway station and the stadium debate.
Over the course of it’s long history the show has made caused much hilarity and offence to its, traditionally, student audiences, created catchphrases and timeless characters and spawned such great names as David McPhail, Jon Gadsby and Matt Gibb. Many people wouldn’t call that a great success. They are probably onto something. But, like a Bachelor in the Arts, it is something that resembles a success.
Written and acted by current members of the upcoming show, this new revue not only examines ‘the’ secret behind the show’s world-beating mediocre achievements but also New Zealand’s dark and twisted past through sketches that might have been performed at a Capping Show sometime in the past 116 years. With two world wars, many Rugby World Cup defeats and the countless chins of Robert Muldoon to lampoon, this revue has its sights on everything, its gloves off and left its manners at the door.
The Secret of Capping Show’s Success runs from Saturday 18th – Sunday 20th March at 7pm, at the Globe Theatre, 104 London St, Dunedin. Door Sales Available and tickets cost $10 full and $8 concession and groups 6+.
The Secret of Capping Show’s Success
The Globe Theatre
March 18th-20th, 7pm
Of shows gone by and things to come
Review by Patrick Davies 19th Mar 2011
In the guise of a ‘seminar’ we are presented with an historical eye’s view of what has made the Otago University’s – the longest and continuously running – Capping Show the success that it is.
The Globe Theatre’s stage is in blackout and the beats are humming loud as we sit in eager anticipation of the mayhem and madness. Capping Shows are known for their irreverence, range of talents and topics and this is not let down. Eleven, (at my count – no programme is de rigour for the Dunedin shows I’ve caught so far), young men and women rip and dash their way through short gags and longer form scenes.
A running format is for lights to come up on some actors, a brief moment of some seemingly nonsensical action and/or dialogue and then, in the ensuing black-out, the end-of-advert voiceover to slam home the worst puns/punchlines in the universe. And behind every groan and grimace is a knowing chortle of what you can see coming a mile off (most times) but love to hear regardless. Any mention of the standouts from this show would ruin it for others so here’s one from yesteryear.
Blackout – the sound of heavy breathing
Lights up, a guy is sitting with his pants down, back to the audience, wanking furiously
Blackout
…..Voiceover: “The faster you go, the bigger the mess”
You get the ‘jist’. Other scenes lampoon learning and post-modernism with a lot of nods to Monty Python, The Young Ones, etc. To name them does kinda give the punchline away, but I did very much enjoy the German Translation scene. There is a surprising lack of any contemporary political material, and for a show with a reputation for kicking boundaries in the what-nots – it is a ‘relatively’ wholesome, if sometimes shouty, show.
The cast definitely add vim, vigour and enjoyment to their work and are all confident in their delivery and material. Hadley R. Taylor and Finn Sigglekow particularly stand out in their range and abilities as well as a couple of others whose names I don’t know. Especially the girl who sang ‘Holding On For A [Mike] Pero’, which really highlighted the lack of music: give that lady a song and stand back.
I would have thought a relatively boozed and captive audience, the Sextet, the Sewlyn Ballet, and the long list of artistic and comedic glitterati might get a look in but this is really about current and most recent creators of the ultimate student night out. A great ad for things to come.
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