“Comedy institution Celebrity Theatresports performs more good work“
Julia Newbould
3.5 Stars
Venue: Enmore Theatre
Sydney
Dates: 7th September 2025
In their quest to raise money to help young people’s cancer charity Canteen, TheatreSports celebrities battled through a series of contents with an ancient Roman background at the Enmore Theatre this week.
Celebrating the 40th birthdays of both Canteen and TheatreSports, the six competing teams – Caesar Word Salad, Pompeii Posse, Et Tue Bruce, Gladiatorade, Lend Me Your Ears, and Rome and Away- fought through opera, rhyming couplets, dance moves, becoming elves, reindeers, and so much more.
Judged by former host of Big Brother, Gretel Killeen, Improv teacher, director, actor Lyn Pierse, and Liz Hovey, oncologist and improviser actor and storyteller, each team was scored on the quality of the two- or three-minute scene according to creativity, humour, and entertainment value.
Actor and comedian Gary Eck was the host – and Roman Emperor – demanding audience members and competing teams stood to hail him as he arrived on stage.
He and co-host, drama teacher Jane Simmons, made it very clear from the start that improv was all about non-scripting as they, as well as the teams, worked without scripts delivering their lines which they made up on the spot.
It was a G-rated all ages audience, many who were TheatreSports regulars while others experienced it for the first time.
My personal favourite sketch was when winning team Et Tu Bruce engaged the three young men to act as their stunt slaves – Brendan Atkins, Sam Bargwanna, Luke Schofield, with Scorekeeper Arnie Walsh. Their energy and sense of fun were brilliantly fresh.
It was great to see Celebrity Theatresports stalwart Adam Spencer back in action and as the butt of many jokes around his mathematical nous.
One of the rounds involved challenges by comedians who had recorded their challenges to the improv teams – such as Jonesy and Amanda, Kitty Flanagan, Rove McManus, Susie Youssef, the Umbilical Brothers, and Andrew Denton.
Challenges were wildly varied – telling the family they were selling the family home, performing a rock opera set in Ancient Rome, taking on different personas at the school prom, and Santa’s last ride – which involved all the participants becoming elves or reindeers to complete the Christmas tableau.
There was also a scene about getting a tattoo, where challengers were given a range of emotions to convey, including seduction, paranoia, and oddly, ashtray!
There was a scene which required a song about AI while another was a group of people with superpowers except for “Phil”!
The skill of these improv professionals is incredible. To be given a challenge with only moments to decide as a team how to play it, takes amazing creativity and conviction.
It is a skill that everyone should tackle at some point – and TheatreSports runs a number of courses in schools and for anyone wanting to learn.
If you’ve never been to a TheatreSports gig, give it a go. There are three Women in TheatreSports events coming up at the Fringe Festival from 24-26 September at the Factory. https://sydneyfringe.com/events/wits-women-in-theatresports/
Three and a half gladiators
Julia Newbould, Theatre Now
