Sketchy at Best: Show goes from page to stage in 24 hours

Wollongong theatre company Rising Arts Productions recently took on the daring task of creating an entire sketch show called Sketchy at Best in 24 hours.

More than 30 local writers and performers were involved in this feat, performed on May 13 at Side Door Theatre on Crown Street.

Jarrod Riesinger, the 30-year-old co-director of the company, told us more.

Please tell us a bit about the project and how the idea came about.

Sketchy at Best is a sketch comedy show that is written, rehearsed and performed all within 24 hours. We’ve tried for a long time to get sketch off the ground with many of our members having written sketches, but nothing really stuck (besides a small group performing a sketch show back in Theatre 16).

With the demand for sketch there, we needed something to get us to take the leap and just do it, and what better way than putting a time constraint on it. So we saw a show called The Pinch by the Improv Conspiracy in Melbourne, took inspiration from that, added our own flair and brought a similar concept to Wollongong that would give us absolutely no time to back out.

Why sketch comedy and why 24 hours?

Sketch comedy is extremely accessible and is something most people have enjoyed at one point. Whether it’s an online sketch by Aunty Donna or watching something like Saturday Night Live on TV, you’ve likely had a laugh at a sketch show.

From a personal standpoint, it’s also just a lot of fun to make with friends. It lets you tap into your silliest impulses and in a world that can be so serious and daunting at times, it’s cathartic to just have some dumb fun.

Doing something in 24 hours is a huge accomplishment but also a challenge. I think it’s that kind of challenge that really drives people to do things, so it was the perfect way to get us to take the plunge and actually get some sketch on stage.

We’ve got a community that wants to improve their skills and really test themselves, and we pride ourselves on providing those opportunities for people. Thankfully so many writers, performers and the audience gravitated towards that challenge and I think proved how much talent there is in the Wollongong performing arts community.

Can you tell us of any entertaining moments that emerged in the writing, rehearsing or performing of the sketches?

The most entertaining moments were watching people bring the craziest things to life and really stepping outside their comfort zone. From literal Bat Men to Wombat tragedies to inappropriate tacos to a full choreographed musical number, everyone threw themselves into everything.

I think my own personal highlight was watching local comedian Liam McCann perform a solo sketch where the Eye of Sauron from Lord of the Rings performs stand-up. It really scratched that itch I have for puns and was just expertly delivered by an absolute pro (with a torch and some cellophane strapped to his head).

What challenges did you run into?

For a huge event that had people awake at ungodly hours and people joining us from interstate via video calls, everything went surprisingly smoothly.

You always expect things to fall apart on a project like this where people aren’t sleeping and it’s a mixed experienced group, but our biggest challenge was simply some people having a moment of self-doubt. Thankfully we have a great community that banded around those people and come showtime those were some of the people getting the biggest laughs.

Beyond that, everyone involved was an absolute pro and had their lines down and knew their blocking with time to spare to sneak in a group dinner or even a nap.

What opportunities does Side Door Theatre have for people who are interested in trying out comedy and how can they find you?

We have a lot of different ways people can get involved with Wollongong’s growing comedy scene.

We run weekly improv classes on a Wednesday night that are a great way for beginners to dip their toes into the world of comedy.

We also have our monthly variety show, Freshly Squeezed, which allows up and coming stand-ups and experimental comedians to test their material.

Plus we’ll have some exciting announcements regarding more sketch comedy soon. Best way to keep up to date with everything is to follow our socials at Side Door Theatre and/or Rising Arts Productions on Facebook and Instagram.

The next improv workshops will start in July and the next Freshly Squeezed variety show is on June 25. Book your tickets by following Rising Arts Productions on social media @risingartsau

Read more: Earlier this year, we reported on another Rising Arts show in Photos spark songs in 35mm the musical