bReview: Bull Rush
Friday 29 November 2024 at Basement Theatre
Words by Amani Sadique
Photography by Kaitlyn Ratcliff
As you walk through Tāmaki Makaurau’s CBD, the humid air clings to your skin - the weight of the summer heat is nearing. The close of day approaches, and the understated Basement Theatre lingers in the distance hiding behind the never-lasting urban construction. The gleaming sign sits high above the entrance to the theatre and its deep black walls mirror the all-black outfit I wear whilst I tag along behind a group of scene teens looking like they are heading towards Ding Dong Lounge. I am on the way to sit down and catch up with some of the creatives behind Bull Rush, a group of Auckland improvisor comedians formed during lockdown, inspired by the Netflix show Middleditch and Schwartz, who now perform a short-form completely improvised show at Basement Theatre every Friday night.
(Outside Basement Theatre. / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
As we gathered on the stone steps in the outdoor drinking area which was increasingly being filled by a buzzing crowd, I dove into some history of the group's formation and caught up with Bull Rush group members Anthony Crum, aka Crum, Lucy Dawber, and one of the group’s newest additions; Rebecca Mary Gwendolon.
How was the name Bull Rush created and what are its connotations?
Crum: “We had to come up with a name for Whangārei Fringe Festival. And I think the name that we had at first was,”
Crum and Lucy: “‘Stack the chairs’”
Crum: “Which sucks. But I imagine in our shows it's like when you play bull rush and you’re the last people in the game - because when we’re performing, we’re facing the audience. So it feels like we’re the last in the game of bull rush.”
How was the group formed?
Crum: “Me and Vinny [Member of Bull Rush Vincent Andrew-Scammell] messaged each other over lockdown because we watched the Netflix show Middleditch and Schwartz, which is like a two-hander - they do an entire show by themselves, improvised. And we messaged each other and were like, ‘We should start an improv group.’
Lucy: “I was dating Vinny. I was the token female and completely got into the group out of nepotism! (She states jokingly) Crum’s friends were also in the group and we all knew each other from drama school [Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School] and theatre, mostly from theatre”.
What are the challenges of a completely improvised show?
Crum: “Probably being immediate. Doing something that feels effervescent, like it's happening just for you. Just tonight. The best improv show is one that feels like a private inside joke with everybody, like everybody's having fun. When you leave, it feels like a funny dream that when you explain it to somebody else doesn't make sense, but for people who are there, it's really meaningful.”
Lucy: “I think for the performers it’s finding a way to surprise yourself - so it doesn't feel stale or it doesn't feel like you're just doing the same thing over and over. But also being able to surprise yourself, but not fall into the abyss, so to not spiral and to find a way to catch yourself if you start to spiral.”
Does any prep go into the shows?
Crum: “Well, we don't come up with lines or anything. It's kind of the beauty of improv, but every Sunday we rehearse, and rehearsal just means we do what we do in the show - we just play scenes out, give each other suggestions and be like “You're a fireman, go!” and then you just do a scene where you're a fireman.”
Lucy: “Yeah, we've sort of self-taught ourselves improv. We've read a bunch of books. The Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB) Comedy Improvisation Manual, specifically. Also, Keith Johnstone Impro, is a great book, a fantastic book. And a book by a famous improv duo in New York which we can’t quite remember.”
(Musician Gabbi Jones / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
What would you say are the group's biggest achievements yet?
Crum: “Getting Natalya, our producer!”
Lucy: “Being interviewed by bFM!”
Crum and Lucy: “And getting this slot!” [The group’s weekly 10pm slot at Basement]
What are the future goals for Bull Rush?
Crum: “We'd love to perform internationally. Go to Melbourne, maybe go to Edinburgh. And continue smashing the slot. Maybe bring some more players in.”
After Crum and Lucy shot off - Crum to prepare for the big show and Lucy to help with getting the audience tipsy before the performance… a merry and colourful person appears wearing a pink shirt with flowers around their neck: Rebecca Mary Gwendolon, a recent addition to Bull Rush.
What was your experience in improvised comedy before joining Bull Rush?
Rebecca: “Very extensive. I've been doing improv for 17 years. I've done improv with a couple of other people from Bull Rush in different places. But Bull Rush is not like any of the other improv groups that I do. So I really enjoy it even though I've been doing improv for a really long time, it's a really unique environment because most of the people in Bull Rush come from an acting or comedy background, and most of the people in improv at large come from an improv background and don’t have that. So it's really fun, being at rehearsal and being on stage with them because they do things that other people I've improvised with would never do and they just take scenes to different places.
With a lot of improv background and a smaller acting background, I feel like I have learned a lot from them!”
What is a Bull Rush show’s format like? What should we expect?
Rebecca: “When you come along, there's a host who’s going to be taking care of you for the night and chatting with the audience. We then play a little game to get everybody warmed up and then we do 10 scenes. We get 10 titles from the audience during the warm-up game for those scenes. They're all written on the board, so you know what's coming up next. Anything could happen even though you know the title of it, it still goes any which way. The shape of the show is gonna be similar every time, but it's gonna be a completely different way that it's filled out each time.”
(Arlo Green, Gabbi Jones, Shaan Kesha & Anthony Crum warming up pre-show / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
After I finished catching up with Rebecca, I headed to the Maker's Space - where the group was warming up prior to the performance. And Crum was right, very little prep goes into the shows and warm-up translates to a bunch of joyful theatre people enjoying each other's company and discussing which shows everyone had been watching lately, whilst some were stretching. The start of the show nears, whilst the group debates whether Crum’s shirt is green or not, and someone appears and says “It’s traverse tonight,” alerting the group that there is a different stage set-up this time around.
(The Cast of Bull Rush, warming up pre-show / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
As the audience floods into the theatre and ABBA’s Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! belts out of the speakers, the show begins. A welcoming host, Catherine Yates, greets the traverse audience and introduces the warm-up game which sources the 10 scenes the group go on to perform. The highlight scenes were:
“Don’t Kill That,” where Bull Rush member Arlo Green becomes inseparable from a cockroach and the other characters call him a “freak.”
“Wellington,” in which the group began transforming the audience into the country’s capital by making impressive wind whistles, followed by some amusing stereotypes, with Crum's character declaring, “I love David Seymour,” and Rebecca's chiming in with, “Let’s protest!”
“Ajax Spray & Wipe” which involved an audience member being used as an imaginary dirty window with performers repeatedly pretending to wipe his face as the window.
“Waffle Iron,” where the audience was transported to an American diner, where we followed a new employee struggling to adjust to their role amid the chaos of the kitchen.
(Host for the evening, Catherine Yates / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
As someone who once dreaded drama class and always thought comedy shows weren’t for me, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed Bull Rush. From start to finish, the show kept me laughing, and by the end, I found myself not only impressed by the performers' quick wit and timing but also rediscovering my appreciation for the art of theatre. It was a night full of laughs, creativity, and unexpected moments that turned my scepticism into admiration.
The chemistry and dynamics between the performers and their knack for turning everyday situations into hilarious moments made for a truly engaging experience. If you're looking for an improv show that’s both sharp and spontaneous, this is one you won’t want to miss.
(Bull Rush Cast. L-R: Arlo Green, Vincent Andrew-Scammell, Shaan Kesha, Josh Metcalfe, Anthony Crum, Melissa Lawlor, Catherine Yates, Lucy Dawber & Rebecca Mary Gwendolon / Photo: Kaitlyn Ratcliff)
A special thanks to Bull Rush for having us along! Catch their final shows of the year, 'Jingle Bull (Rush)' this Friday 6 December and next Friday 13 December. Tickets from basementtheatre.co.nz.
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