UOW presents a festival of ‘creative comedy’

Oct 12, 2004

Setting out to prove that laughter really is the best medicine, the University of Wollongong’s School of Musical and Drama presented a Festival of Comedy last week over three evenings.

The festival incorporated three world premiere plays featuring second year Creative Arts (Performance) students.

‘Let’s Hope’ – The year is 1970 and the place is Hollywood. The six main characters in this play were in the Writers Room at NBC's TV studios and their task was to write a 2-hour TV special documenting the career of Bob Hope. Conflict arose and 'Bob' intervened. The play was a tribute to the great comedian, co-written by Karen Mortimer and Tony Sheldon who is currently performing in the hit musical ‘The Producers’.

‘Androcles’ – A ‘musical romp’ by Greg Crease (music), UOW graduate Rick Burchall (book and lyrics) and directed by Ian McGrath. Caught between his ambitions, family and the political bickering among Caesar's advisers, Androcles found himself in the arena of the Coliseum struggling to create "good theatre".

‘The Canterville Rubies’ – An adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Canterville Ghost’ by Rick Burchall and directed by Adam Bye. The resident ghost of Canterville Chase, Sir Simon de Canterville, had his refined, cultural world turned upside down with the arrival of the brash Australian family, the Westernholmes.

Comedy goers later enjoyed a picnic on the near-by lawns.

-RP