Court Jesters Celebrate 20 Years Of Laughs

MEDIA RELEASE: The Court Theatre

Court Jesters Celebrate 20 Years Of Laughs

The Court Jesters celebrate twenty years of SCARED SCRIPTLESS in 2010 with the IMPROV MARATHON: thirty hours of non-stop improvised comedy from 6pm Friday June 25th at The Court Theatre.

The IMPROV MARATHON is “a celebration of the past 20 years of Scriptless,” says Court Jesters Manager Kirsty Gillespie. “The show has become a cultural icon over two decades: an entire generation of audiences have grown up with SCRIPTLESS at The Court Theatre”.

During the thirty hours The Court Jesters will perform a wide range of formats, from previous productions such as Pulp William and Masterfool to new concepts incorporating puppets, the Twilight saga and modern social networking sites such as Facebook.

Long-standing Court Jesters Javier Jarquin and Daniel Pengelly  will be performing for the full 30 hours; both are anticipating an “epic experience - for us as much as the audience”. The rest of the 20-strong Court Jester company will join them on stage for 8-15 hours “which may involve holding up the all-nighters” says Gillespie.

Several Jester alumni have also been invited to perform during the marathon; Melbourne-based entertainer Patrick Duffy, playwright Carl Nixon and Artistic Director of The Court Theatre Ross Gumbley (founding members of The Court Jesters in 1989) have already been confirmed for the “Scriptless Legends” showcase.

A full schedule of events is available at The Court Theatre Website. Audiences can purchase “full marathon” passes, 15-hour “half marathon” tickets, or tickets to two-hour shows during the weekend.  Special prizes will be given to those audience members who survive all 30 hours alongside the performers.

With twenty years under its belt, SCARED SCRIPTLESS holds the title of “the longest-running comedy show in New Zealand and Australasia” and, with a second weekly production recently added due to popular demand, it’s an honour the Court Jesters are unlikely to give up any time soon.

ADDITIONAL NOTES

“Theatresports”, an improvised theatre format devised by Keith Johnstone, was introduced  to Canterbury in the late 1980s under the banner “United Theatresports”. The Court Jesters, the improvisational wing of The Court Theatre, was founded in 1989 and SCARED SCRIPTLESS launched in 1990.
Theatresports In Schools (a high-school competition run by The Court Jesters) currently involves  18 schools from the Christchurch and Canterbury region. Many current Jesters were introduced to improv and/or recruited through the TIS programme.
SCARED SCRIPTLESS was initially performed at 11pm Fridays until 2006, when it was moved to 10pm. Audience demand necessitated a second weekly show (Saturdays at 10pm) be added in May 2009 and both shows have attracted an average 270 people a week over the past 12 months.
Also participating in the Improv Marathon will be former Jesters Jared Corbin, Rikki Cosgrove, Nic Gorman and Simon Young. Other Jester alumni of note include: playwright, director and actor Greg Cooper, international comedians  Cal Wilson and Jarred Christmas, columnist Susan Fogarty, “Studio 2” presenter Matt Gibb and TV & film actor Michael Robinson and the late Kevin Smith.
THE IMPROV MARATHON

Featuring:           The Court Jesters and special guests

Dates:                   6pm Friday 25 June until 12am Sunday 27 June

Venue:                 The Court Theatre, 20 Worcester Boulevard
Tickets:                                $75 Full Marathon, $45 Half Marathon (6pm – 9am or 9am – 12am)

$15 tickets to 2-hour sessions between 6pm and 12am

$10 tickets to 2-hour sessions between 8am and 6pm

Free entry to performances between 2am-8am

Bookings:            The Court Theatre Box Office, Ph (03) 963 0870 or www.courttheatre.org.nz

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