Post by nyandra on Oct 18, 2009 8:41:38 GMT 10
IF there’s one thing McKinnon’s Russell Fletcher is good at, it’s unrehearsed humour.
The impromptu genre sits comfortably with the well-known Australian comic, who loves nothing more than an unplanned sketch.
And, he said, his thirst for chaotic comedy was still being quenched in a nine-year stint as host of the live theatre show Spontaneous Broadway.
“It’s absolute complete madness, but it’s hilarious,” Fletcher said.
“Everyone from the audience has to make up a song title and we draw six of them out of a bucket.
“On the spot we invent a storyline and a song for each of them and perform a complete musical in the second act.
“It’s completely spontaneous.”
The show also stars a cavalcade of Australian entertainers, with Julia Zemiro, Genevieve Morris, Ross Daniels and Geoff Paine in the limelight and musical director John Thorn helping to smooth the bedlam.
“You really never know what’s going to happen,” Fletcher said.
“Every show is completely different.
“We don’t get any time to prepare and sometimes we get the most bizarre song titles thrown at us.”
Fletcher said his surrender to the world of hilarity came early in life, when he taught drama with college colleague Peter Rowsthorn (Kath and Kim) in the 1980s.
“The students quickly realised we weren’t ever being serious so we became clowns instead.”
The McKinnon resident went on to make appearances on shows including Whose Line is it Anyway, Thank God You’re Here, Lano and Woodley, Blue Heelers, The Comedy Company, Theatresports and Good News Week.
Spontaneous Broadway is on at Dandenong’s The Drum Theatre on October 30. Bookings: 9771 6666.
By 14 Oct 09 @ 04:01pm by Lisa Edgerton
moorabbin-kingston-leader.whereilive.com.au/lifestyle/story/russell-has-last-laugh/
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