MotherFather (Tom Walker and Bridie Connell) win the night
You’d be hard pressed to find a show that traverses multiple times and locations in the blink of an eye. Yet the Cranston Cup Theatresports Grand Final transported audiences from a Church confessional, to an alien probing, then to an American airport in mere moments.
The Cranston Cup was a rollicking night of laughs and improvised comedy. Delightful host Susie Youssef oversaw the night’s proceedings and charmed the crowd by making passes at any eligible bachelors in the room.
The show opened with two rookie teams in their first appearance on the Enmore stage. The Fast & The Furiously Overweight triumphed over The Peruvian Flute Orchestra after two short, sharp rounds.
The best performers wove a tight narrative throughout their scenarios and launch head-first into daring characters. As each round unfolded, The Bear Pack showcased an impressive mastery of accents, whilst The Rise of the Bearded Clams embraced their bromance by concluding almost every scene with a kiss.
Hillbilly Magic brought a little touch of the South to the Enmore, muttering phrases like ‘skillet’, ‘NASCAR, ‘dirty Mexicans’ and ‘Dukes of Hazard’ in a game of gibberish.
Many scenes wavered on the edge of wicked insanity, like the flagellation of two players by a sadistic master of a Turkish bath house.
MotherFather were the standout team of the night, and the quick wit of Tom Walker and musical chops of Bridie Connell could not be beaten. The duo boldly tackled a ‘poetry rollercoaster’ that incorporated the styles of Haiku, Dr Seuss, bush poetry and rap.
In the final showdown MotherFather reigned supreme over The Bear Pack with their Opera about canned goods.
As Susie Youseff reminded us, the Cranston Cup is the most unattractive trophy in the theatre, but MotherFather were still thrilled to claim their prize.
