Alexandria Greenhalgh - Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup
It may not seem obvious but improv comedy & combat sports share several similarities. For each event participants spend years honing their crafts before stepping into their chosen arena. However, regardless of how extensive their preparation is the actual performance is always unpredictable. Bearing this in mind it makes total sense that an improv comedy competition has taken on the name, Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup.
The Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup consists of 36 teams of comedians duking it out for two months. Each night's winner is chosen by the audience, with these winners then progressing to a grand final night to compete for a $1000 cash prize.
In 2023 the sudden-death Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup will begin with six semi-finals every Monday night at The Chippo Hotel from Mar 6-Apr 3. The semi-finals will be followed by a charity night on May 1 & the grand final on Thursday, May 4 at The Factory Theatre, as part of the Sydney Comedy Festival.
Ahead of the competition, Pario spoke with former finalist Alexandria Greenhalgh about her journey in the world of improv comedy & her experiences with the Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup.
Discovering a passion for improv comedy
Comedy & performance has always been a world that interested Alexandria. Outside of the world of improv comedy, she works full-time as a casting agent but always had aspirations to perform herself. Aspirations that ultimately led her to join the University of Technology Sydney Women's Revue. According to Alexandria, it was here that her passion bloomed into something special.
"The Women's Revue was my introduction to the comedy world & specifically women in comedy," recalled Alexandria."We created a really fantastic group & network of different female comedians, sketch writers & improv artists... I've always loved watching comedy but I'd say Women's Revue specifically introduced me to improv comedy because leading up to the show we did a lot of improv jams & creating sketches from improv. That process of doing little improvisations was my favourite of the creative process for that show. Being able to then properly learn improv from some of the best improv artists in Sydney at Improv Theatre Sydney solidified my love for the art."
Entering into a new creative space, particularly comedy, can be an incredibly daunting experience. Thankfully though, as Alexandria explained the crew at Improv Theatre Sydney were incredibly welcoming.
"It's scary taking any step into the comedy world, in any of the different forms, but I just found immediately that it was so much more warm & welcoming than I thought it would be."
After discovering such a welcoming environment Alexandria quickly knew improv was something that she wanted to pursue further & evolve her skills.
Biggest lessons to grow as an improv comic
To grow as an improv comic there were a few key lessons Alexandria had to grasp. Firstly, she discovered that simply being yourself & letting your personality shine can create the funniest moments.
"Early on we were taught that it isn't about being funny," Alexandria said before clarifying. "You don't have to chase being funny or chase the laughs. In 1 of our first classes, we had an exercise where we just got up on stage & told a story about our day. Everyone was so interesting & so enthralled by everyone else's stories. So afterwards the teacher explained that we could all just get on stage & be ourselves because that is enough. By just telling a story about our own life the audience is completely captivated, you don't have to tell jokes per se."
Grasping that notion was crucial because it meant that Alexandria could simply rely on her instincts when performing. Even when shows went off the rails entirely.
"Improv is very challenging because you can never trust that it's going to be fantastic. But, that is where the magic comes from. You could be on stage & have a strong idea of what you want to explore that day but then someone's phone goes off in the audience & that's the route you go down instead. That is the thing I love about it the most. It depends on who you're performing with, the vibe of the night, what mood you're in & what memories come up"
Finding a platform in Improv Comedy Cage Fight Cup
Despite only being immersed in the improv comedy world since 2020 Alexandria & her group quickly achieved remarkable success. When they first entered the Improve Comedy Cage Fight Cup they made it all the way to the grand final, despite being 1 of the newest & least experienced teams.
When asked why they chose to compete so early into their improv careers Alexandria said, "We were studying at ITS (Improv Theatre Sydney) & I found these 2 people in my class that I loved performing with. We really wanted to perform together more, so we said 'Let's just sign up for Cage Fight' with no real expectations. We didn't even think we'd get into the final 2 groups of the night, let alone win that heat."
Alexandria's team then progressed to the grand final at The Factory Theatre, where the moment quickly became a little overwhelming.
"When the 3 of us walked in for the grand final & saw the audience we were in shock," remembered Alexandria. "We just signed up to do a bit of chill improv at a pub but the Factory Theatre had seats for more than 300 people. We all thought, 'ok we may have girl bossed too close to the sun'!"
Although they were a little overwhelmed by the occasion, & came up short of taking home the grand prize, Alexandria's team all immediately wanted to try again.
"All 3 of us when we stepped off that stage wanted to immediately sign up for as much as we could... Cage Fight was a really great jumping board for us. We were just wanting to explore how we perform together outside of the school, so with it being so successful we feel so inspired."
Bearing this in mind we had to ask Alexandria what makes Improve Comedy Cage Fight so special.
"In Sydney, especially post-COVID, there aren't as many spaces for improv comedians to explore their craft compared to what is available for stand-up comedians. When we discovered Cage Fight it was so accessible for people at all levels. To be able to perform with the most incredible people & meet some amazing people through Cage Fight was so special. Cage Fight has facilitated an amazing space for people who love improv in Sydney & the audiences love it as well, which is really great."
Every Monday from March 6. The Chippo Hotel, 87-91 Abercrombie St, Chippendale. $15+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.improvcomedycagefight.com.au
Grand Final
May 4. The Factory Theatre, 105 Victoria Rd, Marrickville. $34.50+b.f. Tickets & Info: www.factorytheatre.com.au
Follow Alexandria's Creative Journey on social media on: @AlexGreenhalgh
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