This year, Avonside welcomed a new generation of students willing to perform improvised comedy on stage and encourage an audience to laugh at their own expense. Our new junior team consisted of Rosie Paul, Ruby Low, Pania Howden, Maya Livermore-Lewis and Trinity Akurangi.

For the first time, the junior and senior teams practiced together every Wednesday lunch time. The team was coached by teacher, Dani Coulter, but the senior students also helped coach and impart wisdom from their years of experience.

We had a lot of fun and laughter throughout the year preparing for the interschools competition run by The Court Theatre. The students also attended an improvisation workshop run by The Court Jesters.

On the day of the competition heats, our team gave a strong performance. There was an inspiring Shared Story about a fake magician, Rosie expertly selecting lines from a random script in a round of Actor’s Nightmare and Maya’s hilarious portrayal of a dancing lion in New Choice.

It was a close competition, we came third, with the top teams only separated by half a point each.