What to expect this year
Improv Queensland is excited to be taking over the competition this year. We are committed to continuing the fantastic work Roger Beames over the past 30 years and ensuring the competition continues to be a positive and exciting event for all students.
We are making some small changes to how the competition will run this year which we hope will result in better work and make the experience more enjoyable for teams. The key changes are:
New judging criteria
We have introduced new judging criteria. Our hope is that the new criteria will make it clearer for teams about the basis on which their scenes are scored and help teams improve their improvisation. The criteria are look at:
Teamwork - how well teams work together using core impro skills such as listening, acceptance and building on ideas.
Stagecraft - how well teams communication and present their work to the audience. This looks at their use of voice, staging, physicality and characterisation.
Narrative - this looks at the content of the scene. How entertaining or engaging it is, how well it is structured, and how it honours the rules of the game and the offer.
We will also be aiming to provide short written feedback to teams after their competition to assist them in understanding the decision and improving in future.
Games can be played twice per show
Currently, teams cannot play a game if it has already been played by another team. This year, we are allowing games to be played twice - that is, a team can choose to play a game even if it has already been played by another team.
Our aim is to reduce some of the stress teams face in having to select and reselect games during the show and thereby allow teams to focus more fully on the competition. We still encourage teams to pick a new game if possible.
Teams cannot play the same game twice themselves.
Updated Games List
In previous years, there were games lists for each round - 1 minute, 2 minute, 3 minute and 4 minute games. Teams were expected to select from the list for the respective round with some ability to perform games from a different list with permission from the MC.
With a view to simplifying the game selection process, we have reduced the lists into 2 games lists - short games and long games. Our aim is to make it easier for students to select games they will enjoy performing.
Teams will be asked to select from the short games list for the 1 minute and 2 minute rounds, and from the long games list for the 3 and 4 minute rounds (senior teams will be asked to perform an ‘open scene’ in round 3).
We have also removed some games and added some new games. We have done this based upon experience - some improv games encourage good improvisation whereas others can get in the way (particular for newer players). However, we will be flexible if teams accidentally use the old list or want to play a game not on the new list.
Note, games which include a time limit (such as Death in a minute) can be played in the 2-minute round and the scene will still 2-minutes.
Open Scenes
Senior teams will be asked to perform an ‘Open scene’ for their 3-minute round. For an open scene, the team is not given a game to play but instead performs a scene, without any rules or handles, which is inspired by an offer from the MC. For example, the team might be asked to perform a scene set in a barn or a cafe or about a lifesaver.
This round will give us the opportunity to evaluate teams ability to improvise without game rules or gimmicks getting in the way.
Golden Points
All teams will receive 2 points if they are respectively, friendly and supportive towards other teams.
Questions
Please send us an email at youth@improvqld.com.au if you have any questions about the changes.