Theatresports Cranston Cup Grand Final 2011

The superpower of love was the winner when "dysle-X-ia men" pipped the "Bear Pack" in the Theatresports Cranston Cup Grand Final on Saturday December 3, 2011 in front of a sell-out crowd at the Enmore Theatre.

In a Superhero-themed show that was characterised by cooperation between the teams ahead of competitiveness, the combination of David Callan, Jon Williams and Bridie Connell triumphed over the pairing of Steen Raskopoulos and Carlo Ritchie. Just behind them were the "Rock Steady Crew" and "Bigger on the Inside". But everyone was a winner!

Having flown onto the stage (literally) in a spectacular opening number, superhero hosts Susie Youssef and Jane Simmons kept the show ticking over with wit and charm. Highlights included a Marriage Equality scene in the style of Shakespeare, the Qantas grounding as modern interpretive dance and "Occupy Bankstown" played as a sequence of motivational speeches.

Theatresports® is the ultimate live comedy game show and - at 30 years - the longest running show in Australia. It has launched the careers of countless stage and screen stars in Australia from Andrew Denton to Julia Zemiro, Andrew O’Keefe, Jay Laga'aia, Angus Sampson, Dan Cordeaux & Nicola Parry from Thank God You're Here and The Axis of Awesome. Set the challenge of creating instant scenes, poems, songs and even operas with absolutely no preparation time, it’s a competitive stage for comic brilliance… and the odd heroic failure! Every performance is unique and the rivalry fierce. Audience interaction is the hallmark of the show with crowd suggestions used to initiate scenes and storylines. Teams are scored by veteran players and celebrity judges. The Cranston Cup is Theatresports’ ultimate annual competitive season.

Images: above - dysle-X-ia men team photo, and receiving the Cranston Cup (the biggest, ugliest trophy in the known world). Below - action shots. Photographer: Stephen Reinhardt.

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