Live game shows have long been around in one form or another, but, in recent years, they’ve become a staple of fringe and comedy festivals. We’ve seen gamified trivia, wrestling, talent shows, role-playing games, furniture-building, musical theatre, board games and more pop up on programs.
When they hit, they can hit big; Guy Montgomery’s Guy Mont-Spelling Bee and Taskmaster (which debuted as a live show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival), for instance, have both been adapted into hugely successful TV shows.
Part of the appeal of live game shows is that they can achieve the neat trick of boosting a show’s commercial prospects while also offering something new and stimulating for the performers. They offer the ticket-buyer an easily understandable format with built-in stakes. At the same time, there’s often an inherent unpredictability – even chaos – to the games, meaning no two shows are ever quite the same for the artists.
Here, ArtsHub talks to four performers who are staging game shows this festival season to uncover the appeal of the format and how they embrace the spontaneity of these interactive shows.
David Crisante (Future Science Talks)
In the Future Science Talks series, scientists present short talks on their field at comedy festivals in a format described as 80% science and 20% comedy. In this year’s True or False shows, the scientists who presented last year will give encore performances of their speeches, but with a twist: contestants vie to identify the false statements the scientists have sneaked in there.
At Perth FRINGE WORLD, school students will compete to uncover the scientists’ porkies, while at Adelaide Fringe Festival, it will be fringe artists trying their hand.
Blending science and comedy may seem unusual, but the format has proved a winner. Last year, Future Science Talks ran almost 50 shows involving more than 250 scientists with sell-out performances across Australia.
“The nice thing about combining [science] with humour is it forces the scientists to think about their topic from the perspective of their audience,” says David Crisante, Director of Future Science Talks. “It’s quite a psychological change for them; rather than educating, they’re now trying to connect.”
Having watched the scientists – many initially uncertain and inexperienced public speakers – grow in confidence and adopt a more animated and personable style as they deliver the talks, Crisante looks forward to seeing what they can do in a looser, gamified setting. “I think these game show formats enable people to do more personal storytelling, and because we get to see various sides of them and think about whether they’re telling the truth or maybe telling a lie, it’s fun and engaging for the audience.
“We piloted it across four states last year, and it went really well … [the scientists] who are now part of the game show are having a bit more sass with audiences, telling a few falsehoods and seeing what happens.”
Stella Wu and Yosef Bender
Wanting to do something different than a straight stand-up show for the Sydney Fringe Festival, Stella Wu and Yosef Bender created Trial By Funny, a game show where the competing comics are given prompts and have 30 seconds to create a joke. A panel of three comedian judges then decides whether the joke ‘killed’ or ‘bombed’ with the audience. Ultimately, they crown a winner for the night and award a cash prize. The pair are bringing the show back to Sydney this January, with further gigs in the works.
“The comedians love it,” Bender says of the format. “They like the opportunity to try improvised comedy, which they don’t get to do often. We’re from stand-up, but you have to improvise sometimes when you’re doing stand-up, and it’s good to train that muscle.”
While it’s easy to imagine comedians becoming competitive in these shows, Wu – a Raw Comedy national finalist in 2024 – says they’re often gripped by fear before competing. “For a lot of new comedians, it’s daunting to come into a show without any material. We don’t give the comedians any prompts ahead of time, which I know some shows might do. So, it’s completely on the spot, but a lot of comedians in the previous shows had a lot more fun [than they expected] and now they actually want to come back.”
Bender says the comedian judges add another entertaining element to the show. “There’s a lot of appeal in shows like American Idol, where people enjoy the sassiness of the judges. You don’t know what you’re going to get; it might be something hilarious, horrific or boring. The judges can relate to the audience and comment on it so they can feel connected to what just happened.”
Kieran Bullock
Now a popular fixture on the fringe and comedy festival circuit, Kieran Bullock’s IKEA Wars – where competitors race to build a piece of furniture on stage – started as a solo show before his housemate had the inspired idea of turning it into a race. Since then, Bullock has added ‘sabotages’ to up the chaos for the comedians and fringe performers who compete in the show.
The format, with its revolving guests, has facilitated Bullock collaborating with performers with whom he wants to work. He says not knowing the guests and how they will react to challenges amps up the show’s entertainment factor. “I’m constantly delighted and surprised by some of the crazy new ideas and tactics people come up with. When someone is panicking, they do unpredictable things; there have been a couple of shows where the [furniture] ends up being held together with masking tape.”
Read: Comedy review: Jokes About the Time I Went To Prison, FRINGE WORLD
With a background in improv, Bullock has developed an ability to think on his feet, which is crucial for this concept. “I describe it as I’ve got the remote control to the TV, and I can always change the channel at any time … [The improv background] helps in hosting this show because a lot is going on all the time, and it’s important for me to be able to steer the ship in that regard.”
Bullock says one reason why IKEA Wars and other comedy game shows have caught on is that audiences know what they’re in for and can see a new side of familiar performers. “Any comedic medium that thrives on chaos and unpredictability, that’s where I have a good time,” he says. “Taskmaster is a huge favourite of mine. I think there’s a genuine element to watching comedians and performers be themselves and be put under the pump.”
Tash York
A career in the arts can often be a hard slog, but with her show Tash York’s Chaos Cabaret, the drag cabaret performer brings back the element of play. Each night, artists from across the circus and burlesque scenes will compete in an improvised variety game show. Audiences can take part in the show by voting on their phones. It debuts at the Adelaide Fringe Festival this March.
York has already run some trials of this new format, which she describes as a more gamified and interactive version of her cult late-night variety show Fringe As F***. She says the early feedback from performers has been positive; many have surprised themselves with their ability to make it up as they go along.
She adds that while some arts practitioners don’t necessarily think of themselves as improvisers, everyone with experience in the low-budget world of fringe festivals – where rehearsal and tech time can be severely limited – knows how to roll with the punches. “I’ve had people come out of it feeling empowered and thinking, ‘Oh, actually I do have this skill set!’ and that feels nice.”
York says the game show format can appeal to both punters who are looking for a safe bet and performers keen to try something new. “I think there’s a need, especially in these times where people have less money, for something a little bit more mainstream and a little bit less daring and different, because no one spends their money on independent art as much anymore,” she explains. “But, for the performers, it’s a lot of fun that they don’t have to do the same fire act that they’ve been doing for the last five years because that’s what pays their rent… They get to look at it differently and play with it again.”
Once dubbed the ‘grand dame of drag and cabaret’, York hopes the new concept will appeal to both her existing fans and new punters drawn to the Vegas showgirl revue ambience. “Expense on a budget is my general vibe; I’ll make it look as fancy as possible with two dollars. Hopefully, that will bring in some new people who may think, ‘Oh, this is a fun little world I never realised I loved!’”
