Let There Be Capping Show! Capping Show 2011

The Capping Show is the name of the annual student revue/variety show put on by the University of Otago.  According to its extensive Wikipedia entry, it is the second longest student revue in the world.  It's been going since 1894 and is pretty accurately described on Wikipedia as "a comedy revue full of offensive and entertaining skits...there has been a main story line which has weaved through it little skits, bad puns and musical numbers. It touches on many of the current and not so current events of the past few years, satirizing people and problems in an uncommonly brash manner."

God

The show has several famous and semi-famous (in New Zealand) alumni.  While the main sketch is what is used for naming and marketing the show, two-thirds of the show is 30 second to 3 minute sketches that range from crazy offensive to hilariously silly.  The theme of the main sketch this year was the Bible hence the name Let There Be Capping Show.  Past shows have included Alice in Cappingland and Pirates of the Capping Show.

Capping Show equals cool posters, cool stunts, and long-standing crazy traditions.  This year, in addition to your normal sized posters, the OUSA graphic designer created a few HUGE posters for the OUSA bollards that were pretty amazing.

Eve & God

Adam & Eve

A Jesus-themed flash mob featured members of the Capping Show cast dressed as Jesus reading in The Link, a busy student area between the library and the Union, in the middle of the day.

 

 

I think the most hilarious tradition related to the Capping Show is the Selwyn Battle.  Selwyn is a residential college and has put on the Selwyn Ballet portion of the Capping Show since 1928, making it the "second oldest amateur ballet troupe in the world, and certainly the oldest all-male one! It began as a capping show performance intended to take-off popular London musicals of the time; but by 1937, the ballet had become a tradition of the College and more of a spoof of classical ballet" (Selwyn College website).

The Selwyn Battle happens the day the Capping Show opens.  The Selwyn Battle consists of half of Selwyn fighting against the other half of Selwyn, and the warriors are primarily male.  The women of Selwyn dress as nurses.  When a warrior has fallen, the nurses bring over a mysterious red liquid and once the warrior drinks this liquid, they are healed and can continue to fight.  The battle starts in front of the Clocktower and moves to the Union Lawn.  It's awesome and loud, and you must watch the video.

 

 

A little video of battle highlights...

Critic - Te Arohi, the weekly campus magazine, gave Capping Show a five star review.  The Otago Daily Times did a pictorial, and TV3 did a national story, complete with video, on both the Selwyn Battle and Selwyn Ballet. 

The day we arrived in New Zealand was the day after The Capping Show closed, and Vanessa had been chaperoning the all night cast party before picking us up at the airport.  It was all we heard about for a few weeks, so we were very excited to be around for this year's Capping Show. It was worth the wait!