"THANK GOD YOU'RE HERE!"

Australia's prolific comedy team from 'Working Dog' [The Castle, The Dish, The Panel, Frontline etc] have scored a quiet ratings winner for Oz's TEN network... aimed squarely at the 18-30 demographic!!

It's a simple preimse done well [the secret to any successful creative endeavour] and could be adapted for youth groups and camps...

On the show the stage has a central MC area, one judge who comments on each skit and decides a winner, and two side stages behind screens.

Each week there are at least four guest performers.

At each turn the guest comes out 'in a costume' for a skit they have no other clues about. They walk through a door to the staging area left or right in turn and are greeted by one of up to four regular clued in actors who begins "thank God you're here!" and slowly they have a few one liners to feed to the actor that leave them hanging with a clue to the story but no real details.

So the humour is derived from improv and how the guest deals with the wobblies thrown their way by succeeding clues. Very funny most of the time [except for Frank Woodley in the season finale].

At a youth ministry activity you'd need:

• A small collection of leaders or group members who could construct a skit given a rough outline and a few clues that get dropped in the conversation
• A collection of props and clothes from the local op shop
• A set of pre written skit scenarios
• an MC
• a Judge
• Ability to set up for a move from one side of the stage or performance space to the other OR a quick change crew to put out very basic props and visuals
• A data projector or TV could provide still shots to enhance the props

Later in the year I might have space to sketch out some scenarios which could be used. One key is that the skit participants work cooperatively with a spirit of fun and a desire to 'go along with' the guests improv while still dropping in contradictions or info as the skit unfolds but if thats done vindictively or with too much negativity it won't work!!

For an inevitably more eloquent and complete description of the new show check out my new favourite research tool wikipedia here at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thank_God_You