Sammy J on Vigilantelope

Post-comedy festival, the lovely Sammy J gave us a shout out on his blog. You can subscribe to his charming ramblings on Facebook here. This year, he and Heath McIvor are spending a great deal of time touring the acclaimed "Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams" through Australia and the UK. Check out the upcoming dates for this show, as well as his sell out MICF Smash Hit "1999" here.

What Sammy J had to say about "Tale of the Golden Lease""

"Final special mention goes to Vigilantelope, a bunch of ridiculously fun dudes from the local revue scene, whose show also scored a Gibbo Nomination and had people in high places saying all sorts of awesome things. I think I actually slapped my thigh whilst watching their show - piss funny wouldn’t begin to describe it. Stay tuned for a return season from these guys."

Collaterly_Sisters on Vigilantelope

Just found this really lovely post about Vigilantelope by Collaterly_Sisters at www.messandnoise.com

Really lovely to stumble across such kind words from a stranger. Thanks for your support!

Collaterly_Sisters  said about 1 month ago:

Wow. Busy month. Did anyone else happen to catch a young troupe at Trades called Vigilantelope? I went in knowing nothing and was preparing myself for the possibility it could be patchy and undergraduate. I came out thinking this could well have been the best show of the festival (that I'd seen anyway). And I caught the Barry winners (The Pajama Men) on the first night of the fest and was convinced there was no way anything could top them this year. I think I was proven wrong on the final night. Astonishing, face-hurtingly hilarious, utterly ridiculous (while still maintaining a coherent story - a problem that so many other acts with absurdist leanings struggle with), amazing writing and even better formation dancing. Where the hell did these kids come from? It's probably not a big call to predict they'll have their own ABC/SBS show within two years, which is slightly jealousy-inducing.

Bye Bye Comedy Festival

So, the comedy festival is well and truly over, and we would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your ongoing support for the group, the show, and independent comedy.

This was our first comedy festival, and we never anticipated that it would go so well. A sold out season, a Golden Gibbo Award nomination, great reviews, and wonderful audiences made this an absolute dream run. Without you, it would have just been a run. A long, strenuous run with a niggling ankle injury along an uninspiring suburban route. So thankyou. You are the best.

Vigilantelope is now gearing up for a few exciting projects. Expect to hear more from us in the coming weeks about upcoming Vigilantelope appearances.

We are also excited to announce that we are planning an encore season of "Tale of the Golden Lease" for the Melbourne Fringe Festival this year. So if you, your mum, or any of your friends missed out, this will be your last chance to see the show that for one reviewer "…ultimately restored [his] faith in the art of comedy, theatre and performance." (The Pun) Details about the Fringe run of the show will be posted here as they become available.

"Tale of the Golden Lease" listed in The Pun's Top Five Not-Just-Standup Shows

Top 5… Not-just-standup shows

21 APRIL 2009 LEFA SINGLETON NORTON NO COMMENT

In no particular order, here are our Top 5 suggestions for shows which break out of the stand-up mould to offer you something a little different.

1. Denise Scott - Number 26

Sit back, relax and put your metaphoric comfy nightie on so you can join Scott in her jaunt down memory lane.  Part stand-up, part storytelling with a dash of showbiz thrown in, this show is one you’ll remember long after you’ve rushed off to the next gig.

2. Wilson Dixon Rides Again

If you haven’t seen a Wilson Dixon show before, you’ll want to give this one a crack.  Not just because of the recent Barry Award nomination, which usually signals a good show, but because this uniquely drawn charachter has a way of sneaking up on you.  The music is good, the premise is good, the story is good.  This cowboy philosopher is more than just a charicature, which makes for a great show.

3. The List Operators

Addicted to making lists?  This show is perfect for you.  Fresh from their award winning season (and sold-out) season at Melbourne Fringe Festival, this duo will keep you laughing for a full hour… and what better than to make our Top 5 list than, well, a show about lists.

4. Tale of the Golden Lease

Read our review for a glowing recommendation to see this show, or just take my word for the fact that these lads are performing sketch comedy at its finest.

5. Justin Hamilton - Goodbye Ruby Tuesday

Combine one talented comedian and one talented actor and you get Goodbye Ruby Tuesday.  An hour long story about little-girl-lost, Ruby, and her rather strange friendship with local comic Jason.  There are smatterings of stand-up, a beguiling story and endearing, well drawn charachters.  Well worth a look.

The Pun Reviews Vigilantelope's "Tale of the Golden Lease"

Tale of the Golden Lease

22 APRIL 2009 TIM NORTON 5 COMMENTS

Utter the words ‘university’ and ‘comedy’ in the same sentence and you’ll usually elicit a long groan from me. As much as I understand the need for students to start somewhere and trial their material, I really don’t need to be subjected to painful performances limited to re-enactments of South Park or Monty Python. But this festival, Tale of the Golden Lease has blown all my preconceptions away with a magnificent performance, and ultimately restored my faith in the art of comedy, theatre and performance.

Vachel Spirason, Joel Tito, Pat Miller, Tim McDonald and Nick Russell from the Monash Law Revue Gold Alumni tell a pan-dimensional story of religion, history and silliness that is truly astonishing. Tale of the Golden Lease shows that regardless of budget, it is pure talent that will entertain, and these boys have it in spades.

This is an incredibly tight performance that overcomes every hurdle thrown at it. With a large number of scene changes, actors playing multiple characters and minimal props, the magical illusion of a continued story is never lost. The audience is continually spellbound by the antics of these rather manic, energetic and overwhelmingly entertaining performers. Lightening-quick scene changes ensure that boredom never sets in, and what they obviously lack in funding for props (the golden lease, holding the deed to earth’s future, is a phonebook badly wrapped in gold foil), they make up for in confidence and ability.

I really stuggle to find anything wrong with this performance – very few scripted jokes fell flat – with the exception of an inevitable law joke that went straight over my non-legal head. Combining very strong acting talents with no shred of shame enables these boys to keep the fourth wall of the theatre incredibly solid.

It is hard to avoid the feeling that, watching this performance, you are witnessing the birth of a new generation of comedic actors. Like the D-Generation or The Chaser, intelligent, informed talent has to start somewhere, and I predict we’ll be seeing much more of this crew in the future. Please, someone give them a TV show! If these five boys can produce a show so entertaining with little more than some devil horns, an oversized latte, black cloth and their awesomely tatty golden lease, just imagine what they could rise to.

Groggy Squirrel Review of Vigilantelope's "Tale of the Golden Lease"

2009 MICF Reviews

Tale of the Golden Lease

Colin Flaherty – 18 April 2009

Fresh from the Monash Comedy Law Revues comes Vigilantelope (Vachel Spirason, Joel Tito, Nick Russell, Tim McDonald and Pat Miller) with their show Tale of the Golden Lease. It told the story of the dispute of Earth’s lease with Father Time and the ensuing journey of a courier and two humans through various dimensions to find the document before Satan’s minions.

Working with a bare stage, they made creative use of lighting and sound effects to transport the audience to the different locales in the play. In a similar act of economy, they kept the props and costuming basic, often using only a hat to switch between characters. The only costuming of some substance was the brilliant one used to portray Vishnu. This bare bones approach was a necessity as each of the five actors was required to play multiple wacky beings, so we weren’t left staring at a darkened stage for too long between scenes.

The script was punchy and crammed a lot of story into the hour. The characters were completely over the top and made use of plenty of witty wordplay, nonsensical concepts and surprising visual gags to keep the hilarity at a high level that never wavered. A number of clever pop culture references added to the fun and a subtext echoing the current financial climate made this a quite topical show in spite of the lashings of whimsy.

The team threw themselves around the stage with great enthusiasm and bounced off each other effortlessly. Their five years working together certainly showed as they pulled off an almost seamless performance which the audience lapped up.

There were a number of big musical numbers that were not only amusing in content but regularly featured a troop of dancers to add some zaniness. These background elements of humour were subtle enough not to take away from the song, they were little funny things occurring in the peripheral. Dancing featured heavily in the show not just as a way of jazzing things up, but as an interesting and surreal plot point. All five joined in on some tightly choreographed and hilarious routines, mugging the whole time.

The Tale of the Golden Lease was a brilliantly rollicking show that had the audience in hysterics. It proved that the University Revues are still a fertile ground for top comedic talent.

Visit the Comedy@Trades Website for booking details.

Vigilantelope Nominated for a Golden Gibbo Award!

Last night, the Golden Gibbo Nominees were announced at the festival club, and incredibly, our very own "Tale of the Golden Lease" was amongst them!

The prize is in remembrance of Lynda Gibson, Melbourne comedy legend, who died on January 2, 2004 after a long battle with cancer. The award is "awarded to a local, independent show that bucks trends and pursues the artist's idea more strongly than it pursues any commercial lure." 

The Nominees for 2009 are: Heath McIvor: Randy's Postcards From Purgatory, Wes Snelling: Kiosk, The List Operators, Rob Hunter: Moosecow, and Tom Ballard: Is What He Is. Such an honour to be up there with these guys! Go and check out as many of these acts as possible - they are all very different and excellent.

Tale of the Golden Lease - Selling Fast!

Vigilantelope's "Tale of the Golden Lease" opened last night to a full house of wonderful people. Tickets are now SOLD OUT for Thu the 16th and Fri the 17th of April! Book for tonight or Sat the 18th right now at http://www.vigilantelope.com or buy tickets at the door. Show starts at 7pm at Trades Hall on the corner of Lygon or Victoria. We'd love to see you there!

Vigilantelope in MCV

Check out the wee article on Vigilantelope on Page 18 pf MCV!

Vigilantelope Inpress

Click to enlarge.

Also, we have an interview featured on webwombat at the moment. Check it out here.

Rehearsals

Sorry it's been a bit quiet over here recently. We've been very busy rehearsing, singing, dancing, writing and re-writing, squabbling, hugging and generally working really hard to make Tale of the Golden Lease one of the best shows in the world. 

Tickets for opening night are all but sold out. 

Join the hundreds of Melbournians who are choosing Vigilantelope amongst other things this festival. 

Make an investment in personal happiness and general merriment. Buy a ticket here. 

Vigilantelope Cake by Emily

One good-looking and utterly delicious cake. Thankyou Emily. You are the best.

Daniel Kitson Confirmed for the 2009 Melbourne Comedy Festival!

If you, like us, scoured the pages of the Comedy Festival Guide a few weeks ago for any mention of Daniel Kitson, and if you, like us, were disappointed to find his name glaringly absent, then you, like us, will be doing big jumps into the air, twisting your torso about and doing little claps when you find out that our favourite man is in fact joining us this April for a last-minute show.

Daniel will be doing Sunday the 5th of April to Thursday the 9th, Sunday the 12th of April to Thursday the 16th, and Sun the 19th of April to Thursday the 23rd at the RRR Performance Space in Brunswick. Tickets are remarkably cheap - $14 including booking fee - for what Daniel has described as a work in progress. 

The tickets are being sold exclusively through Polyester Records, and they have more information on their website here.

Daniel also has a post on his website here, which lists other projects for 2009, some of them during the festival, others in Melbourne later in the year.

If you have never seen Daniel Kitson before, and also if you have, you should definitely see him this time. He's really smart and lovely and poetic and philosophical and genuine and really very very funny.

Vach comes Second in Raw Victorian State Final

Yes! Vachel from Vigilantelope came second on Tuesday in the Victorian State Final of Raw comedy. Ripper stuff. When all the state finals are complete, Raw will release the names of those who will proceed to the national final. Fingers crossed! Details about the National Final on the 19th of April can be found here.

Vigilantelopes Run Amok!

CHECK THIS OUT

Real live Vigilantelopes alive, well, and thirsty.

Blocking Camp Day 2

Blocking Camp Day 1

For the long weekend, Vigilantelope have locked themselves in a house in the suburbs and are blocking and rehearsing for "Tale of the Golden Lease." The neighbors love it.

Vigilantelope in Raw Comedy Superheat

Joel and Vach from Vigilantelope both performed in the Raw Comedy Superheat at the Evelyn yesterday. Vach will be proceeding through to the next round - the Victorian State Final on Tuesday the 24th of March!
We'll keep you updated. Find out more about Raw here.

Vigilantelope Makes Friends at Monash Clayton

Steven Rhall shoots Vigilantelope

While at RMIT promoting "Tale of the Golden Lease", a lovely photographer called Steven Rhall approached Vigilantelope for a shot. This is it:We're pretty sure the man is a genius. Check out his impressive folio here.

Vigilantelope at RMIT O Week

Vigilantelope Hit Melbourne University O Week

(Tito Draws the Great Pyramids)

Damain Callinan Charms Vigilantelope

The very funny, very lovely Damian Callinan joined Vigilantelope in the studio at SYN this afternoon and charmed the pants off all of us.
His show, "Is this Thing On?: The Dave Berry Story" will be on at the Arts Centre during the Comedy Festival. Check it out and pick up a ticket here.

Vigilantelope Poster - Tale of the Golden Lease

BUY TICKETS TO 'TALE OF THE GOLDEN LEASE' HERE.
Poster by Scruffian.

Vigilantelope Musical Direction

Pat and Vach have been working away on some awesome tracks for the show. Stay tuned for some snippets of tracks in the forthcoming weeks.

Vigilantelope's 'Tale of the Golden Lease' Tickets Now On Sale!

Finally the wait is over, and you can now get your tickets to our 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Show 'Tale of the Golden Lease'!
Tickets are available right now at:

http://www.comedyattrades.com.au/program_guide/show_135/

And if you get in early, you can get the special April the 14th $14 ticket!

Get them early to avoid disappointment.

Joel from Vigilantelope wins Asian Pop Idol - The Video

Finally, the video of Joel's now famous performance at Asian Pop Idol. See what some young people had to say at http://syn.org.au/content/1003 and feel free to leave your two cents there or on Vigilantelope's facebook page.

Joel from Vigilantelope wins Asian Pop Idol and features in Youthcentral

"...coming out victorious with a prize pack of DVDs and CDs was Joel Tito, who was a crowd pleaser from the outset." Youthcentral.com

Some of you may already know that a week or so ago, Joel from Vigilantelope entered Asian Pop Idol with the Japanese Enka Classic, Yosaku, AND WON. A reporter from Youthcentral, a government-run site for young people in Australia, covered the event. (Click here to see the good work that Youthcentral does in the community.) The article, which includes both references to, and photos of Joel on the day, can be found here.

Big congratulations to Joel on the win, and we will very shortly be uploading footage of the historic event both here and on youtube. In the mean time, click here to view a clip of the song Yosaku as performed by a professional.

"Joel Tito also drew some big cheers and got the crowd excited with his Japanese song, which he performed wearing a red kimono." Youthcentral.com

Vigilantelope in Raw 2

Today, Joel from Vigilantelope took part in the fifth Melbourne Raw Comedy heat at the Corner Hotel. He will be joining Vachel in the Superheat round in late February/early March. We'll keep you updated. Also, a big shout out to the MCs of both the heats we participated in: Michael Chamberlin, Charlie Pickering, Anthony Menchetti and Felicity Ward, who were all lovely and supportive and worked hard to warm up snoozy saturday afternoon crowds. For more information about Raw, check out their site.

Vigilantelope summer block on SYN

For the summer block, Vach and Joel from Vigilantelope will be getting all up in your earholes on Tuesdays, from 2 til 4, on SYN, 90.7 FM. Tune in. Or check out their syn page at: http://syn.org.au/content/1003

Vigilantelope Writing Camp

Vigilantelope have been working tirelessly on the script for their 2009 Comedy Festival Production, 'Tale of the Golden Lease.' Watch this space for updates.

Vigilantelope in Raw Comedy

Yesterday, Vachel from Vigilantelope competed in Raw Comedy at the Retreat, and will be proceeding to the next round of Superheats in late February/early March! Joel will be competing in the preliminary heat on the 31st of January at the Corner. We'll keep you updated on the boys' progress through the competition. For more information about Raw, check out the website.

Vigilantelope Fun Party

Mums and Dads like Vigilantelope Ts too

To offset the rising production costs associated with the "recession", we have reduced the markup on our vigilantelope shirts, which are now retailing at a very reasonable $40 on redbubble. You will also be able to order them on Thu the 11th of December at the Vigilantelope Fun Party, at FAD Gallery. Pick one up for your parent/guardian today!

Vigilantelope Writing Weekend

First Round of Special Guests for the Vigilantelope Fun Party Announced!

OK, CHECK IT OUT!

Mat Kenneally! (Best Comedy, Melbourne Fringe 2008)

Celia Pacquola! (Fox FM, Comedy Zone, Anarchist Guild Society)

Nazeem Hussein! (Fear of a Brown Planet - Best Newcomer at Comedy Festival 2008, Salam Cafe)

Sid Mathur! (Australian So You Think You Can Dance)

Mark Nicholson! (Monash Law Revue, 2007, Melting Pot)

Bianca Chen and Gemma Belfrage! (Triple JJJ Unearthed)

Expect Mini-Sets from these immeasurably talented performers, plus many more on the night.

The Vigilantelope Fun Party: 7pm - 1am on December the 11th at FAD Gallery, 14 Corrs Lane, next door to Eurotrash. Come. You definitely won't regret it. For more details, see the facebook event.

Sammy J's Wagon of Friendship Fit the Second

Last night we went and saw Sammy J's Wagon of Friendship. The show was rad, the Spiegeltent is beautiful, and the surprise guests were hilarious. This show comes highly recommended.
Look! Sammy J has a Vigilantelope T Shirt! And he's wearing it!

Vigilantelope Fun Party

We are currently putting together a really fun fundraising party for Vigilantelope.
It's going to be at FAD Gallery on the 11th of December, from 7pm.

Here are some of the things that are going to be really rad about it:

1. The music. We're going to have the Hold Up! DJs spinning tracks that will have you laughing, dancing and clapping all night long.

2. The entertainment. Not only will you see Vigilantelope performing old favourites from past Revues, but they will also be performing some brand new material. PLUS, you will also be witness to mico-sets from some of Melbourne's finest comedians, dancers and performers. We will announce these performances in stages, music-festival style. Watch this site as well as the Facebook event.

3. The food. Yes, of course there will be food. Fairy Bread, Little Sausages on Sticks, etc. There will also be a cake stall - car boot sale style - where you will be able to buy absolutely delectable snacks at very reasonable prices.

4. The Prizes. There will be opportunity to win all sorts of rad stuff - Door Prizes, Give-Aways, and so-on.

It will be only $5 on the door, or FREE ENTRY if you are sporting an Official Vigilantelope T-Shirt. We also reccomend you bring lots of spare change - lighten those wallets and help us raise funds for our 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival Show!

Vigilantelope Dreaming

Vigilantelope is part of a competition called 'My Dream Is' being run by ING Direct. If we get enough ratings on our picture, we could win up to $10,000 to put towards the show.

Please click:
http://mydreamis.ingdirect.com.au/?id=2960
and give us a 5 star rating.

It is literally a 2 click process, which, depending on the speed of your internet, should take no longer than 5 seconds.

We really appreciate your rating. Vigilantelope thanks you for your support.

Vigilantelope's Go2Girl

The absolutely wonderful Zadia Lenders at Go2Girl is locked in as Vigilantelope's publicist for the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival! Zadia has previously worked for artists like the Crash Test Dummies, Tom Waits and R.L Burnside, and yes, she is as pro and cool as she sounds. Vigilantelope are extremely excited to be working with Go2Girl, who are available for promotions, events, marketing and sponsorship jobs big and small. They come highly recommended! Check out their website here.
For confirmation of how cool these peeps are, check out their 'stuff we like page'. Oh yeah!

Vigilantelope Showreel

Clips of the Vigilantelope crew in Monash Law Comedy Revues between 2003-2008.

Apologies to Macdog for the exposure.

Sammy J's Wagon of Friendship

Vigilantelope are big fans of comedian Sammy J, who came up through Uni Law Revues himself, and is now living the dream. Coincidentally, Sammy J is the recipient of Vigilantelope's AUSTRALIAN OF THE WEEK AWARD! The award for the slightly more prestigious WORLD CITIZEN OF THE WEEK AWARD goes to Barack Obama, who just pipped Sammy at the post (it was just a bad week to send in your application, Sammy.) They will both be receiving certificates in the mail.
If Sammy's previous shows are anything to go by, then this one is going to be ripper. Go and see it, do.

Vigilantelope Mailing List

OK, Check it out!

Brand new Vigilantelope Mailing List! Over there on the right hand side of the page!

Put in your name and email address and you'll get special emails that no-one else gets - not frequently, mind, but timely, like. You will get information about secret Vigilantelope gigs, and, come show time, will receive information about special prices on tickets and merchandise.

It's probably for the best if you just sign up now. The Vigilantelope waits for no one.

Vigilantelope Behind The Scenes

Patrick Miller.
Approachable.

Nick Russell.
Computer Illiterate

Vachel Spirason, Stephanie Brotchie, Patrick Miller.
Biscuits from the biscuit tin.

To Those Who Have Already Bought Vigilantelope T-Shirts, Thankyou

A really big thankyou to the people who have supported the Vigilantelope cause so far, either by buying T-Shirts or donating through this site.

When you buy a Vigilantelope T-Shirt through RedBubble, we get your lovely money, and put it straight into our show fund. We can't, however, see your name, and have no way of knowing who you are. So drop us an email at contact@vigilantelope.com, and we'll send you the official thankyou that you deserve!

If you haven't had a chance to pick up a T-Shirt yet, you can get them here.

Special Offer on Vigilantelope T-Shirts until the 30th!

Dear Friends of the Vigilantelope.

This week – for the next five days – there is a special promotion on Vigilantelope T-Shirts sold through RedBubble;

http://www.redbubble.com/people/scruffian/clothing/1760753-5-vigilantelope

Order now and you will receive completely free shipping! If you are in Melbourne, this is about $6 off the overall cost, making your total outlay a very reasonable $35.70.

For this, you not only get to pat yourself on the back for supporting local independent comic artists, but you get to do so in a very fashionable, well made, well designed and well intentioned American Apparel Vigilantelope T-Shirt. And of course, you still get to choose the style, colour and size that will most become you.

All proceeds go towards putting on Vigilantelope's show for the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Looming costs for us include the $450 registration fee, which would be covered by a mere 30 T-Shirt sales. Pick one up today, get a special deal, and make a real difference.

The promotional code for the free shipping is '100000masterpieces' – just type it into the promotion box on the sales page. The offer will finish at 23:59 on Thursday the 30th of October (GMT), so get cracking!

If you don't like T-Shirts (who ARE you?), you can still help out by clicking on the 'Donate' button at the top of this page, which will allow you to transfer funds from your pocket to ours via your credit card or PayPal account.

If you own a business, and are interested in corporate sponsorship, please drop us an email at contact@vigilantelope.com, and we'll shoot back a sponsorship pack and more info.

The Vigilantelope thanks you for your kind and generous support.

Yours,

Vigilantelope

Vigilantelope Potentially Cures Cancer

This week Vigilantelope ran rehearsal in a medical trial. Despite the drips, constant blood-tests and incessant monitoring of bowel movements, it was a fruitful session. We are now well on the way to not only curing terminal illness, but also to putting on a ripper show for the 2009 Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

"This will all be worth it one day."

The Vigilantelope Tshirt
by
Scruffian

Winged Cap
by
Oakleigh Lions Club Op Shop (Represent)

Modeled by
Vachel Spirason

Vigilantelope at SYN

Vigilantelope are currently in the process of recording a radio play for SYN (90.7 FM). The play will premiere on The Crunch - 3-4.30 on Friday.
For your viewing pleasure, here are some snaps from the pre-record session:

Vigilantelope Fundraising T Shirts

Show your support for Vigilantelope by picking up a Vigilantelope T today!
They are available in a whole range of sizes, colours and styles. Designed by The Scruffian (Steph, from Vigilantelope), the Vigilantelope logo is printed on quality American Apparel stock by the good people at RedBubble.
Get one for you, one for your mum, and one for your grandma. All proceeds (around $10 a shirt) will go to the Vigilantelope 2009 Comedy Festival Show. Click on the Ts below to view pricing, colours etc.

Vigilantelope Crunch Radio!

Several members of Vigilantelope will be hitting the airwaves starting next week from 3pm until 4:30pm every Friday on 90.7 SYN FM.

Tune in for some gags and tunes!

PS It's free.

Mooseheads now open

For all those comedically inclined, we encourage you to check out http://www.comedy.com.au/moosehead/ and apply. The Mooseheads are a fantastic initiative that have been behind some amazing acts at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

They were established in memory of Brian McCarthy, a young comedian. To plagarise from the Moosehead website:

"The Moosehead Awards started in 1987 as a way of remembering Brian McCarthy, a comedian, actor and fringe comedy producer who was tragically killed at the age of twenty-three in a car accident."

Our friend Sammy J was successful in applying this year. It is a fantastic opportunity and we encourage all to apply. For more info check out the website.

Vigilantelope in Mavis Calling

We first stumbled across the idea for "Mavis Calling" after abducting a greenpeace door-knocker and forcing him to sit strapped to a chair and listen as we outlined the benefits of subscribing to the Save the Vigilantelope Foundation. That day we explained clearly, but with a good deal of charm, and in some cases with musical accompaniment, that all donations were tax deductible. All funds raised, we explained through the simultaneous and complimentary mediums of interpretive dance and shouting, would be put towards Vigilantelope Sanctuaries where these misunderstood beasts would be fed and watered by professionally trained and appropriately armed keepers.

"What do vigilantelopes eat?" The Greenpeace door-knocker asked at one stage. At least we assume that’s what he was trying to say through a gagged, but eager cake hole. "Potato Gems, Mostly" we replied.

While most of us found this incident comical and inspiring, some of us (the doorknocker) insisted on racking off with our favourite chair, and Daniel’s favourite gag, just when we were getting to the good bit.

It all ended well, however, as it gave us the idea of performing door-to-door in what has been dubbed by some as ‘invasive comedy’. We think it’s much better than the elective kind, and that it makes preventative comedy look like a downright joke.

The Save the Vigilantelope Foundation agrees.

Vigilantelope Conquers the Great Pedestrian Footrace

You may have noticed that Vigilantelope has been hitting the streets of late. We’ve enjoyed all of our excursions, but our favourite was last week, when we participated in the Great Pedestrian Footrace on Swanston Street. For those unaware of the Footrace, it is an annual event (starting this year) that involves a sprint from Hungry Jacks on Swanston Street all the way down to Flinders Street station. It always begins at 5:23 pm on the dot (or at least it did this year) and, given the popularity of Swanston Street at that time, it is often a gruelling battle through probably thousands of people. To qualify for the Great Pedestrian Footrace you must both be a pedestrian and have feet. It is for this reason that many have affectionately dubbed this race “The-Modern-Common-Person’s-Olympics-Even-Though-It-Is-Only-a-Single-Event-Over-a-Short-Time-and-Distance-And-is-Not-Publicised-And-is-Widely-Unknown” or TMCPOETIIOASEOAASTADAINPAISWU, for short.

This year, Rusty, Macdog, Pat and Joel lined up for the race, with Vach running electrolyte enhanced water to the boys and Steph, Dan and Nick dealing with the press gallery that had gathered. After an early scratching of both Macdog and Joel (Hungry Jacks were showing that extreme sports video again and MacDog wanted to show Joel a guy in the video who he thought was wearing a purple jumpsuit that looked like his) many had tipped Rusty to cruise to victory. But the smart money was on Pat, who had a will to win that was far stronger than his will to lose. After a slightly delayed start (Rusty was eager and broke twice in a row), the boys took off at a cracking pace. Rusty’s long legs proved vital in getting an early lead, but Pat’s face told a determined story (he had written six chapters of the seminal literary classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” all over his cheeks). The race became a dead heat on the final stretch, when they both were forced to wait at the lights on the corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets. It was here that Rusty’s colour blindness proved to be his downfall, as he failed to immediately register that the lights had changed colour, which gave Pat a hefty head start (given that the sound at the pedestrian crossing was no match for the speed of the little green man, who was traveling at 299,792,458 metres per second). Pat jubilantly sprinted ahead and took the honours.

The entire Vigilantelope crew converged upon the Flinders Street stairs both to reminisce upon what had been a truly magnificent battle as well as listen to the Christian Progressive Rock that was being generously provided by the energetic buskers.

And as the sun set, Vigilantelope looked up towards the Channel Seven News sign, and in a gesture of reverence and euphoria, saluted the smiling and ever-knowing face of Anna Coren.

Vigilantelope's Christmas Gig

Contrary to popular belief, Christmas is not in July. Every year, Christmas annually falls on December 25 each year. With this is mind, Vigilantelope endeavoured to perform their annual "Christmas in July" show. Every Winter, Vigilantelope perform the customary nativity scene through the eyes of an influential member of the traditional story.

This year, the story was told of from the perspective of Stabilo Montenegro (Vachel Spirason), an inn-keeper in downtown Bethlaham (not to be confused with Bethlehem). Our story followed Stabilo's plight in struggling to provide room for weary travellers in peak season and also his attempts to come to terms with his sexuality.

Next year the show will be told from the perspective of the fourth wise man, Tony Gregoriava, whose donkey became ill with the cerebral palsy on December 24, 1 BC. Needless to say, little baby Jesus only received gold, frankincense and myrrh and never received Tony's jar of homemade cumquat marmalade.

Get your tickets soon! Bookings open on December 25.

Vigilantelope's First Show

To the disgrace of the Red Cross blood bank, much blood, sweat and tears were shed in the making of our first show, 'The Vigilante Cantelope'.

This was definitely the first time a comedy show had been not only performed entirely underwater, but to an audience of zero.

You could say that locating a suitable venue was far easier than breathing whilst on stage. Harold Holt Public swimming pool was booked for a one week and the show commenced. Whilst we initially thought the idea was rather odd, the first show certainly wet our appetite for more under water action.

Minor challenges in the first couple of shows included the drowning of two key cast members who, it seemed, became attached to the pool cleaning device that was activated automatically during act 2 of each performance. (We were given significant discount by the Pool owners for this inconvenience).

Whilst no audience feedback was received, we all thought we did a great job and decided to give comedy a real crack. And the vigilantelope was born. What we initially thought would resemble a genetically modified cantelope turned out to be a genetically modified antelope that was delivered by a genetically modified stork. We witnessed the most beautiful being (ignoring a rather dubious moustache that was apparently grown in an attempt to raise money for ‘Movember’).