Are you a recovering theatre kid? Maybe you’re just really sick of your friend who has a strange lingering obsession with Lin-Manuel Miranda and think they need help… look no further than UTS Comedy Revue and Performance Society’s (CRAP) latest Main Revue: CRAP Camp, for some good old conversion therapy!
On Wednesday, July 16th, Vertigo’s Editor in Chief and Social Media Director, Bianca and Kimia, took a trip down to the cozy PACT Theatre in Erskineville to watch 15 of UTS’ (arguably) funniest students get up to all sorts of shenanigans on stage.
At what felt like sub-zero temperatures, CRAP brought a warmth to the sold-out theatre, which was buzzing with cast members’ loved ones. Entering the performance space, audiences were met by three tents on stage, accompanied by the soft sounds of Chappell Roan's ‘Pink Pony Club’ in the background, truly embodying Camp in every sense of the word.
The show began with a phenomenal opening number parodying ‘Take on Me’, led by Lily Carter. The stellar choreography by Nala Davies and Robbie Alexander (who is also the co-director… okay weapon!) was a standout—special mention to Sophie Williamson and Felicity Morton for absolutely tearing up the stage floor!
Highlights from Act One included the opening number, a HSC drama sketch, and a jaw-dropping sketch about triplets… the writers of this review would also like to take this opportunity to formally inquire regarding the budget, as we are confused where you found the money to cast the Macklemore? Roya Rezaie’s recurring performance as the rapper had audiences in stitches.
Where Act One was the entree, Act Two was the main course AND dessert, with the cast truly coming out in full force and hitting every mark. As one of our good friends remarked in passing after the show, “I haven’t heard Bianca laugh this hard in AGES.” Enough said.
At the risk of spoilers and CRAP alum coming for our throats, we will not be flagging particular sketches in Act 2, as it would also be doing a disservice to how sharp every sketch, dance and callback felt. Though we will give a special shoutout to Vertigo veterans Belle James and Phoebe Quinn’s respective performances of ‘Bridge Troll’ and ‘Well Fairy’! We love you!
What made CRAP Revue 2025 so special is its self-awareness. The premise of the show, being a theatre kid conversion camp, was a stroke of genius by directors Maya Heinecke and Robbie Alexander.
Wanting to play on the idea of ‘campiness’ led to the idea of a summer camp/slasher vibe, with Maya commenting that “eventually it transformed into this camp designed to make theatre kids more employable, so it’s definitely had a journey to say the least. It's based on the idea of a bunch of theatre kids attempting to rebel against a system that thinks they want to be tamed, but has very clearly misunderstood their nature. So, theatre kids do what they do best: they create, they perform.
“The way we see it, creating is one of the purest forms of rebellion, as art is the thing that makes our hearts beat, the thing that makes the world go round, yet, the arts is a sector that is so often frowned upon by people who believe they know better.”
But of course, the heart of every revue is always its cast. The combination of revue veterans (many of which Bianca performed alongside in her first ever revue—and she is so proud of you guys), and first-time performers truly make this production so tight. They absolutely kill it with over 40 live sketches, video sketches, and musical numbers.
Once again, CRAP has taken the potentially discombobulated premise of a revue–tens of short, unrelated sketches over the span of two hours–and pulled through in its execution to create an experience where there is truly something for anyone. Whether you like pop culture, history, making fun of your (definitely original) experiences, or just some good old slapstick, you’re guaranteed to have a giggle.
Head on over to https://events.humanitix.com/a-uts-revue-camp for your chance to see the funniest student production of the year. $10 flash sale tickets are available for the matinee show at 2pm today and the closing night show is almost sold out. Get in quick, campers!
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