UNSW Law Revue’s “A Kung Fu Memoranda”, co-directed by Damon Brooks, Lehan Kulatunga, and Stephanie Steward, and produced by Arel Pasha, is a perfect combination of skits, music, and dancing, intertwined with the humorous story of young Po, providing a pleasant breath of fresh air to a time filled with assessments and exam study.
I watched the performance on a Friday evening, which was the last night of the show. I had never been to Law Revue (or any revue for that matter) before. A quick Google search told me that revue, unlike your typical theatre, was a collaboration of skits, comedy, dance, voiceover, and live music.
I was a bit sceptical after this Google search (I’ve never been a theatre kid. Ever.) However, covering Law Revue’s 2024 performance, “A Kung Fu Memoranda”, was probably one of the highlights of my trimester. It was dynamic, punchy, and filled with just the right number of skits to keep the audience engaged.
They opened with a rather intense dance sequence, to the Kung Fu Panda soundtrack. After some cheeky jokes from the voiceovers, they transitioned into the story line – beginning with Master Shifu yelling at Po – pretty much what constitutes 90% of the Kung Fu Panda movies.
A vital part of the show was its skits. One close to the start depicted the classic dinner date battle over the bill. However, there was a twist – they really did battle. It ended comedically with the waiter being attacked after proclaiming “we actually don’t split the bill here”. This type of humour was cleverly injected into a number of these short skits, tapping into the kind of Gen Z zeitgeist we are all familiar with.
The live band was one of my favourite parts; it stood out from the acting, skits, and stories, as something very real; almost a break from the rest of the show. The band, consisting of Saharsh Joshi, Hayden Sefton, Tony Li, Leanna Ngueyn, Vanessa Shim, June Kim, and Anika Lammers, began with the Amy Winehouse classic ‘Valerie’, and ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ by Stevie Wonder.
I also wanted to give a shout out to the tech crew. A lot of the jokes would not have been nearly as funny without the zoom in of the spotlight, or a cut off of light at the right time. They were the cherry on top for several scenes and behind-the-scenes work is not often appreciated – so well done!
Then came the intermission which included 15 minutes for me to jot down my thoughts before the second half. And if you thought the first half was weird, the second half got weirder.
The theatre’s overhead projector screen was pulled down to show the audience a video. Random? Yeah. Awkard timing? Yeah. Absolutely hilarious? You bet. The short skit depicting a guy living on campus had to be one of the best of the night. By that I don’t mean living at the Village, Goldstein or Cowper Street. I mean he lives on campus like a homeless man. I would even argue that this arrangement is better than commuting from Penrith, and I say that as someone who lives there.
Now, my one critique, was that I felt that the Kung Fu Panda part of the performance, i.e., the narrative, was rather underwhelming. It was Kung Fu Panda, with a twist, as Ling goes into the underworld and steals the precious Kung Fu Memoranda. However, compared to the skits, live music, and dance, I felt that it was hard to focus on the narrative, with it constantly being interrupted by something else (perhaps this is the point of revue).
Finally, the dance sequence in the second half was a thing of rare beauty. It was different to the skits, the voiceovers, the play, and the band. It was a striking classical ballet-dance-turned-into-techno sequence. Dressed in white, the actors glided across the floor, and I had goosebumps by the end of it.
Overall, I really enjoyed it. I felt proud of the cast by the very end, after seeing them don costume after costume, and play role after role, for nearly three hours.
I wish I could remember every bit I found funny, engaging, or captivating, so that I can encourage you to go see it. I’ll just say this: it was a genuine pleasure to watch, and nice to see your fellow students producing work such as this. The quality and length are a testament to the hard work they put in. It’s a great way to support student initiatives, and genuinely does break up the stress of studying, with jokes on incest, cost-of-living, and university issues.
What more could you ask for?
FULL LIST OF CAST AND CREW:
Directors: Damon Brooks, Lehan Kulatunga, Stephanie Stewart
Producers: Arel Pasha
Cast: Arte Collins, Jade Williams, Julia Trassari, Asees Chawla, Milo Riggs, Charles Cutbush, Tijana Pavlovic, Matt Posumah
Assistant Cast: Ashley Kim, Daniel Phung
Tech Directors: Jessica Zhang, Steven Yin, Rachel Trassari
Tech: Jasmin Arnall, Winnie Tan, Gal Aharon, Kar Ken Wong, Ashley Kim, Mai Phoung Dong, Kevin Mortimer, Sabrina Wang, Clare Chen, Rosanna Cheong, Jessica Carter
Band: Saharsh Joshi, Hayden Sefton, Tony Li, Leanna Ngueyn, Vanessa Shim, June Kim, Anika Lammers