Canberra pun slams brings pun-demonium to the capital
When you're trying to find who has the best wordplay in Canberra, there can only be pun.
In a competition of double entendres, witticisms, and the occasional groan, dozens of contestants - or pun-dits - square off at Smith's Alternative in the ultimate challenge to see who can come up with the best in a 'pun slam'.
Organisers Georgia Johnston and John Lombard.
Photo: Dion GeorgopoulosCalled Capital Punishment, the event has been running every month at the Civic venue since August last year, and has been attracting a growing crowd since.
Organisers John Lombard and Georgina Johnston said the idea for the event was inspired by similar competitions overseas, and can often descend into 'pun-demonium'.
The pair have been running the event every month since August last year.
Photo: Dion Georgopoulos"When we started, we thought it would be a bit like poetry slams, but we quickly discovered that people take puns very seriously," Mr Lombard said.
"Pun slams started getting news coverage in the states, and we thought there was nothing like this in Canberra."
As part of the competition, punters have to prepare two minutes of material based around a theme, with this month's being 'Just Desserts'.
Mr Lombard said there were a variety of approaches.
"Some try to do as many puns as they can in two minutes, while others use the time to build up to one amazing pun," he said.
For the final round, the best two competitors take part in a 'pun off', going back and forth making puns about a topic until one falters.
Ms Johnston said while the reaction for many people upon hearing a pun was a groan, at Capital Punishment, this was actively encouraged.
"My favourite reaction to them has to be the gradient effect, where people start groaning at it, and it eventually turns into laughs," she said.
"With puns, the reaction is a hybrid between pleasure and pain," Mr Lombard said.
The organisers said many of the contestants who took part in the first event keep coming back, to see if they had the pun-tential for more success, many adopting pun stage names such as Sir Arthur Pun-dragon.
"There's been a core group of people who have been waiting their entire lives for this to exist and for them to be able to show off their pun skills," Mr Lombard said.
"We often get a lot of thanks from family and friends of competitors because now these people have an outlet to tell puns and not annoy them as much."
"The more annoying you are, the more we want you on our stage," Ms Johnston said.
The next event is at 9.30pm April 6 at Smith's Alternative, 76 Alinga Street, Civic.