After two months of planning and preparation, the Societies Showcase opened with a lively performance from the Gospel Choir, featuring a solo by Matt Fox, Union Activities Officer and event organiser.
The audience in the Union’s Foundry watched performances demonstrating the skills of 12 different societies last Sunday.
Fox said: "Last year the audience was just the performers and their friends, but this year we wanted it to be a real showcase of what is available for people to join within the Union, so we really pushed the promotion."
A big marketing campaign, including posters, plasma screen adverts, website promotion, What’s On and flyers, saw every ticket sold and a more varied turnout than last year.
"I’m here to see the lot. I’ve not seen any of them before so it ought to be interesting," said Helen Grieves, a History student.
There was a great range of performances including an Agatha Christie opera by the University of Sheffield Light Entertainment Society (USLES) which featured the song ‘Don’t Cry for Me, I’m the Cleaner’.
The Hip-Hop Dance Society put on a street and break dance battle, and there was a variety of spectacular aerials by the Swing Dance Society.
The Shrimps’ performance of improvisational comedy was particularly popular, with many of the other performers giving it a special mention.
President of the Hip-Hop Dance Society, Anastasia Duncanson, said: "Shrimps were really great. I liked Flying Teapots even though I couldn’t see very well as we were at the side of the stage, waiting to go on."
Beth Kopcke, who demonstrated impressive hula-hoop skills with Flying Teapots, returned the compliment, picking out the performances by the Shrimps, Hip-Hop Dance Society and Bollywood Society as her favourites.
The Societies Committee, guided by Matt Fox, started preparations for the event at the end of September following the Activities Fair held during Intro Week.
Although the societies had more varied periods of preparation, all put on great performances with some featuring people who only joined the society at the start of this academic year.
Of three numbers by the DanceSport Society, one was performed entirely by members who had joined less than two months before the event.
Even more surprisingly, they were asked to dance in the Showcase only a couple of days before the event. Both numbers by the Swing Dance Society featured new and more experienced dancers.
Samantha Mutty, President of the Swing Dance Society, said: "We are really proud, especially of all our beginners and so pleased with how it has come together."
Matt Fox thanked everyone involved for making the evening such a success. "Every performance was brilliant," he said.
At the end of the evening there was a collection for the University of Southern Africa fund.
Jennie Hurwood
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