What is it?

The Virtual Gong Show is an open mic open to performers in any of the performing arts.

The show is held on Zoom

The show is based in Auckland but performers can be anywhere on Earth (or the ISS) with reasonable internet access

When and where is it on

Friday nights while Auckland is at Covid response levels 3 or 4

Start time 7:30 PM

Look for event notices on the Live Streamed Comedy @livestreamedcomedy Facebook page or just join the zoom.

A Zoom link will be published before the show

How does it work?

General 

Each performer is allocated performing time in short increments (3 minutes for comedy and poetry, 4 minutes for music and dance) some will perform for their complete time, others will be cut short by the gong (see below)

Longer sets may be available for performing arts that need them (e.g. if you are a musician & want to perform a five minute song). Discuss with the MC before you are called.

After people have finished performing, if they want to do more, they go back in the queue & may perform again when they get to the front.

The Gong

During performances the audience members may indicate that they like or dislike the act by giving a tick or cross via the Zoom feedback mechanism(†).

Once the number of votes cast reaches a threshold(††), if there are more crosses than ticks, the host will mute the mic and play a short video of a gong being hit.

The performer then goes back in the queue to have another try when they get to the front.

The Queue

Initial queue positions will be the result of a random draw at around 7:20 within each performance genre.

A performer who is gonged off will go to the back of the queue with an empty spot ahead of them.

A performer who completes their set without being gonged off goes in the first empty spot, or the back of the queue if none.

Late comers to the show who indicate they would like to perform will be inserted in the queue behind everyone else who hasn’t performed previously in the show and wherever the MC feels like placing them regardless of empty spots.

How do I perform?

You need:

• A relatively quiet, well lit place to perform in
• A cell phone or webcam & microphone
• A fast enough Internet connection
• Zoom installed

You can request a spot either by Facebook messaging us or by being in the Zoom room on the night and messaging the MC

How do I watch?

Just join the zoom room and be ready to enjoy.

Notes

† We’re not 100 % sure how easy the ticks & crosses will be for phone participants to use. We may have to fall back on simpler methods like raising a hand. We’re also thinking in vague terms about a third symbol for “abstain” to increase the percentage of the audience who have voted

†† We’re going to play this by ear. If a quarter of the audience votes with a cross & nobody gives it a tick we’ll probably fire the gong up but if the ratio is more evenly divided we’ll wait for a larger portion of the audience to express their feeling.

This document is subject to updating as we learn more. The master copy is at https://gongshow.site.nz/