This Wednesday, University of Otago students will feel the same mix of Capping Show opening night nerves and excitement felt by a group of student actors every May for the past 122 years.
Capping Show producer Jerome Cousins says while the humour of today's show varies greatly from that of the first productions, the ethos is still the same.
"Capping Show has always been about what's on people's minds, let's get that out there, let's make jokes about it, let's push boundaries.''
In its first incarnation in 1889 a group of students entertained a captive crowd of about 3000 by dressing up, singing and making fun of well-known New Zealand identities at a graduation ceremony.
Otago Witness reports previewing the 1889 capping recount "wild rumours'' about the ceremony.
"The Garrison Hall will hold about 2000 at most, but 3000 tickets have been issued, and the demand is still active.
"Report hath it that for the past three weeks, and in secret places, they (students) have been rehearsing songs of a desperately revolutionary, if not absolutely nihilistic, temper, and Inspector Weldon has telegraphed to the Minister of Defence for instructions.''
In 1894, concerns about disruptive student behaviour at ceremonies peaked, spurring the University of New Zealand to ban the public from graduation ceremonies.
In the wake of the ban the University of Otago Students' Association (OUSA) took control of the notoriously brash performances ushering in the birth of the Capping Show.
Following the reinstatement of public graduations in 1898, the Capping Carnival (as it was then known) was held as a separate show in His Majesty's Theatre (now Sammy's nightclub) on Crawford St, and by 1928 the all-male Selwyn Ballet and barbershop group the Sextet, had become fixtures of the show.
Throughout the mid-twentieth century, the revue maintained the same structure based around the Knox Farce, sketches and performances by the Sextet and the Selwyn Ballet.
In 1984, the OUSA recruited playwright Roger Hall and director Lisa Warrington to revive the production, a task Warrington says was "a lot of hard work''.
"Roger wrote one of his pantomimes.
"I directed it.
"We cast widely around the university and the guest star we had was broadcaster Dick Weir.''
The pair worked for two years "organising and corralling'' casts and introducing the concept of a main sketch and a family friendly performance to save the show which had been plagued by tired storylines and intoxicated actors and audiences.
"We definitely helped to turn around the fortunes of the Capping Show but I'd had quite enough by then,'' Warrington says.
Former Capping Show producer and OUSA events and communications manager Dan Hendra believes the Capping Show has survived and grown in popularity because of a culture shift.
A landmark year for the revue was 1996, when the students' association banned intoxicated performers on stage, made the decision to revise the long-held policy of accepting any student who wanted to be part of the show, and instigated the revue being performed on campus for the first time since the 1889.
"A lot of people used to drop out of the Capping Show because they didn't realise what a commitment it was,'' Mr Hendra says.
Mr Cousins says the workload that comes with being in the show is "like taking another university paper''.
"I know of people who choose to do two or three papers that semester so they can be in the show.''
The journey for Capping Show cast and crew begins in February each year when auditions are held, followed by a period of writing sketches described by many people spoken to by the Otago Daily Times as "intense''.
"All of the cast write.
"We get a whole range of stuff, probably 300 sketches, the purpose is to get talking about what is funny and work out how to push the boundaries without sketches being a slap in the face,'' Mr Cousins says.
Sketches underpinned by racist and sexist undertones are not being written anymore, he says.
"When they occasionally are, they are self-aware and are more of a commentary on the absurdity of those views.''
Off-limit topics range from the Christchurch earthquakes to child abuse.
"We just don't go there''.
In its 122 years, the show's content has sparked a large amount of controversy.
A 1943 Capping Show procession included a float with a sign for the "Nazi constipation camp'', while the title of the 1995 show, The Jesus Christ Not Again Capping Show was widely criticised but ultimately deemed not offensive to most by the Dunedin City Council.
In 2010, Rape Crisis, the show's official charity took offence to a line in a sextet song which they said trivialised rape and sexual abuse, the line was removed and Rape Crisis declined to be the show's official charity that year.
Mr Cousins says that working out "how to offend everyone'' so as to "not offend anyone'' is one of the skills developed by Capping Show alumni.
"Sure, there is the end production which is entertaining 5000 plus people, but it is a lot more fun to be in it.''
During a visit to the city in 2009, Mr Cousins discovered the Capping Show and, seven years later, says he is still here because of it.
Capping Show alumni and 7 Days and Jono and Ben at Ten comedy writer Sam Smith says without the show he would not be working in comedy today.
"I was studying dentistry ... Without it [Capping Show] I would not have even known that comedy writing was even a thing.
"Writing it and being in it at that age was kind of going against the Man.
"It's anti-authoritative, it's saying the things you wouldn't say, it's all quite cathartic as a performer.''
Four days out from the next Capping Show instalment the directors of Making Grad: The Capping Show 2016, Brendan Roseand Will McGarth, say past years' shows are hard and hysterical acts to follow.
"Last year was the most successful year in terms of ticket sales,'' Mr McGarth says.
"The show will have a loose Breaking Bad theme but with some familiar Otago characters.
"The vice-chancellor, Harlene Hayne, will even make an appearance, well not her but an actor wearing her coat.''
Mr Cousins says University of Otago staff support for the revue is so strong a "secret'' preview of the show is performed for them ahead of the official opening night.
When asked if this is really just a chance for staff to censor anything too risque he laughs.
"It is business as usual.
"They might laugh at different jokes but it's all put out there.''
A short history
1889 Students perform sketches to crowds at graduation ceremonies.
1894 Public graduation ceremonies banned. University of Otago Students' Association holds its own functions for graduating students.
1903 The "Coons" sing songs about university life. In 1912, they rename themselves the "Sextet".
1911 A programme advises audience members ‘‘not to offer drink to the performers - they have plenty''.
1928 The Selwyn Ballet performs for the first time.
1984 Roger Hall and Lisa Warrington are recruited by OUSA to save the show.
1996 Show rules and location are revised.
2001 The Sexytet, a female version of the Sextet, is created.
2010 Show charity Rape Crisis cuts involvement with the show until 2014.
2015 Strongest ticket sales in the show's 121 year history.
