5 - 2018 - Theatre Scenes: Aotearoa New Zealand Theatre

REVIEW: Brynley Stent & Rhiannon McCall: “Why Does This Feel So Good?” (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 17, 2018

[Bad Education] Playing exaggerated versions of themselves, Brynley Stent and Rhiannon McCall use high school sexual education as the subject of their comedy show. Treating us as a high school students, the evening is structured simply but effectively (Puberty, Sex, Birth, Sexuality and Gender Equality), though often derailing itself with comedic asides and character drama to great effect. While the […]

REVIEW: Alice Snedden: Self Titled: Volume II (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 17, 2018

[A Room of her Own] Billy T nominee Alice Snedden serves up a platter of anecdotes and observations that will have you in stitches. Loosely tied by the “problem” of her unflinching confidence, we are taken on a wild ride down memory lane, covering past and recent events that have made Snedden who she is today. Despite being unfamiliar with […]

REVIEW: Dope (Te Pou)

May 14, 2018

[A Trip Worth Taking] Drug use and addiction are popular theatrical topics, but tend toward the extremes of experience. Daniel Tomlin’s play Dope presents a relatable and nuanced view, revolving around a family and their friends on the Shore in Mairangi Bay. It’s the first time smoking weed for the little brother (Miles Ford), following in the footsteps of his […]

REVIEW: Chris Parker: Camp Binch (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2018

[Nostalgia Extravaganza] Chris Parker has mastered the art of self-deprecation and personal storytelling, taking the audience on an emotional detour through his childhood. Camp Binch is a brilliant underdog story of growing up in Christchurch, not just as a gay kid, but also simply as an outsider. Equipped with a ridiculous wig and a black sequin backdrop, Parker skillfully avoids […]

REVIEW: Eli Matthewson: An Inconvenient Poof (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2018

[Low-Fat Agitprop] Eli Matthewson’s latest show manoeuvres through the tricky and confusing world of ethical living, as he strives to be the best activist he can be. It’s a pressing question in our current time, particularly for our generation. Playing to the audience with just the right amount of charm and confidence, Matthewson effortlessly delivers his material, consistently hitting those […]

REVIEW: Stomp (Lunchbox Theatrical Productions)

May 12, 2018

[Noise Makers] Stomp has been around, in various iterations, since the beginning of the 1990’s. Originating in the UK, the production has grown to include a NYC residence and various touring casts. The original formula remains successful and intact: a celebration of rhythm, energy and joy. The concept is simple and highly effective, and when Stomp first hit stages twenty-five years […]

REVIEW: Hayley Sproull: Just a Phase (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 11, 2018

[Growing into It] Diversification in the arts can be integral to survival. The transition to a new medium, however, also allows artists to explore other modes of creativity. Such is the case for actress Hayley Sproull, a Toi Whakaari graduate who continues to turn her musical and theatrical talents to the comedy scene with her second NZ Comedy Festival solo show, Just a Phase. […]

REVIEW: Charlie’s Best Comedy Show On Earth (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 11, 2018

[Bested] Charlie’s Best Comedy Show On Earth is not a shrewd title for a show. The fact that Best Foods is the gold sponsor for the 2018 NZ Comedy Festival is evident not only with each pre-show announcement, but also in the many references that have been made by international comedians in the opening of their shows. Yet fellow sponsors […]

REVIEW: Lucy Roche and Ray O’Leary: Young, Dumb and Full of Comedy (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 11, 2018

[Moments of Gold] Lucy Roche and Ray O’Leary are two up and coming comedians who have already made quite a name for themselves across Auckland and Wellington. Lucy Roche caught the eye of Auckland comedy fans when she won the RAW Comedy Quest in 2016, the following year Roche went on to win Most Offensive Gag in the 2017 Comedy […]

REVIEW: Leon Wadham: Giddy (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 10, 2018

[Sisyphus Smiles] An ecstatic delight, Leon Wadham’s Giddy is like a hot knife in butter, cutting through all the standup in the festival and making itself known. That’s not to discredit or undervalue the talent required for conventional forms of comedy writing, but there’s something special about a show so unashamedly kooky as Giddy is. Structured as a series of […]