REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird (Auckland Theatre Company)

May 15, 2016

[Go Set a Scout] The trouble with To Kill A Mockingbird is that the Pulitzer Prize winner’s literary composition does not lend itself to theatrical narrative structure. The trial, in which a black man is accused of attempting to rape a white woman, is a MacGuffin. Tom Robinson is the catalyst for a litmus test on racism proffered by a white woman […]

REVIEW: Second Place Winner: David Correos (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2016

[No Paggliachi] Who makes the clown laugh? The philosophical question reworked from its Greek origin is commonly used to indicate the inherent sadness that exists within even the greatest comedian (see: every Robin Williams tribute article). If there is any truth to it, David Correos is the exception. Correos seems surprised at his Billy T Award nomination, however, it makes […]

REVIEW: Brinestorm: Alice Brine (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2016

[Force of Comedy] For some comedians, the date by which they’re required to submit a show title to the New Zealand International Comedy Festival occurs well before they’ve had the chance to consider the exact content of the work. Brinestorm, however, could not be a more appropriate name for Billy T Award nominee Alice Brine. Embracing her ADHD, Brine takes us […]

REVIEW: Pressure Makes Diamonds: Laura Daniel (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2016

[Diamond Precision] The pressure is on for Laura Daniel. Having successfully demonstrated her comedic skills on television, worked snippets of material through Raw Comedy nights at The Classic, as well as clocking countless hours of improv with Snort, the live comedy world awaits her first solo comedy show – as a Billy T Award nominee no less – but Daniel […]

REVIEW: Eli Matthewson (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 9, 2016

[You Won’t Believe what Matt Baker says about Eli Matthewson in this Review] Having trained as an actor and worked as a writer for Funny Girls, and Jono and Ben, it makes perfect sense that 2015 Billy T Award nominated comedian Eli Matthewson, under the direction of theatrical daredevil Kip Chapman, would step from straight stand up to sketch comedy […]

REVIEW: The Crown Prince: Joel Creasey (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 8, 2016

[Fame Awaits] Joel Creasey wants to be famous, and so far he’s doing rather well. The Australian comedian has been successfully performing since his debut at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2010, garnering nominations and performing to sell-out crowds throughout Australia. That fame, however, has yet to reach New Zealand shores. Having seen Creasey perform previously at the Classic, […]

REVIEW: Look At Me: Juliette Burton (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 5, 2016

[Looking for Laughs] The irony of our awareness of body shaming in advertising is that the implementation of it persists regardless. Actress, writer, and performer Juliette Burton’s contribution to the conversation is just one of many where companies continue to be exposed for marketing campaigns that perpetuate concepts of health and beauty which propagate negative self-worth. A personal story that […]

REVIEW: Savage: Alice Fraser (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 5, 2016

[Pain into Love] Last night I couldn’t help but fall in love. Alice Fraser’s show for the New Zealand International Comedy Festival may be titled Savage, by the Australian comedian, with an ever-ready puckish smile and gleam in her eye, is anything but. Circumnavigating a serendipitous encounter, Fraser breaks down a few societal constructs, as well as some personal ones, […]

REVIEW: Wilson Dixon’s Back Catalogue (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 3, 2016

[Catch-up on your Dixon] Performing a selection of songs from his various pun-titled albums, Wilson Dixon’s Back Catalogue is an excellent opportunity for those unfamiliar with New Zealand’s favourite American country and western comedy singer to catch up on over a decade of anecdotes. The Cripple Creek comedian is the stereotypical modern day redneck, with an astute eye on small […]

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