REVIEW: Alex Williamson: So Wrong, It’s Wrong (NZ International Comedy Festival)

April 28, 2018

[The King ‘Cnut’ of Comedy] Alex Williamson is crude, vulgar, perverted, sick and disgusting – perfect fodder for hilarious comedy. No holds are barred, literally. In fact, the less socially acceptable a subject is, the more likely for him to talk about it on stage. In a strange way his relaxed, laconic delivery almost sanitses this foul-mouthed show – making everything […]

REVIEW: Inosi Colavanua: Guard Down (NZ International Comedy Festival)

April 28, 2018

[Billy T Nominee in the Making] 22-year-old Inosi Colavanua is a relative newcomer to the Auckland comedy scene, but a nomination for the 2015 NZ Comedy Guild Best Newcomer and runner-up for the 2016 Raw Comedy Quest indicates his immediate potential, and while a debut solo show during the NZ Comedy Festival in the Q Cellar at 10pm for two […]

REVIEW: Parker & Sainsbury: Giggly Gerties (NZ International Comedy Festival)

April 28, 2018

[Heavy Metal Camp] Giggly Gerties is the latest joint from the team of Chris Parker & Thomas Sainsbury. Following the ensemble of their last opus Camping, Giggly Gerties is the team distilled to their essence – two men in leotards on a bare stage jabbering nonsense for 50 minutes. Resting snuggly on the imaginary border between the head spaces of […]

REVIEW: Billy T Jams (NZ International Comedy Festival)

March 4, 2018

[Welcome to the Jam] The Billy T Jam is the amuse-bouche of the NZ International Comedy Festival. An opportunity for audiences to whet their appetite with an introduction to the year’s Billy T Award nominees. 2010 winner Rhys Mathewson, who ensures the audience has no question as to who the festivals gold sponsor is – spoiler: it’s Best Mayo – […]

REVIEW: Ashton Brown: Anxious to Meet You (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 22, 2017

[Cracking Up] Over the last couple of years, I have seen Ashton Brown perform twice as part of double bills. I can safely say that this is the best I’ve ever seen him. A combination of self-flaggelating autobiography and stand up, Anxious to meet you sees Brown tackle his biggest, most complex subject: himself. Over the course of an hour he […]

REVIEW: Chris Martin: Ol Smarty Pants (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 16, 2017

[Chris Martin:  Warmplay] A nice touch having Chris Martin on stage as we arrive – chatting to people and generally being chilled and unpretentious. And a nice show too – about nice things like getting married and waterparks as well as nice parts of New Zealand.  Likewise the audience was nice – polite, not too drunk, attentive and suitable ‘laughy’. […]

REVIEW: Jimmy McGhie: Apologia (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 12, 2017

[Owns it] Comedy fest favourite Jimmy McGhie returns to Kiwi shores after winning the hearts of New Zealand last year with his British charm. With his impeccable storytelling, and quick witty banter, it is no wonder he is regarded as one of the UK’s most exciting acts to hit the comedy circuit. The cockney geezer transports us back to the […]

REVIEW: Hal Cruttenden: Straight Outta Cruttenden (NZ International Festival)

May 11, 2017

[Credible] For someone billed as “A right royal king of the UK Pro circuit” we’ve got to be honest: we expected more. Yes the show was perfectly acceptable and Hal Cruttenden kept the crowd laughing through his articulate language skills, but it wasn’t anything special and definitely not memorable. I suppose for someone who is a seasoned comedian, who has been on “Live […]

REVIEW: Tessa Waters Over Promises (NZ International Comedy Festival)

May 9, 2017

[Promising would be an understatement] Australian comic Tessa Waters is certainly not your average comedian. The multi-award winner is back in full force bringing a whole lot of crazy to the Basement Theatre, with her wild show Over Promises. I can PROMISE there are no corny one liners or gags about Brexit or Trump in this act. Instead you’ll encounter […]

1 2 3 4 5 6 15