Surreal Grandeur [by Matt Baker] There are a variety of ways in which artists create work, and while there are theoretical practices that can be employed in an attempt to ensure some form of artistic merit, such an outcome is never guaranteed. There will always be those who follow the rules, guidelines, and templates to great success, and then there are […]
Good Schadenfreude to You [by Tim George] Ashton Brown and Louise Beuvink clearly know what they are doing. Each comic has around 30 minutes for their set, and they both rise to the challenge in completely different, yet complimentary, ways. The show really should have been called ‘Schadenfreude – the Musical’, based on the subject matter and Ashton Brown’s gloriously half-assed […]
Larry David meets Camus [by Matt Baker] The nature of stand up comedy, as with any art form, has evolved since its inception. The most notable evolution is the transition from individual jokes to overarching themes and ideas that tie a show together and reinforce the medium’s story-telling origin, but that’s not the case for Brendon Green – at least not […]
Meta-Comedy [by Matt Baker] Having contested in previous Raw Comedy Quests, Laura Daniel and Tom Sainsbury have an insight into the amateur comedy scene, but, as professional theatre practitioners, they also have an eye and an ear for what works and what doesn’t. This knowledge and awareness has been excellently deconstructed with great clarity in their meta-theatrical comedy show, Snap, Crackle, […]
Five Stars Plus [by Matt Baker] Five star reviews are littered throughout festivals and the New Zealand International Comedy Festival is no different, and without taking anything away from many of these deserved acts, there’s a problem that arises when witnessing a show like Chris Parker’s No More Dancing in the Good Room. What happens when a show clearly exceeds it’s […]
Revenge of the Nats [by Matt Baker] If New Zealand’s political history lacks a flair for the dramatics, Billy T award-winning comedians Rhys Mathewson and Nick Gibb have certainly made up for it with their two-man, six-character, action-comedy Force Norman. Following fictional events sparked by equally fictional Minister of Defence Tim Tambly (Mathewson), presumably National party Prime Minister Wallace Norman (Gibb) […]
Roquing it [by Matt Baker] The New Zealand International Comedy Festival asks performers to come up with a title well before most of them have come up with their actual show, and for comedian James Roque the situation is no different. The tie in to his eponymous pun is loose, but Roque sticks with the rule of comedy, offering three tips […]
Shredded it Bro! [by Sharu Delilkan and Tim Booth] There’s no doubt that Ed Byrne has definitely roared into his forties. His entrance onto stage began with a hiss and a roar and what followed is testament that he has totally embraced entering his fourth decade on this planet. Unlike other comedians who take a few minutes to warm up […]
Wishin’, prayin’ Nish is stayin’ [by Matt Baker] Nish Kumar has been performing comedy for 10 years, and it shows – in the best possible way. From board game politics to the liberalism of society, Kumar is an incredibly intelligent comedian whose observational comedy is rich with political and social relevance, while all the time avoiding condemnation and delivering in hilarity. […]
Not the World’s Worst German [by Sharu Delilkan] The ‘Worst. German. Ever.‘ luckily is not the worst comedy I have seen so far during the festival, but to be honest he wasn’t the best. Having seen excerpts of Paco Erhard on Comedy Central we were looking forward to tonight – especially some self-depreciating German jokes and observational comedy on the […]
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