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  • Spotlight
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    • In Review: The Mourning After

      The Speakeasy
      July 23, 2021
      Entertainment, Spotlight, Theatre
    Recent
    • In Review: Inhospitable

      Johan Chang
      June 15, 2021
    • Theatre Review: Jersey Boys at The Civic Theatre

      Shawn Moodie
      April 20, 2021
    • IN REVIEW: DIRTY PASSPORTS

      Kirsten Marsh
      April 6, 2021
    • SIX60 ‘When The Lights Go Out’ Premiere

      Chontalle Musson
      November 28, 2020
    • 9

      IT: Chapter Two review: bigger budget, bigger run-time, bigger scares

      Shawn Moodie
      September 5, 2019
    • We Will Rock You: The Musical – Interview with David Mackie

      Shawn Moodie
      August 20, 2019
  • Watch & Listen
    Featured
    • New music from San Holo & Broods - “Honest” released today

      Shawn Moodie
      January 31, 2020
      Alternative, Electronic, Listen, Main, Music, Watch and Listen
    Recent
    • INTERVIEW: Jack Jones on ‘All You Need Is Love’

      Shawn Moodie
      July 23, 2019
    • In Review: 2040

      The Speakeasy
      July 6, 2019
    • In Review: Top End Wedding

      The Speakeasy
      May 6, 2019
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  • Entertainment
    Featured
    • In Review: Inflated Rebel

      The Speakeasy
      August 18, 2021
      Culture, Entertainment, Theatre
    Recent
    • In Review: The Mourning After

      The Speakeasy
      July 23, 2021
    • In Review: Inhospitable

      Johan Chang
      June 15, 2021
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Glamourpuss – Ruby Esther

      Matt Coombe
      May 21, 2021
    • Film
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    • 10

      In Review: Leather Lungs: Yas Queen!

      Liz Lauder
      February 6, 2020
      Culture, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Music, Theatre
    Recent
    • SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Te Hihiri – The Spark

      The Speakeasy
      May 31, 2021
    • TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: Paige

      The Speakeasy
      May 31, 2021
    • NEW MUSIC: Georgia Lines

      The Speakeasy
      May 30, 2021
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    Featured
    • In Review: Inflated Rebel

      The Speakeasy
      August 18, 2021
      Culture, Entertainment, Theatre
    Recent
    • SIX60 ‘When The Lights Go Out’ Premiere

      Chontalle Musson
      November 28, 2020
    • 7 Live Comedy Venues In Auckland To Get Your Post Lockdown Laughs

      Oliver Smith
      June 18, 2020
    • 10

      In Review: Leather Lungs: Yas Queen!

      Liz Lauder
      February 6, 2020
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  • NZ International Comedy Festival
    Featured
    • NZICF: Fred Awards Finalists Announced

      Shawn Moodie
      May 25, 2019
      Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
    Recent
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Glamourpuss – Ruby Esther

      Matt Coombe
      May 21, 2021
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: The Great Comedy Debate

      Matt Coombe
      May 20, 2021
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: End Of Daze – Lolsy Byrne

      Oliver Smith
      May 19, 2021
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Daddy-Short-Legs – Eli Matthewson

      Oliver Smith
      May 19, 2021
    • New Zealand International Festival In Review: The Porne Identity – Audrey Porne

      Matt Coombe
      May 14, 2021
    • New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: If This Is It – Laura Davis

      Oliver Smith
      May 14, 2021
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  • In Review: The Mourning After
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  • ABOUT US

NZ International Comedy Festival

This April, the NZ International Comedy Festival hits a quarter century, and it looks as though we’ve never needed comedy more. Over the course of the Festival, we’ll be interviewing comedians, highlighting shows that you should attend, and of course offering our reviews.

NZICF: Fred Awards Finalists Announced

Shawn Moodie
May 25, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival

NZICF In Review: Kura Shoulda Woulda – Kura Forrester

The Speakeasy
May 24, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival

NZICF In Review: Dialogue Matters – Pax Assadi

The Speakeasy
May 23, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival

NZICF In Review: God Damn Fancy Man – James Nokise

The Speakeasy
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
1

NZICF In Review: Tom Foolery – Tom Sainsbury

The Speakeasy
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Home
NZ International Comedy Festival

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Alan McElroy Is S#it @ Twitter – Alan McElroy

Oliver Smith
May 23, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
On Wednesday night, I once again found myself at The Classic Studio, to witness the latest hour of Alan McElroy, fresh from the melbourne festival, with Alan McElroy Is S#it @ Twitter, a man's attempt to make ...

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Rapture – Tom Deacon

Oliver Smith
May 23, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Last Night I made my way to The Classic Studio, to see Tom Deacon, in Rapture, his NZICF debut. The venue was buzzing, Deacon has been smashing line up shows leading up to his show, and found a room full of pe...

NZICF In Review: Dialogue Matters – Pax Assadi

The Speakeasy
May 23, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Review by Jesse Knight Kiwi comedian Pax Assadi’s ‘Dialogue Matters’ was best summarised in his opening conversation with fellow comedian James Nokise, where Assadi assured Nokise that the show is about be...

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Spoiler Alert – Ed Byrne

Oliver Smith
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
I sat in the Rangitira at Q on Tuesday night, eagerly awaiting Ed Byrne's latest hour of stand up comedy, Spoiler Alert, an anticipation that was shared by a packed out house of buzzing audience members. Ed...

NZICF In Review: God Damn Fancy Man – James Nokise

The Speakeasy
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
1
Review by Jaimee Beck James Nokise speaks the truth, the hilarious uncomfortable truth, and nothing but the truth. He speaks it in the words of a Samoan Minister, A ginger bro from Hamilton, and a kid ga...

NZICF In Review: Tom Foolery – Tom Sainsbury

The Speakeasy
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Review by Otis Letwin I am a big fan of Tom Sainsbury’s Snapchat videos. Even before I moved to New Zealand, even before I knew who Paula Bennett was, I knew about Sainsbury’s impersonation of her. So...

NZICF In Review: Need(y) – Jimmy McGhie

The Speakeasy
May 22, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Review by Grace Chua Jimmy McGhie returns to New Zealand once again from the UK to give Kiwis a comedy show on what he terms the "Quality of Life". He shares his observations from living in London, contras...

NZICF In Review: MEME LORD – Alice Canton

Grace Hood-Edwards
May 18, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
A projector, a table and an unknown number of phones. The basic set dressing for Alice Canton’s MEME LORD at the Basement’s Studio. A show that is posited as being “a deep dive into the world of meme” isn’...

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: I Was Part Of The Problem Before We Were Talking About It – Guy Montgomery

Oliver Smith
May 18, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
I sat in a packed out Rangatira at Q on Thursday night to witness I Was Part of the Problem Before We Were Talking about It, the latest hour from Guy Montgomery, who has well and truly established himself as a...

NZICF In Review: Space Couch – Tim Batt & Disasteradio

Nina Reed
May 17, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
1
Tim Batt does a good thing. But, off the batt, I wasn’t convinced. You walk into a dark room with a very bright couch, a high school desk, a television, an obnoxious sound set-up, and bright neon-ish lighting....

NZICF In Review: The Mournmoor Murders – Alice May Connolly & Maria Williams

Nina Reed
May 17, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
1
These gals just f$%KING rocked! R Someone in Mournmoor has been murdered. Did someone say “death”? “Murder?” That’s right, a murder! A good place to start any good comedy show, right? You wouldn’t think so,...

NZICF In Review: Boy Mestizo – James Roque

Liz Lauder
May 16, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
1
James Roque is one of those comedians that really stick with you. I have fond memories of watching James do stand-up at The Classic last year, so I eagerly jumped at the chance to review the funniest comedian ...

NZICF In Review: Instant Broadway – Covert Theatre

Johan Chang
May 16, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, Music, NZ International Comedy Festival
First of all – let me say – Aotea Center’s Herald Theatre is really hard to find. If it wasn’t for the help of two excellent centre staff, it would’ve taken my date and I far longer to make it there. However, ...

NZICF In Review: The Internaton-AL – Alistair Barrie

The Speakeasy
May 16, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Review by Laura Roberts After reading some raving reviews of Alistair Barrie’s shows from last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, we arrived at The Classic with high expectations. This was our first time in The Clas...
10

NZICF In Review: Your Wrong – Phil Nichol

Shawn Moodie
May 16, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival, Spotlight
Within minutes of Phil Nichol walking on-stage I knew that his show ‘Your Wrong’ would be something different. Very different as it turns out. Before going any further, I feel that it’s important to note t...

NZICF In Review: Instant Broadway

Grace Hood-Edwards
May 16, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Covert Theatre’s Instant Broadway opened this week at the Herald Theatre. Posited as an improv musical where “every night is opening night”, the cast create a musical on the spot based on a word thrown out by ...

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Legacy – Frickin Dangerous Bro

Oliver Smith
May 15, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
I made my way to the Q Theatre Loft late on Tuesday night, to witness Frickin Dangerous Bro, a sketch group that always serve one of my highlights for the festival; a group that always manages to find the funn...

New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Myths And Legends – Eli Matthewson

Oliver Smith
May 15, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
It was a cold Tuesday night when I made my way to the Basement, to see Myth and Legend,the latest hour of comedy from the Fred nominated Eli Matthewson, a show that was in my opinion an absolute masterpiece. ...

NZICF In Review: Success Without a Sex Tape – Eleanor Tiernan

The Speakeasy
May 15, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Review by Grace Chua Softly-spoken Irish comedian Eleanor Tiernan comes to NZ for the first time with her new show Success Without a Sex Tape which she has been touring to sold-out audiences and great revie...

NZICF In Review: Me ‘n’ Ma – Hamish and Lynette Parkinson

The Speakeasy
May 15, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival
Reviewed by Chelsea Pickens I really liked the concept of this show, actually just a guy and his mum sharing a bottle of bubbly. After the build-up of the Lynette reveal and realising hey, this is actually...

NZICF In Review: Best Comedy Show on Earth – Mother’s Day Special

Shawn Moodie
May 13, 2019
Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival, Spotlight
I always get a little nervous taking my Mum to a comedy show. What if she doesn’t find it funny? What if I start cracking up at a dark or crass joke and she finds out how twisted my sense of humour is? Even wo...
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TOP REVIEWS

  • Joker – a masterpiece of time and place.

    Shawn Moodie
    October 2, 2019
    1
    10
  • In Review: Leather Lungs: Yas Queen!

    Liz Lauder
    February 6, 2020
    2
    10
  • In Review: Horace and Pete

    Nigel Mckenzie-Ryan
    May 12, 2016
    3
    10
  • NZICF In Review: Your Wrong – Phil Nichol

    Shawn Moodie
    May 16, 2019
    4
    10
  • NZIFF: ‘Weiner’ – A Political Car Crash Unfolding In Slow-motion

    Shawn Moodie
    July 21, 2016
    5
    10

LATEST POSTS

  • In Review: Inflated Rebel

    The Speakeasy
    August 18, 2021
  • In Review: The Mourning After

    The Speakeasy
    July 23, 2021
  • In Review: Inhospitable

    Johan Chang
    June 15, 2021
  • SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Te Hihiri – The Spark

    The Speakeasy
    May 31, 2021
  • TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: Paige

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    May 31, 2021
  • NEW MUSIC: Georgia Lines

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    May 30, 2021
  • NEW MUSIC + TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: LADYHAWKE

    The Speakeasy
    May 29, 2021
  • SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: The Beths

    The Speakeasy
    May 29, 2021
  • TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: Drax Project + Mitch James

    Chontalle Musson
    May 29, 2021
  • NEW MUSIC: ZÖ

    The Speakeasy
    May 29, 2021

The Speakeasy is a culture and entertainment site for the digital generation.

We're a community of creators and curators on a mission to deliver the stories you care about in an authentic, and distinctive voice.

We cover everyone and everything from the trendsetters to the fringe favourites. From arthouse flicks to box-office hits.

No matter the platform (video, audio, photo, written), you can expect us to deliver stories like no other, because at The Speakeasy we're all about - Entertainment, done differently.

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Latest Posts

  • In Review: Inflated Rebel

    The Speakeasy
    August 18, 2021
  • In Review: The Mourning After

    The Speakeasy
    July 23, 2021
  • In Review: Inhospitable

    Johan Chang
    June 15, 2021
  • SHOW ANNOUNCEMENT: Te Hihiri – The Spark

    The Speakeasy
    May 31, 2021
  • TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT: Paige

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    May 31, 2021

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