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

NZICF In Review: Tom Foolery – Tom Sainsbury

The Speakeasy

May 22, 2019

Comedy, Entertainment, NZ International Comedy Festival

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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

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

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

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

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...

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...