In Review: The Farewell
★★★★★
Before I begin this review, please take note that I am writing from a half Asian, half NZ background - a bias which is close to my heart. While scoping out my fellow critics when waiting for the criti...
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In Review: ONCE The Musical
Musicals these days tend to batter you into submission. Many rely on orchestral bombardment, saccharin smiles, and jazz hands in an attempt to win you over. I say that as unashamed fan of the genre (I took a 2...
NZICF In Review: Better Than I Was The Last Time – David Correos
David Correos mentioned
the phrase “a wild ride” partway through his set Better Than I Was The Last Time and perhaps nothing could be more
apt a descriptor for his show. I realised partway through the show as ...
NZICF: Fred Awards Finalists Announced
This year’s Fred Award judges have chosen three finalists to compete at Electric Kiwi Last Laughs on Sunday for The FRED, which is awarded to the Best New Zealand Show in the 2019 NZ Internatio...
NZICF In Review: Heroic – Donna Brookbanks
2019 Billy T nominee Donna Brookbanks’ Heroic begins by getting the audience amped with appropriately inspirational tracks, such as the Foo Fighters’ ‘My Hero’ and Bonnie Tyler’s ‘I Need a Hero’. Brookbanks’ e...
NZICF In Review: The Blair Witch Projector – James Mustapic
James Mustapic at the beginning of his show at the Q Theatre Vault promises a sensible hour of stand up. No gimmicks. That is until a ghost inside his projector turns up to roast Mustapic and drag him through ...
NZICF In Review: Kura Shoulda Woulda – Kura Forrester
Review by Chelsea Pickens
The first thing I noticed about Kura’s show was that it was completely full, obviously a popular pick among comedy lovers. The second thing I noticed was a scrawled-on mock beauty ...
And The Winners Are… Raw Comedy Quest 2019 Crowns 2 Winners
I made my way to the Rangitira
at Q Theatre on Thursday night to witness the final of Raw Comedy Quest, New
Zealand’s premier competition, and a launching point for the future of New
Zealand Comedy.
The nig...
NZICF In Review: Traffic Jam – Darcy Murray & Wade Jackson
Review by Wal Reid
It was reportedly touted that William
Shakespeare said the eyes are the “window to the soul.” If this is the case,
then actors Darcy Murray and Wade Jackson are living proof that this can...
New Zealand International Comedy Festival In Review: Alan McElroy Is S#it @ Twitter – Alan McElroy
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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’...
NZICF In Review: Space Couch – Tim Batt & Disasteradio
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
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
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: The Internaton-AL – Alistair Barrie
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...