The only information I have on Oliver Pol is his self-description as a “youngish, tallish stand-up comedian.” But it promised to be “a fun, weird hour performed with irrepressible, limb-flailing energy,” and he absolutely delivered. Pol’s style is a bundle of nervous and enthusiastic energy. He often moves his body in odd shapes across the […]
The Comedy Mixtape lineup, hosted and curated by Joe Daymond, was billed as a stand-up showcase built like a perfect set list, comedians you already rate mixed with rising stars you’re about to fall in love with. The night kicked off with DJ Randy from Mai FM spinning classic Hutt bangers. Joe described the aim […]
A Night of Chaos, Laughs, and Second Chances Ginge and Minge’s REDEMPTION is a mission to save the discarded and rejected from the bottom of the bin and give them another shot. These two have been tearing up stages across Aotearoa since 2020, and their chemistry is as strong as ever. Megan, fresh off a Master […]
I attended Samantha Hannah’s show on Tuesday night with high expectations, and she did not disappoint. For those who don’t know her, Samantha Hannah is a Billy T Award nominee who’s been turning life’s oddities into comedy for years. In 2018, she garnered a lot of attention with her show How to Find a Husband in […]
Produced by ‘Woman’s Move’ from Switzerland and co-directed by choreographers Elsa Couvreur and Iona D’Annunzio. The Sensemaker starts as a clever and understated comedy that uses dance, movement and sound as its main devices. Theatre like this is at its best when minimal and perfectly timed, which is a key strength of The Sensemaker. The […]
The Fringe Bar is packed to the gills for Best on Tap Stands Up, a little out of the ordinary for a Sunday crowd, but this is a Fringe show and this is a Fringe crowd, and Best on Tap are an excellently well-established performance company, so perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised. More well-known as […]
I don’t think anyone will disagree with me that it’s been one hell of a year, and Christmas is descending on us fast. So it seemed completely appropriate to be watching a show about people who’ve had a hell of a year, too, drawn together at Christmas. Annie and Will have gravitated back to the […]
Leaving Circa on Wednesday after the opening night of Olive Copperbottom, one of the many things I was feeling was deep regret that it was the very first of Penny Ashton’s shows that I’d seen, and I’d missed so many others. Ashton is a bright light. Her energy, her wit, and her joy were incandescent […]
Ah, the NZ International Comedy Fest — remember when we last had one? Two years ago. However, it’s back, and we’re well into the three week programme now. If you’ve not gotten along to any shows yet, here are some highlights coming up in the next few days! Josh Davies — Look! I’m blind. Nominated […]
Judith Collins is on the warpath, Parliament is in chaos, and Simon Bridges is leading choreographed dances in this iteration of PSA — Indignity War. As David Seymour tables a bill to halve the amount of MPs in Parliament, all the major parties are panicking about who they’ll have to let go. Jacinda has the […]