Corey Spence After a highly-successful debut at BATS Theatre in March, The First Time brings its cast and crew (with a new addition!) to Lower Hutt. Having missed their debut season, I relish in the opportunity to see and review the acclaimed show in my hometown. And I am not disappointed. The First Time is a sharp production, which trades visual spectacle out for pure power behind words and well-developed characters. The result is earnest and confronting: exactly what it needs to be.
 Jessie Cooper‘This production of Spamalot will feature strobing lights, as well some joke and puns you may find painful’. The Wellington Footlights Society certainly delivers on all of the above, and let me assure you, all of the above is well worth it.
by Julz Burgisser Trump is back, with a follow up show to his Smash Hit The President, this time Trump is digging deep and revealing his true inner turmoil about his ‘very tough’ life. He’s got a story to tell, unlike any we’ve heard before and he’s going to take us way behind the scenes to do so. Also, his dad never liked him and it’s really not very fair that he doesn’t have any friends.
Alexander Sparrow, World Top 10 Trump impersonator as selected by Laugh Factory, Hollywood, has written, directed and performed a show that is guaranteed to be a huuge hit, believe me. Corey Spence Two Belles in Love: A Romance is a love story about two women, set in Imperial China. Directed by Megan Evans and presented by the students of Victoria University’s THEA 323: Intercultural Performance Practices course, Two Belles in Love takes its audience to a different world. With new music by Victoria University Theatre alumnus Ailise Beales, the production treads a delicate balance between contemporary influences and Eastern roots to create a poetic experience audiences are unlikely to receive from any other Wellington production.
Gen Fowler Rose Matafeo is everybody’s Sassy Best Friend - brassy, supportive, dorky, endearing and lightening-quick to a punchline. Her hour-long stand-up show is a delightful mismatch of wildly varied, relatable stories about her quest for confidence; stories about leaving her side-kick tendencies behind to become the leading lady in her own life. It’s a masterclass in call-backs, self-deprecating humour and distinctly Kiwi stand-up comedy.
by Laura Ferguson Ivy Bar is sold out for Jerome Chandrahasen’s first show for Five Fun Facts About Falcons, and it’s no surprise to me. Having been a fan of Chandrahsen’s since I first saw him last year, I have been lucky enough to see him perform on multiple occasions. So of course I am delighted to review for his New Zealand Comedy Festival show. An hour of Jerome Chandrahasen! It’s a very exciting time for me.
by Laura Ferguson I’m rather excited to enter the Gryphon Theatre tonight. Stagecraft’s Daughter of Heaven has drawn a considerable crowd and being a girl from Christchurch, I feel an affinity for the setting of this evening’s piece. Daughters of Heaven, written by Michelanne Forster surrounds the murder perpetrated by Pauline Parker and Juliet Hulme, including the lead-up and the aftermath. Having studied at the University of Canterbury, I have been to the Staff Club many times. This house was where the Hulme family lived and where Pauline and Juliet’s fantasy world largely took place.
by Laura Ferguson  Saran Goldie-Anderson and Anya Rzhevitskaya start Saranya Asks: Still A Fuckwit?, in their own words, ‘as awkwardly as possible’. With their show billed to be dark, strange and irreverent, the opening seems appropriate. Goldie-Anderson and Rzhevitskaya have styled this show to be a sequel to their 2016 piece How Not To Be A Fuckwit. Being a fan of the salacious details I get reading agony aunt pages, I was very much looking forward to this show.
by Laura Ferguson I am so excited for this show. Standing in BATS, wine in hand, I’m already bouncing and giddy for a fun, hilarious romp in the political arena. Little did I know how much romping would be had in the one-hour of Public Service Announcements Election Day. In fact, much like rompers that are oh, so fashionable today, the show is tight, fun-loving and creates some hilariously awkward situations as the politicians on stage attempt to wriggle their way out of trouble. Within the first fifteen minutes of the show, I’m already sore from laughing. Although, coming from the gifted penmanship of Thom Adams and James Nokise, did I expect anything less?
by Laura Ferguson “This is show is not about a sex act,” MacGougan explains to us at the beginning of the show. Hilariously told sexual scenarios fizzle from my mind to be replaced by curiosity as MacGougan launches into the true meaning of the title. Already, he is outrageously funny. MacGougan is easy and affable on stage. I am instantly hanging onto my chair for what will come next. What does - shocks me. I give a startled, choking gasp before giggles erupt from me with the tingling ferocity of champagne bubbles as MacGougan shows us a side of himself we haven’t seen before.
by Laura Ferguson  Finding a place at Ivy Bar, I make myself comfortable, gleeful that I finally get to watch Dorkward from the kings of awkward comedy: Joel Hansby and Josh Davies. This show promises to be full of geeky goodness, puttering pauses and a few doses of darkness. Life isn’t all sunshine and roses for us nerds of the world. I’m looking forward to cackling in agreement to emanate the witches I play in video games. Hansby and Davies brew up comedy potent enough to satisfy these urges and then some.
Gen Fowler Escape From Gloriavale is a gorgeously camp and outlandish character comedy. It follows the story of Providence Gratitude, a naïve young resident of the infamous cult, as she adventures out into a world of colour and temptation in pursuit of fame, fortune and celebrity. The set-up is a recipe for disaster and hilarity, upon which Brynley Stent absolutely delivers.
Corey Spence A show about sex and millennials, Eli Matthewson’s The Year of Magical Fucking unleashes a terrifying secret: Millennials are having less sex than their parents! Between a string of bedroom tooltips, Matthewson explores humorous (possibly a little too real) life stories and makes laughable yet arguably true social commentary. As a fan of FAITH, his 2015 NZ International Comedy Festival show, Matthewson once again leaves a lasting impression on me.
by Laura Ferguson “Wise men speak because they have something to say; fools because they have to say something.” This quote from the philosopher Plato, in my humble opinion, perfectly sums up the show of Billy T nominee Ray O’Leary, A Pessimist’s Guide to Optimism. O’Leary is a perfect blend of smart, witty humour, being wise and socially conscious, while also hilariously gauche with self-deprecating humour. I laugh, I nod, I cringe, I groan; I am impressed with his layered delivery and excellent timing. O’Leary quickly cements himself as one of my favourite acts of the New Zealand Comedy Festival 2017.
by Laura Ferguson  Brendon Green sits strumming on his guitar as we enter the Propeller Stage of BATS Theatre. There’s a homey, cozy quality to it, and he sits near a picture of a cat. Green stops playing and springs up. I feel like we’re at Green’s house, like we’re old friends and we have some catching up to do. As he claps his hands, ready to begin in earnest, I wriggle in anticipation.
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