Sam Brooks 
Sam Brooks reviews If There’s No Dancing at the Revolution, I’m Not Coming and Power Ballad, two plays by rising star dramturgist Julia Croft on now at The Basement. Winter brings us many things. It’s the weather for holding your hot water bottle tight, for drinking coffee for warmth as well as staying awake and … Read more
There’s two kinds of people in the world: the kind who haven’t played Pokémon and the kind who formed a deep emotional and transformational attachment with Pokémon. Sam Brooks pays homage to the pocket monster constant in his life. If you’re a 90s kid who was even slightly engaged with pop culture or being cool … Read more
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks takes a look at the recent history of the Billy T Award, what felt different about this year’s nominees, and what that means for New Zealand’s comedy industry as a whole. There was a Moonlight/La La Land joke when it came time to announce the Billy T. It wasn’t funny. … Read more
Urzila Carlson is straight up the biggest comedian in the country today. Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks talks to her about how she got so good at being funny. Sam Brooks: So you’re fucking excellent. Urzila Carlson: Thank you! How are you as good as you are? It’s like… you’re so good. Thank you. I dunno, … Read more
There’s the Billy T Award, there’s the Fred Award… and now there’s Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks’ completely biased Comedy Festival awards. I saw 40 shows in the festival. That’s just over one third of all the shows, which seems like simultaneously too many shows and nowhere near enough. Best Show That Should’ve Been At … Read more
Rose Matafeo won the Fred Award last night. It’s New Zealand’s most prestigious comedy award, along with the Billy T Award (which she has also won). Sam Brooks talks to her about her comedy, life overseas, and their shared passion for musical flop Nine. I’m going to be straight up here and say that I love … Read more
Sam Brooks roars into the third week with two of this year’s Billy T nominees, an impressive hour from local comedian Louise Beuvink, and a great one from Australian Joel Creasey. Louise Beuvink: Ladylike: A Modern Day Guide To Etiquette Right off the bat, Louise Beuvink gets points for using a Madonna mic. Death to … Read more
Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks starts week three of the festival with a three-show ripper. Alice Snedden kills her first hour, Paul Williams makes a name for himself, and Eli Matthewson only gets better. Alice Snedden: Self-Titled It can take years for comedians to find their feet. Stand-up comedy is an artform of trial-and-error as much … Read more
Dialogue: Identity, proudly supported by The Spinoff, is a one-off storytelling event at Q Theatre this Friday, May 19. One of the performers, Sam Brooks (who also happens to be our Comedy co-editor), introduces the show here. By now I’ve been in two workshops for the storytelling show Dialogue: Identity, which is the latest in … Read more
Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks reviews the two recipients of the Creative Comedy Project Grant – Laura Daniel and Joseph Moore’s Two Hearts and Sarah Harpur’s Dead Dad’s Club – and awards our third Spinoff Comedy Badge of Honour. Laura Daniel x Joseph Moore: Two Hearts We’re halfway through the festival, I’ve seen about twenty-five shows, and I’m going to call it: Two … Read more
Happy Mother’s Day! Today Sam Brooks remembers his crazy/beautiful mother, and the life lessons she left him with. she broke three ab circle pros and made the manufacturers replace them free of charge each time. she never admitted they didn't work. — Sam Brooks (@sbrookbrooks) April 30, 2017 It was my mother’s birthday a few … Read more
Stand-Up For Kids is the only show in the Comedy Festival aimed at one very specific and special audience: children. Sam Brooks talks to performers Tessa Waters and Chris Parker about performing for kids, and why young audiences love comedy. Sam Brooks: So what’s the appeal of doing stand-up for kids, for you as a … Read more
Sam Brooks hits the Comedy Fest halfway point with a lovely story from Nic Sampson, a beautiful shambles from Brit Lou Sanders, and James Roque mixing theatre and stand-up while maybe getting his dick out. Nic Sampson: Jewel Heist Nic Sampson’s show last year, Nic Sampson Has Fallen Down A Well, was one of the … Read more
Sam Brooks marks the halfway point of the comedy festival with two slam-dunk shows from Billy T Award winner Guy Montgomery and Snort regular Donna Brookbanks. Guy Montgomery: Let’s All Get In A Room Together It’s hard to sum up why Guy Montgomery is special as a comedian. He mixes the affability of the popular … Read more
Sam Brooks checks out James Nokise’s new sports-focused show, and discovers an hour that’s much more than just jokes about rugby. James Nokise: Talk A Big Game At this point in his career, James Nokise is a New Zealand institution. Whether its from his comedy (So-So Gangsta, The Bronaissance), or from his award-winning theatre (Rukahu), Nokise … Read more
Amelia Dunbar and Emma Newborn have spent the last few years touring their show The Bitches’ Box around the country’s woolsheds, but now they’re back in the city with their new show: Sons of a Bitch. Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks had a chat with the pair about their touring experiences, and what keeps people coming back to their … Read more
Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks wraps up his first week of the festival with British stalwart Zoe Lyons. Zoe Lyons: Little Misfit When you’re at the end of the first week in the comedy festival, especially a week where you’ve seen close to ten shows, largely by new or emerging acts, what you want is to … Read more
A few weeks ago, comedian Nic Sampson came to The Spinoff with an idea: What if he did a comedy show in a library? We’ve got the bizarre results, and a brief interview with the man himself, right here. Sam Brooks: Why on earth did you want to do stand-up in a library? Nic Sampson: … Read more
Sam Brooks heads to the new show by last year’s Billy T Award winner David Correos and a duo lineup featuring Snapchat star Tom Sainsbury and newcomer Bridget Davies. David Correos Is Going Full Correos One of the most memorable moments in comedy in New Zealand over the past five years has been seeing David … Read more
Sam Brooks checks out Comedy Festival shows from Funny Girls star and Snort regular Brynley Stent, and from Australian clowning superstar Tessa Waters. Plus – we bestow our second Spinoff Badge of Honour. Tessa Waters: Over Promises Tessa Waters is a genius. It’s as simple as that. I’ve never seen a New Zealand audience, notoriously … Read more
Sam Brooks caught up with David Ladderman and Lizzie Tollemache, husband and wife creators of circus-magic-sideshow-theatre hybrid Mr. and Mrs Alexander, currently at Wellington’s Circa Theatre as part of the Comedy Festival. How did you get into circus? David Ladderman: So, all those years ago at uni which I went to go to learn to be a … Read more
Sam Brooks’ take on two NZ International Comedy Festival shows that debuted in Auckland over the weekend: Ubiquitous funnyman Guy Williams and Wellington newcomer and 2016 RAW Comedy Quest winner Lucy Roche. Lucy Roche: Dollars and Sex One of the highlights of Last Laughs last year was watching an audience of eight hundred people react to … Read more
Sam Brooks kicks off the Comedy Festival with reviews of four shows: NZ favourite Rose Matafeo, international Daniel Sloss, rapping grandpa John Carr and Wellington circus trio Laser Kiwi. Plus – our first Spinoff Comedy Badge of Honour is awarded. John Carr: Down With The Young Ones “Is he for real?” That’s what I asked … Read more
Sam Brooks talks to the three Williams siblings – all comedians – about growing up in a loud, competitive household, their mum’s sideline in character comedy, and their plans for a family stand-up tour. You can find part one of this interview here. Part two of the interview starts with Maria making a discovery on … Read more
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks talks to the Williams siblings about family dynamics , what lead them into comedy, and who’s the funniest (spoiler: it’s dad). The Williams siblings are fast becoming a New Zealand entertainment dynasty. Guy, the eldest, is a Billy T Award winner and a regular on Jono and Ben; Paul, the … Read more
Alice Snedden has taken off in the past few years, becoming a head writer of Jono and Ben, a regular cast member of hit improv troupe Snort and a regular columnist for The Sunday Star Times. Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks had a chat with Alice about her comedy, her column and controversial pop-star Katy Perry. Sam … Read more
James Nokise is known for his political comedy and theatre, but his show this year pivots to focus on a subject largely untouched by New Zealand stand-up comedy: sports. Sam Brooks talks to Nokise about the reasons for the change, and what’s so funny about sport. Sam Brooks: So you’re known for doing a lot … Read more
You might know Guy Montgomery from winning the Billy T Award a few years ago, from his smash-hit podcast The Worst Idea of All Time, or from TV3’s Fail Army. Sam Brooks talks to Guy about his career in comedy and what he plans to do in New York. Sam Brooks: Are you ready to be … Read more
Sam Brooks reunited with his eight-, fifteen- and twenty-year-old self at the Cyndi Lauper/Blondie show in Auckland last night. Disclaimer: I will follow a female singer who was huge before I was born into the ocean and keep walking. I was raised on a diet of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Gloria Estefan and yes, Cyndi … Read more