Podcast host, comedian and big-brained Brit Andy Zaltzman will be coming to New Zealand later this year for the comedy festival. He spoke to Alex Braae about politics, satire, and the game he can’t get enough of. “Half an hour later, the entire foundation of English civilisation had collapsed. It was the lowest point in … Read more
Last week five women accused comedian Louis CK of sexual harassment, charges he admits are true. Sam Brooks writes about why Louis CK has always been a problematic comedian – and not just for this. These are the facts. Louis CK sexually harassed a bunch of women. The women came forward to the New York … Read more
The 2018 Billy T Award Nominees were announced today. Sam Brooks goes deep on who they are, and why this slate is so great. Remember comedy? It exists! And outside of the Comedy Festival. What a concept! Last night, applicants for the Billy T Award, the most famous award in New Zealand comedy, did their … Read more
A Māori, a Filipino and a Persian walk into a bar. They’re probably just getting a drink after a day of filming their new comedy sketch show. Hosted by improv comedy trio Frickin’ Dangerous Bro — Jamaine Ross, James Roque and Pax Assadi — Only in Aotearoa is a new Māori Television comedy that skewers modern race … Read more
Henry Oliver went to see Jerry Seinfeld at Spark Arena on Saturday. This is what he thought of it. There’s that cliche: never meet your heroes. I often feel like it should be updated: Never go see your heroes perform long after their peak. I saw the band Television once and was bored. And when … Read more
Comedy megastar Chris Rock performed to a packed Spark Arena on Saturday. Like being yelled at by a rich man about controlling, manipulative, money-grabbing women? This was the show for you, writes Leonie Hayden. It’s a strange feeling to sit among a crowd of 10,000 guffawing people and not get the joke. When you’re as … Read more
“And she stood up and said, ‘It’s just not funny!’” Welcome to the third instalment in our video series Comedians Answer Our Questions, featuring a number of funny people appearing in this year’s NZ International Comedy Festival. This time we asked comedians to tell us about the worst heckle they’ve ever had. The answers we got … Read more
Inspired by the past month’s new stories, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden are joined by special guest Alice Snedden to dive deep into period chat. With help from their legendary sponsors at BON Lifestyle, of course. With Michele still elbow-deep in beignets in New Orleans, comedian and half of Boners of the Heart Alice Snedden joins … Read more
It’s the end of week one of the comedy festival and you’re probably already tired from all those Late Laughs late nights, hungover from too many drinks at The Basement, and in pain from laughing too much. We asked Chelsea McEwan Millar, host of our new comedy podcast The Laugh-Off, to share her tips for … Read more
Australian troupe Aunty Donna have been taking the internet world by storm with their insanely hilarious sketch comedy. Natasha Hoyland talks to member Broden Kelly about how Aunty Donna came to be and their plans for their upcoming New Zealand shows. I’m so excited to talk to you because I really love Aunty Donna. … Read more
Sometimes you don’t know what to do when you go to comedy shows. Is it okay to heckle? What do you do when you get thirsty? What if I hate it? Luckily for you, our comedy co-editors have got the answers to these hypothetical questions. What if I arrive late? Be a better person. Really? … Read more
James Roque has been causing a stir recently with the title of his upcoming comedy festival show James Roque Wants To Show You Something. But what exactly is that ‘something’? Kia ora, James Roque here, you’re favourite grammatically inconsistent New Zealand comedian. It’s two weeks out from the NZ International Comedy Festival and I’ve had a … Read more
Spinoff Comedy co-editor Sam Brooks had never done stand-up before last night. This is his story of how he told jokes on stage at the Classic’s Raw Comedy night – and lived to tell the tale. To say I’ve always wanted to do stand-up would be a flat-out lie. I’ve never wanted to do stand-up. … Read more
Is Cosmic Shambles a ‘mind-blowing night of laughter, discoveries, mystery guests, and live tunes’, as the publicity has it – or something even weirder? British comedy star Josie Long tells Sam Brooks what New Zealand audiences should expect. Sam Brooks: So, hi! I guess the most obvious question to start with is what book are … Read more
Over three nights from Friday 31 March, Auckland’s Classic Comedy Bar will host an exceptional line up of comedians donating their time and talent to raise money for three worthy causes. Sam Brooks sat down with organiser and MC Ben Hurley to talk about it. Ben Hurley (7 Days) has gathered a posse of like-minded … Read more
Ashton Brown talks telephone terrors, mental health, and why anxiety doesn’t necessarily hinder his performance in a phone-avoiding messenger chat with Natasha Hoyland. Natasha Hoyland: The first thing I wanted to ask you about is phone calls, because I hate them with a passion. Ashton Brown: Holy crap, I got three missed calls from a … Read more
Australian comedian Matt Okine sat down with Spinoff comedy dunce Calum Henderson to discuss radio, early-90s cricket memories and his unquenchable thirst for cooking and property shows. Every NZ International Comedy Festival is the same: I pick up the programme, scan the list of names for any of the three to five comedians in the world … Read more
Spinoff Comedy editors Natasha Hoyland and Sam Brooks flick through the hot-off-the-presses NZ International Comedy Festival programme and give their expert kneejerk opinions on what you should go to this year. Natasha’s top picks: Aunty Donna – Big Boys The infamous Australian sketch group that do weird, insane, things. There’s basically nothing much else to … Read more
Starting today, and running until the close of the NZ International Comedy Festival, The Spinoff’s comedy pop-up section will be your daily guide to the festival and all that leaks out of it. Co-editors Sam Brooks and Natasha Hoyland explain what they think they’re doing here. What is this? We’re Sam Brooks and Natasha Hoyland, … Read more
In a hectic schedule, comedian James Nokise finds time to tell Waikato journalist Annette Taylor about touring, the country’s faux class system and the sound of his aunty’s laugh. James Nokise has been called New Zealand’s favourite Samoan/Welsh stand-up comic. Over the years he’s been to the Edinburgh and Adelaide Festivals, lectured at universities and … Read more
A group of young Wellingtonians have scored millions of online views for their idiosyncratic Shakespearean revamps. With the launch of their third series, Bright Summer Night, we asked them to explain themselves, and they sent us a video. The first two web series by the Candle Wasters put a girdle around the earth in hardly … Read more
Guy Williams likes reddit.com/r/newzealand, but reddit.com/r/newzealand does not like Guy Williams. He issued a challenge to its citizens this week: come and see my show. So they did, and Madeleine Chapman was there to watch it happen. “I totally get why people don’t like me. Like, when I watch LeBron James play, I want to see him … Read more
During the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, ‘Behind the LOLs’ will reveal the inner workings of some of our finest comedy talent. My New Zealand International Comedy Festival show this year is Children & Other Mistakes, about my personal decision to not have children. An accidental pregnancy at this point could really derail things, so it’s nice … Read more
During the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, ‘Behind the LOLs’ will reveal the inner workings of some of our finest comedy talent. Today: Eli Matthewson. This year it seems like me and all my peers decided to get experimental with our Comedy Festival shows. Maybe because we’ve reached the stage in our lives where we have steady-ish incomes … Read more
We didn’t know what to do about the Comedy Festival, so convened a motley trio of know-nothing punters to talk about it. Host Alex Casey is joined by The Spinoff editor Duncan Greive and internet sensation Paul Williams to get amongst week one of the New Zealand International Comedy Festival. The trio discuss the Comedy Gala, 5.30pm … Read more
During the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, ‘Behind the LOLs’ will reveal the inner workings of some of our finest comedy talent. A comedian’s writing process is something that is rarely discussed, and especially not in detail. Most people might not even have a clue about how stand up is written. Some may even get it confused … Read more
During the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, ‘Behind the LOLs’ will reveal the inner workings of some of our finest comedy talent. First up, 2016 Billy T nominee James Malcolm writes a list of his prenuptial conditions for Shortland Street‘s Chris Warner. This year I’m taking advantage of the festival to stage my elaborate wedding to Chris Warner … Read more
The Australian comedian, performing in Auckland and Wellington next week, does toilet humour with a difference. She talks with Catherine McGregor about making comedy out of mental illness. “God bless toilets. They’re a games room, they’re a prayer room, they’re a confessional, they’re a lounge room. They’re whatever you want them to be. I’m a … Read more
For three decades, Jesse Mulligan has followed his favourite comedian to the point of obsession via every available medium, facsimile included. On Garry Shandling, who has died at 66 Before YouTube, it was so much harder to follow the careers of the comedians you loved. I’d fallen hard for the comedy of Garry Shandling when … Read more