Kura Forrester recently won the Billy T award for her show at the NZ International Comedy Festival. Despite the award being named after a Māori comedian, she’s the first Māori to win it since 2004. She sat down to talk with Alice Webb-Liddall about her influences, why Māori people are so funny, and her one-night-stand … Read more
Sam Brooks explains his decision to cut all men out of his comedy festival diet. Yeah, that’s a clickbaity headline. The fact is, this year I saw a fraction of the comedy festival shows I usually see. Last year, when I was the comedy editor here at The Spinoff, I saw 42 and reviewed almost … Read more
The NZ International Comedy Festival is here, and last night it kicked off with its traditional opener, the NZ Comedy Gala. But this year, among the local and international comedians, there was a whole lot of racism. Julie Zhu writes. As a Chinese woman, I’m used to surface racism. My brain has almost developed an … 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
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
Uther Dean is a finalist in tonight’s Raw Comedy Quest Grand Final at Q Theatre – and he’s terrified. He explains why that is, and why there’s a big problem with stand-up comedy that nobody talks about. There is one big problem at the very heart of stand-up comedy. That problem is everyone. Everyone is … 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
Brendon Green’s shows have a tendency to make people laugh, but also make them cry. He explains why that is, and why it’s actually okay. Twenty minutes into the Thursday night show of my Wellington season, during a pause, an audience member called out “I thought this was a comedy show!” It got a laugh. … 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
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
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
We asked comedians and Boners of the Heart co-hosts Rose Matafeo and Alice Snedden to have a conversation about women and comedy to mark International Women’s Day. The following (lightly edited and hyperlinked) Facebook conversation is what we received. Alice: Na, it’s still the same Someone brought them back from America i just realised this is just like … Read more
Sam Brooks flicks through the programme for this year’s Comedy Fest, powered by Flick Electric Co, and rounds up this year’s incredibly relevant and important festival statistics. Amount of shows on in Auckland: 117 Amount of shows on in Wellington: 68 Amount of shows involving women: 24 (20%) Amount of shows with photos of men … Read more
The annual Billy T Jams showcases the nominees for the Billy T Award, New Zealand’s biggest prize for comedy. Former Billy T winner Hamish Parkinson reviews Friday night’s show in two parts: the first the show itself, the second what this year’s lineup can tell us about the state of local comedy in 2017. Review … Read more
Natasha Hoyland gets to know the Billy T nominees ahead of their showcase at Q Theatre tonight. To be in the running for the biggest and most prestigious prize in New Zealand comedy, budding comedians are required to pitch their show ideas to a panel of industry judges and perform in an applicants showcase. The … 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. 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