Raw Quest heat 4, Nelson Fringe Festival

A great show at VKs last night, sold out Medicine gig with I think just over 100 in. And Vaughan King got to MC at his own bar for once. I was doing 15min to close, tried a new bit that worked well so will be sticking it in my show for Comedy Festival. Was fun to gig with Savanna Calton and James Malcolm, two Class Comedian graduates from 2013 who have been working hard in the Wellington and Auckland scenes.

We’re up to heat 4 of the Raw Comedy Quest at San Fran Thursday 26th March, I’ll be MCing 10 acts who are vying for a place in the semi-finals. There have been some very tough heats and tonight looks to be no different.

Also some fun news, I’ve been accepted into the Nelson Fringe Festival in May, my first time performing in Nelson. It’s their inaugural Festival and is a friendly five days of shows and workshops. I’ll be there Saturday 9th May, before heading back to Wellington to open The Third Pint at Kitty O’Shea’s.

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Long fortnight

Same Same Different was great fun, thanks to all who came out. Last show on Saturday 28th Feb started with the audience and I watching the final moments of the NZvsAus cricket match on the big screen at Kitty O’Shea’s, Kane Williamson hitting the six and my show starting 5min later, dramatic stuff.

First heat of the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest out of the way, expertly MC’d by Rhys Mathewson. Congratulations to Lucy Roche, Joel Hansby, Jundas Capone and Lyle Newman for making it through to the semi-finals. Was a good crowd of 70 or so, looking foward to seeing that build as the season progresses.

And saw a great first hour by Patch Lambert on Saturday 7th March, full of laughs and original ideas, well impressed, particularly considering he’s been doing comedy less than two years.

Highlight of the year so far was the invitation to MC the very first comedy gig at VKs, Wellington’s first comedy club. Sold out night at the Medicine, some great talent. This is the strongest the scene has ever been.

Opening night Same Same Different

Well, first one done and dusted, thanks to those who came out. Got a nice review from Theatreview as well, ‘Intelligent, perceptive and wonderfully satirical’, ha cool! I’m at Kitty’s until Saturday, if you see me on Courtenay Place please take a flier! Thanks to Rajeev Mishra for coming out in support, Rajeev and I did some film work together a long time ago, there’s a short skit out there somewhere of me getting beaten up by a panda.

Popped into Farced at Cavern Club last night too for a quick spot. Someone from Finland in the audience too so I could finally share my one piece of trivia I have about Finland, world’s deadliest sniper. Simo Haya, crazy guy.

Looking forward to Jonny Potts’ show, coming up in the couple of weeks. Might be best to book it in as I think it’ll sell out.

Here’s some fliers to look out for:

Fringe

Well first full week of the Fringe, my show opens on Wednesday at Kitty O’Shea’s. A nice room to play comedy in, I’m looking forward to it. Tickets here. I’m doing a quick spot at the Menagerie on Thursday too, a variety show run by Wellington’s Rachel Rouge.

Auckland was great. Tevita Manukia’s Moses bit is one of my favourite pieces of NZ stand up, such a nice piece of writing, if you’re ever in Auckland check him out. Friday and Saturday shows were sold out at the Classic, I love seeing the mix of people who come out to watch comedy there, everything from work groups to couples on a date to parents with their kids. Dai Henwood was a slick MC, and I got to see a couple of acts I haven’t seen perform in ages, Jarred Fell and Justine Smith (who’ll be hosting the Wgtn Raw Quest final), plus Paul Douglas who is a newer comic from Hamilton.

Had first Class Comedians school last week, Wellington High. They produced two great acts in 2013, James Malcolm and Savanna Calton, I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out of this year’s Class Comedians group. Onslow College this week.

Might have something in the works for Nelson later in the year, will let you know.

Class Comedians, Auckland

It’s a full week ahead. The Class Comedians programme is starting up again this week, with the first workshop happening at Wellington High School. An initiative of the NZ Comedy Trust, Class Comedians gets performers into schools doing shows and running workshops to introduce high school students to stand up comedy and speaking in public. Some great comedians have come from the project, including Billy T Award winners Rhys Mathewson (the youngest ever Billy T Award winner) and Rose Matafeo. As well as Heidi O’Loughlin, the creative force behind Edinburgh hit Fan Fiction Comedy.

A Wellington success, and former student of Wellington High, is James Malcolm, who went on to win the Raw Comedy Quest in 2014. I’m looking forward to seeing who comes through for 2015, Class Comedians and Raw Quest are definite highlights of my comedy year.

Along with performing in a high school this week, I’m also MCing the Massey University School of Creative Arts orientation event, and am then heading up for a run of gigs in Auckland, eight gigs in total. Always nice to return to the home of NZ comedy, the Classic Comedy bar on Queen St.
Prepping for my Fringe Fest show is going well, I’m looking forward to sharing some of my favourite overseas tales, along with a couple of old stories, and a couple of new ones.

Updates, Oxford Union

Hey, I’ve got around to updating the About Me section, and I’ve added in ‘Gigs’ too, so you can see where I’ll be performing this month.

Here’s a photo from one of the weirdest/funnest gigs I’ve done, a comedy debate at the Oxford Union, Oxford University, the same place as the great debate David Lange took part in on nuclear energy back in 1985.

The back story to this event is a little strange and involves the police, protests and public condemnation in a UK national paper. I’ll tell you the story in my show Same Same Different. Just behind me in this photo on the president’s chair is the Oxford Union president Mayank Banerjee, an all around good chap.

Same Same Different NZ Fringe Festival 2015

Hey, I haven’t updated this page in ages! This is my new show in the 2015 NZ Fringe Festival. Some stories, some jokes, pretty casual really.

I first performed it in Edinburgh at 3.45pm in the afternoon, in a little downstairs room of a former children’s library. These people were my first audience, they were great.

Look how happy they are, you could be that happy! A hat tip to Jonny Potts, second from left, for performing with me in the first week. He has a show on too, Loose, it will also be a good show.

Merry Christmas

Hey all,

Thanks for the support this year. I’ll be on the Comedy Christmas Cracker tonight at 10.55pm on TV2, and then taking a break over the New Year period until mid January. Its been a fun month, have had gigs for accountants, gym instructors and insurance salesmen as well as a few spots at Fringe Bar. Also had Mayfair Cafe in Upper Hutt, where we hosted 2011 Billy T Award nominee Nick Rado.

The Humorous Arts Trust that was started in June has run over 50 gigs. We raised $1500 for the Argo Trust at the ‘Laugh-Able’ comedy night fundraiser in October, and we raised enough money at the ‘Wellington Debate: Is The Ruru Noblest of New Zealand’s Birds’ to become corporate silver sponsors of Forest and Bird. We got a certificate and everything. We’ve created over 150 spots for new comedians and new material at our Raw Meat comedy nights as well as hosting Michele A’Court, Jeremy Elwood, James Nokise, Mark Scott and whole range of established and up and coming performers. The number of performers in Wellington at all levels of experience has risen to around 40-50.

2011 is going to continue to grow, I’ll be busy with my new show the Motivational Conversationalists with TJ McDonald and Sarah Harpur in the 2011 Fringe Festival in Wellington and with the Comedy Festival show ‘Sex, Politics and Religion’ with Jim Stanton and TJ McDonald in Auckland. More details to follow.

If you’d like to keep in touch with what I’m up to please check back here, or post a message in the contact me section. Someone posted a message saying they saw me on the Christmas Cracker show and thought I was very funny. I like it when people tell me I’m funny.

James Nokise

Taking James Nokise out to Mayfair Cafe Saturday 6 November. James opened comedy at BoileRoom back in October 2009 so good to have him back there again. Tickets can be purchased online here. James will be joined by newcomer Li’i Alaimoana.

The Humorous Arts Trust has finally received official charitable trust status from the Charities Commission and we have our very own bank account too,

Humorous Arts

Kiwi Bank

38-9011-0067973-00

IRD number to follow. How very grown up of us.

The Wellington Debate

A most excellent debate last night, thank you to all involved: Sarah with her damning powerpoint presentation, Jim Stanton who’s incredibly accurate Sounds of Stanton stunned even the hardened Forest and Bird crowd along with her impressive costume skills, the pukeko for his emotional defence of the noble owl and Ross Norman co-leader of the Greens Party, who put up with me consistently calling him Ross Norman. Also to our increasingly drunk adjudicator TJ McDonald, and barman Dan in pukeko hat.

The overall winners (apart from the negating team) were Forest and Bird, who now have another $500 to help look after forests and birds, and the Humorous Arts Trust which raised enough to become a Forest and Bird Corporate Silver Sponsor. We even get a certificate! I shall have it framed and put up at Fringe Bar for all to see.

Great night team!