Latest news with #InternationalComedyFestival
Scoop
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Tom Sainsbury And The Dynamotion Misfits Are Home For Christmas
Press Release – Elephant Publicity Auckland's baddest, booty-shaking, big-hearted dance-comedy maniacs, Dynamotion, are back to wreak merry havoc on your holidays with A Christmas Crisis — burning up the floor in Q Theatre from 10 – 20 December. It's festive season, baby — and everything's falling apart. Mr and Mrs Claus are headed for splitsville. Ashleigh's Christmas Cupcake Shoppe is teetering on the edge. The elves are cracking under the pressure of soulless consumerism. Oh, and the North Pole? Melting faster than a snowman in a sauna. Looks like it's time for a Christmas miracle — Dynamotion style. From the brilliantly twisted minds of Tom Sainsbury and Lara Fischel-Chisholm comes a full-blown, high-kicking, sleigh-sliding, disco-ball-drenched Christmas spectacular packed with interpretive dance, chaotic energy, and enough tinsel to choke a reindeer. Starring some of New Zealand's funniest, fiercest, and naughtiest performers — including Tom Sainsbury, Chris Parker, Kate Simmonds, Harry McNaughton, Liv Tennet, Karamia Muller, Lara Fischel-Chisholm, Jennie Robertson, and a whole sleighful of Dynamotion misfits — A Christmas Crisis is here to serve your silly season (or at least distract you from it for 90 minutes). Since bursting onto the scene in 2012 with Terror Island Dynamotion have been putting the 'fun' back in 'funk' — and also 'fundamentally questioning what dance theatre even is.' These legends invented dacting (dramatic acting + interpretive dance) and have built a cult following for their gloriously silly, ridiculously clever full-length shows that are part dance party, part fever dream, and 100% joy. They've been praised by Metro, Theatreview, Theatrescenes, and probably your mate from Pilates who went once and hasn't shut up about it since. 'A high-adrenaline production full of thumping dance tracks, inspired and very clever choreography and wall-to-wall laughter.' – Andrew Whiteside (The Children of Sacred Valley) 'The dance numbers are terrific… extremely clever and very, very silly.' – Theatrescenes 'Dynamotion is dynamite indeed.' – Theatreview Dynamotion's original dance comedy works have become a staple of the Auckland theatre calendar, with 10 full-length productions to their name. They've presented at the NZ International Comedy Festival, the Body Festival in Christchurch, and Tempo. Their last show sold out after one Facebook post! So get booking. Yule be glad you did.
RNZ News
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- RNZ News
Fast Favourites with Fred Award winner Angella Dravid
Angella Dravid is this year's Fred Award winner for best show at the International Comedy Festival, taking home the iconic gumboot and a prize of 5000 dollars. She's only the third woman to ever win that prize. Her comedy show I'm Happy For You is a dark spin on deeply personal stories, traumatic moments from her life and the concept of being jealous. Angella has also appeared in films and television including BabyDone, The BreakerUpperers, Jono and Ben, Funny Girls and won Taskmaster in 2020. In 2017 she won the Billy T Award and now 8 years later has taken home the Fred. Angella speaks to Culture 101 as the Fast Favourites guest.
NZ Herald
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Angella Dravid wins Fred Award, Hoani Hotene takes Billy T Award
Dravid, who was up against Abby Howells and Melanie Bracewell for the prize, is only the third woman to have won the Fred Award, after Jan Maree and Rose Matafeo. She told the Herald, shortly after winning, that she was not surprised that it was an all-female lineup for the prize. 'I was saying to [Comedy Trust chief executive Lauren Whitney] when she told me, I was like, 'of course it's three women', and they're so good. When I was thinking of who would win the Fred, Abby and Mel were in my list of people who I thought would be in there.' Hotene, who was nominated in September last year, said there was a sense of relief at being at the end of the process. " It's very long, you think about it every day. So part of me... there's the real [feeling of] 'man, that's amazing to win', but also there's a little bit of relief of like, 'oh my God, it's done'. 'I don't think it's sunk in yet.' Dravid and the other Fred nominees were only told on Saturday morning that they were in contention. She compared it to being in labour. 'It feels like this incredible journey event, and it's traumatic as well, because there's a lot of pain, there's a lot of anxiety, 'is it gonna be okay?' 'And then, when I gave birth, I forgot about the pain and everything. And I was just holding a little baby in my arms, and then my life changed. 'And it feels a bit like that, except life hasn't changed. I'm still gonna have financial issues.' The prizes were awarded at Last Laughs, which marks the end of the three-week-long International Comedy Festival. More than 100 shows across Auckland and Wellington took to the stage over the course of the festival. It's a high point on the calendar year for the local comedy industry, which, like many others, has struggled with rising costs in recent years. Dravid said there aren't enough opportunities for people to get on stage, and when there is stage time, not everyone can afford to come out, so the industry feels like it is in a recession. 'But the comedians, I think, are still at the top of their game,' she says. 'I wanted to actually thank the comedians on stage because they're the reason why we're getting good jokes out there, because we're testing them on each other, we're writing together. 'And even though our industry is struggling and getting smaller, the comedians are still upskilling and they're becoming better and better.' Hotene agreed, noting there are 'really good comedians' across the country. Other winners at Last Laughs included James Nokise, who accepted the 2024 Topp Prize, given to a comedian with a unique approach to comedy who has made an impact on audiences and the industry. Johanna Cosgrove won the Festival Director's Choice Award, and Elouise Eftos and Rosco McClelland were joint Best International winners.
The Spinoff
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Spinoff
Our reviews from week three of the NZ International Comedy Festival
A mixed bag (with some Billy T disappointments) in the final week of the comedy festival. Hoani Hotene – IT'S GETTING HOT-ENE, SO TELL ME ALL YOUR JOKES I hadn't heard of Hoani Hotene before this year's International Comedy Festival, but some quick research revealed he's on the rise – last year's Breakthrough Comic at the NZ Comedy Guild Awards and a 2025 Billy T nominee. With that in mind, I entered a packed Basement Theatre on a Tuesday night, keen to see what the buzz was about. Hotene opened strong, riffing on his deceptively fair skin and delivering a solid Spongebob Tarau Porowhā gag that landed well with the crowd. Unfortunately, most of the show's standout moments had already featured in the promo clip online, leaving little surprise in the full set. Hotene's style leans clean and family-friendly – a hit with the audience, but not quite my flavour. I didn't laugh out loud, though I did smile a few times, particularly during his lively crowd interactions. That said, the show ended on an oddly flat note when Hotene declined a fan request, missing a chance to leave on a high. / Liam Rātana Itay Dom – Itay Phone Home Billy T nominee Itay Dom cuts a familiar figure onstage. Chill, confident, and yet desperately wanting the audience's approval. His material is equally familiar – the differences between the sexes, what it means to be an immigrant in New Zealand, and what it means to be a stand-up comic who wants to date. Familiar, to a fault. A quiet audience quickly retracts to being a near silent one. The crowdwork starts to feel less like working the crowd and more like the crowd is working – the show, and Dom, is ostentatiously relying on the audience to respond to his jokes. He engages with the crowd, and when they don't engage back ideally, he shuts down. It would be easy, and to Dom's benefit, to mistake him for someone who is fresh out of uni, but instead, he reminds us constantly that he is over a decade out of uni. A man in his thirties making these jokes isn't inherently unfunny, just as an adult making a fart joke isn't, but a man in his thirties making an hour of material that could be delivered by a man fresh out of uni? Are these really the jokes a stand-up, and adult man with three decades of life under his belt, has for us? Should we be paying for this crowdwork or invoicing for it? It is telling that the end of the show – jokes written in his past, delivered in the present – actually hit harder, and garner more laughs, than anything for the rest of the hour. There's a simple reason: they're more authentic to the deliverer. Dom is clearly funnier, clearly smarter, than his material and the delivery of it. / Sam Brooks Lesa MacLeod-Whiting – Rebellina Another of the five Billy T nominees, Lesa MacLeod-Whiting, starts her hour-long show with a story about her daughter. The little five-year-old wants to wear a floral dress so that her friend at school will think she is pretty and give her compliments because that makes her feel good. MacLeod-Whiting, ever the progressive feminist mum, can't find a way to convince her 'trad wife' daughter otherwise. When they arrive at school, the boy is wearing a Batman costume. It was a cute and funny story that had me a little worried. I'm one half of a Dink (double income no kids) couple and as far as I know, parenting is a distant land with a near toxic climate that people come back from sleep-deprived and with many qualms. Was the next hour of material a dive into parenting anxiety? Would 101 feminism be shoved down my throat? Should I have read the show description properly and realised its a whole lot of complaining dressed up as jokes? Luckily, no, no, no. Rebellina is a collection of little scenes from MacLeod-Whiting's life, tied to her daughter, herself and certain pieces of historical art like Night by Michelangelo (wonderful prop included). They are charming, light-handed and funny. MacLeod-Whiting is a quick storyteller with a short attention span. Sometimes a story escapes halfway through another before she pivots back to finish what she started. Sometimes stories are quick mentions ($150 baby sensory classes) which act as funny interjections. She's playful and responsive to her audience, without asking too much from them. There was something lovely and modest about Rebellina which suited the tiny venue perfectly. There are still two chances (tonight and Saturday) to see her there before she hits the big stage at Last Laughs. I'd recommend it for parents and non-parents alike. / Gabi Lardies Barnie Duncan – Ooky Pooky Returning after 2024's Fred award-winning Different Party, Barnie Duncan again embraces blasts of the physical comedy familiar from his collaborations with Trygve Wakenshaw, but here they tag in and out with more conventional standup, and a sort-of-thesis across the top. The premise is sublime: a cassette tape has been found in a box somewhere, on which a conversation is recorded between Barnie's mum and a UK-based astrologist – called Michael Jackson, helpfully – who talks her through the birth chart of her son, Barnie, then four years old. Like a fever-dream Krapp's Last Tape relocated to Palmerston North, the audio provides the impetus for an hour of spice, stingrays and teabags – of anecdote, filth and ultimately self-reflection. Along the way there are hits and misses, but the swings are big, ambitious and fearless, flying as irrepressibly as a moth at a Christmas party towards the absurd. / Toby Manhire Michelle Wiley – Is Who She Said She Is When you've been seeing comedy for a long time, it's almost impossible not to compare newcomers to their predecessors. Within five minutes of being onstage, I clock Michelle Wiley's predecessors. She sits at nearly the dead centre between Hayley Sproull and Melanie Bracewell – the charisma and relatability of the former, the mathematically rhythmic bits of the latter. You could do a whole lot worse. Wiley sits at the intersection between 'naturally charming' and 'deeply structured'. In her first hour, she does all of the things a well-written show should – she builds, she calls back, she twists – but it feels more like a solo show than an organic piece of stand-up. It could be the nerves of a quiet Wednesday night crowd, or the understandable nerves of a relatively fresh comic, but it leads to a lot of repeated 'rights?' that could be easily flowed through into the next beat of the story. It leads to as many references to jokes not working as there are actual jokes. It's standard practice to acknowledge when a joke isn't working – masters of the form can do it and move on – but it never beats a joke that actually lands. Wiley clearly has a lot of material to dig from – coming out in uni after a religious upbringing, classic lesbian relationship stuff – and I'll be excited to see where she goes in the future. Her first hour is promising as hell, a comedian still finding their legs, and the things that make them stand out from the pack. / SB Joel McCarthy – Tongue in Cheeks Joel McCarthy had easily the messiest show of the three I saw in the final week of the comedy festival, but it was by far the most entertaining. As a performer, he has the presence of a young James Nokise peppered with just a little bit of David Correos' chaos (apologies for once more referencing the ancestors). He descends from the curtain of the Classic Studio's window, a decision that seems like it was decided in the moment rather than pre-planned, he props two beers on the stool next to him, and he gets rambling. It's not an auspicious beginning, but McCarthy very quickly wins over the audience. He's a bit awkward, a bit tipsy, and shocked that anybody would come out to see him at 9.30 on a Wednesday night. By the time he actually gets into his set, he shows off what he has. You guys, he had jokes. And new ones, at that. I'm not sure whether it's a lack of familiarity with older comedy or less experienced comedians riding with training wheels, but so much of what I've seen from the new generations are, to hypocritically reference a dead meme, reheated nachos. His presence is winning, but what gets him over the line is his unique point of view. I won't spoil the punchlines, but I'm never eating trifle or looking at Superman the same way again. (I will however, ding him for the material on Des'ree's 'Life', because ghost/toast has been a punchline since it came out.)
Scoop
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Auckland Leans Into Stereotypes To Lure Kiwis This Autumn
Press Release – Tataki Auckland Unlimited Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland is flipping the script on familiar stereotypes with a bold campaign aimed at drawing domestic visitors to the central city this autumn and winter. Led by Tātaki Auckland Unlimited (TAU), in collaboration with Heart of the City and the Karangahape Road Business Association, the campaign leans into clichés with a playful twist, inviting Kiwis to take a second look at what Auckland has to offer. 'The rest of the country loves to give us stick,' says Nick Hill, Chief Executive at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited. 'We say, bring it on! Come visit. You'll find the stereotypes don't quite stack up, but our festivals, shows, art exhibitions and restaurants absolutely do.' With tongue-in-cheek headlines and vivid imagery, the campaign sets out to surprise and delight. Featured creative includes: • 'You don't have to be a food snob to eat like one' • 'Sure, it can get a little crowded here' (accompanied by a buzzing concert crowd) • 'This place is full of exhibitionists' (a nod to a lively art scene) • 'Of course there's drama in the big city' (with an image of an aerialist showing pure theatrical flair) Launching this week, the campaign will appear across out-of-home, social and digital channels in the key fly and drive markets. A vibrant colour palette and bold visuals ensure the campaign stands out not just visually, but in attitude. 'This is not a whisper campaign,' adds Hill. 'It's a shout from the rooftops that Auckland is alive and buzzing, even during the cooler months. We're telling our story loudly, and with a wink, through food, events, culture, and everything that makes our city centre so special.' Heart of the City Chief Executive Viv Beck says the campaign is much needed, especially heading into winter. 'Domestic tourism is a vital part of our city,' says Beck. 'It supports our local businesses, keeps our events calendar thriving, and injects energy into the city year-round. This campaign is designed to capture people's attention and inspire more Kiwis to explore – or rediscover – the magic of our city centre.' Jamey Holloway, Karangahape Road Business Association General Manager says: 'We know Tāmaki Makaurau can sometimes get a bad rap, but this campaign is our way of saying, we hear you – but come take another look. K' Road is no stranger to pushing boundaries, and we're proud to be part of this collaborative effort to invite everyone to come experience the unique energy you won't find anywhere else in New Zealand.' The campaign, which costs $400,000, is fully funded by the city centre targeted rate (CCTR)– a special rate paid by commercial and residential property owners within the city centre to enhance the city centre, including 'visitor attraction and promoting the city centre'. A taste of upcoming shows and events: • NZ International Comedy Festival on now • Auckland Writers Festival (13 – 18 May) • Auckland Live Cabaret Festival, The Civic (3 – 15 June) • Auckland Art Gallery – A Century of Modern Art (Opens 7 June) • Full Metal Orchestra Spark Arena (26 July) • Mānuka Phuel SYNTHONY Origins Spark Arena (26 July) • New Zealand Fashion Week Shed 10 (26 – 30 August) • Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Civic (12 September – 4 October) • Corteo – Cirque du Soleil Spark Arena (30 October – 9 November)
