Downstage
May 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Ian Christopher

FIRST a confession – I’m writing this drunk. A second confession – the man who got me drunk was Brendhan Lovegrove.

I was seated in the front row, flanked on either side by empty seats, and, naturally, Lovegrove singled me out for ritual humiliation. He asked what I did and I told him I was a journalist. Was I reviewing the show? Yes. The show took a peculiar turn. There was no retreat from his offend-every-section-of-society-equally show, but things definitely slowed. I’ll explain:

Downstage
May 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Kate Chapman

IT’S A BASIC SET: pink velvet curtains and covered chairs framed by hanging beaded curtains and finished off with a gold garland. Just two actors playing a myriad of characters. Add a projector screen and completely un-politically-correct humour, and you have a fantastic comedy.

Wunderkind of pop-philosophy and psychology, Alain de Botton, talked to AMY BROWN about aesthetics, education, and his latest book, The Architecture of Happiness.

Dog's Bollix Irish Pub
May 18-28 | Reviewed by Imogen Neale

THE BLOOD lipped woman wandering through the crowd, unnoticed by punters still queuing for beer and nuts, illustrated in just a few small drifting steps the power of acting outside the neat, three-walled box that normally contains theatre. Indeed, it was probably only those who were attracted to the shiny promise on her lips and the lazy kick in her heels that began to wonder: has the play begun? It would have been only a fleeting thought, because she drifted away, almost as though she had come out to see if we were worth watching and, upon deciding that no, we weren’t, she’s gone to back to from whence she’d come.

Media Release
(Artsville: Sunday 4th June, 10.30pm on TV One). Queen's Birthday Weekend sees the screening of a fantastic new arts documentary from the Gibson Group (makers of Frontseat). Aspiring is the untold story of a grand collaboration between four of NZ's greatest artists.

Media Release
Undertaking the acting degree at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School is a strange and wonderful roller coaster ride. Now the public will be able to experience the adrenaline highs and corkscrew whiplash of the first year of an actor’s training – from audition to first public performance – in Tough Act.

San Francisco Bathhouse, The Classic Studio
May 24-25, 31-June 3 | Reviewed by Jessica Manins

AS I SQUEEZED in beside two ladies on the front couch of the San Francisco Bathhouse, taking the last seat in the house, a thought occurred to me: the place was dominated by woman. Cori Gonzalez-Macuer is very popular. It probably helps that he was selected as Cleo magazine's Flavour of The Month – hence the number of women.

101 @ Bodega
May 24-27 | Reviewed by Steven Thomson

Craig Geenty opened his one man account of rugby, alcohol and sex by mimicking a typical pub scene. He portrayed an over-indulged and annoying young male and, to be frank, it wasn't very funny.

He soon burst into a rugby scene, skipping past the audience, pretending to be playing in a match. As I turned to survey the audience reaction, I'm sure I heard a cry of "Taxi for Geenty!"

Downstage
May 23-27 | Reviewed by Ian Christopher

David O’Doherty, shaggy-haired and scruffily dressed, shambles onto the stage looking for all the world like an overgrown 15 year-old. A smile splits his face and he eases us (for O’Doherty definitely does not launch) into his comedy show with an effect like good whiskey, a gently warming glow from the belly which radiates out through the body.

Downstage, Silo Theatre
May 23-27, 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Ewan Kingston

WELL, I hardly laughed. But Good Godley is a good show. For starters, most other people were obviously amused. Laughter erupted like gun fire from the audience in response to Janey Godley's grit-yer-teef realism. Evidently I have an abnormal sense of humour or maybe her stories cut a little too close to the bone for my sensitive soul.

Circa
May 21-28, 22-27 | Reviewed by Megan Fleming

“IN THE first instalment of an eight-week battle of wits, two teams will duke it out theatresports-style!” boomed the MC last night, addressing an enthusiastic audience at Circa’s Theatresports. The improvisational chaos of Theatresports is more engaging than straight up stand-up. It’s also more likely to fall flat. But Wellington’s own Improvisers are quick, witty, and you can tell they love it.

Bats
May 18-20 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

THEMES of menopause, Avian Bird Flu, sex and cats warmed the woolly socks of an obediently over 30s crowd at Bats on Thursday.

R30 says it performs comedy for “people who’d rather have a nice lie down and a cup of tea”. The words “and like to talk about sex, g-strings and condoms” should be added to that definition. Though cute and cuddly at times, the R30 ladies may be old, but they aren’t fusty.

Downstage
May 19-20, 22-27 | Reviewed by Megan Fleming

WITH AN audience full of rugby-heads and blinged-out public servants, the crude, rude and racist jokes went over well at last night’s Late Laughs.

Charlie Pickering hosted the show. He carried the show, really – his audience banter and late night energy was the main reason we didn’t leave at intermission. Running out on stage in a hyped-up, “holy shitballs” kind of way, he teased and tested the sense of humour of more than one audience member. For an experienced comedian, I suspect it’s fairly easy to make up spontaneous jokes after asking someone’s name and occupation. Especially in Wellington, when everyone is either a public servant, or they work for a suit hire company.

Bats, The Classic Studio
May 17-20, 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Steve Pepper

Jerome Chandrahasen is a newcomer to NZ stand-up. He is a 2006 ODDFELLOWS Billy T Nominee, and it’s a title he deserves. He has a understated, gentle and genuine stage manner which disarms the audience and has them laughing at the simplest of material. Even his eyes can have an audience in stitches.

San Francisco Bathhouse
May 18, 25 & June 1 | Reviewed by Kate Chapman

Best of the Fest is great for anyone who can’t decide which of the comedy festival shows to see. It features a number of short acts from the festival, including local comedians James Nokise, Mrs Peacock, Dai Henwood and Rhys Darby, and international comedians Janey Godley and Charlie Pickering. This is to the comedy festival what previews are to movies.

Downstage, Silo Theatre
May 16-20, 22-27 | Reviewed by Megan Fleming

YOU CAN'T HELP liking this guy. More of a one-man play than a string of one-liners, Charlie Pickering’s show is a well-crafted bit of funny. And the theme – Charlie sitting down to write his autobiography – holds the whole thing together.

San Francisco Bathhouse, Transmission Room
May 17-18, June 2-3 | Reviewed by Jessica Manins

Mrs. Peacock (so named purely that they could have the word ‘cock’ in their email address) last night proved to an appreciative audience that they are more than worthy of the title ‘Most offensive Gag’.

Bar Bodega, Transmission Room
May 17-20, 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

Rhys Darby is known as ‘the master of making stuff up’. An actor as much as a stand-up comedian, Darby has performed one-man plays, BBC Radio plays and has recently been chosen to star in a BBC2 children’s TV show. His ability to impersonate a plethora of character types and realistically recreate dialogue is what shines through most noticeably in the stand-up show he is performing for the ODDFELLOWS NZ International Comedy Festival.

Downstage, Herald Theatre
May 16-20, 30-June 3 | Reviewed by Ewan Kingston

THE FIRST TIME I went to see Raybon Kan (patience, I'll get round to The Four Noels, but if we compliment the Aussies first, they’ll get a big head, see?) was a minor revelation. The guy was cracking up something wicked in his own set: sometimes, he could barely deliver a punch line because he was laughing too much. It was super, and I realised, despite what I had been told all my life, it is okay to laugh at one’s own jokes. To watch good comics enjoying themselves is quite a pleasure. Primitive by The Four Noels is quite a pleasure.

Bats, Herald Theatre
May 16-20, 23-37 | Reviewed by Ian Christopher

Rhys Darby and Dai Henwood are by all accounts very good stand-up comics in their own right. Together in their show The Everymen, they just don’t work. The Everymen is a series of character sketches purporting to give some insight into the Kiwi male. What we get is actually a kind of live version of Full Frontal, or Skitz, or some other bad mid-ninties TV sketch show.

Downstage Theatre
May 15 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

THE ODDFELLOWS NZ International Comedy Festival opened with a bang last night. And a jet-pack. And a helicopter, a clopping horse, two ballerones from Taita and many, many references to sex. Hooray!

Hosted by Wellington’s own Ben Hurley, Oddfellows First Laughs (yes – the festival is sponsored by Allens, aka Nestle) served as the festival launcher, in more ways than one (think, jet-pack). Offering synopses of many of the wonderful, rich acts on offer this year, First Laughs was a great opportunity to preview the shows and monitor the laugh-o-meter.

Circa One
May 13-June 17 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

THE BAWDY, self-referential humour and politically incorrect stereotypes of The Underpants kept a near full house laughing at Circa on Saturday night. More slapstick than farce, this play provides moments of derrière clenching hilarity for viewers not opposed to blatant, facile humour. The play is unique in the chance it affords us to indulge in verbose and frivolous scenes of sexual hi-jinx and mockery. However, Steve Martin’s version of The Underpants relies heavily on historical context to justify and place its humour, but to its detriment fails to relay the valuable themes of the original.

IMOGEN NEALE delves into the creationism of Patricia Piccinini's In Another World, currently on show at City Gallery Wellington.

Back for another riotous year, the 2006 ODDFELLOWS NZ International Comedy Festival hits venues in Auckland, Wellington and nationwide from May 12 until June 4. Lumière will be monitoring the laugh-o-meter with comedy reviews throughout the course of the festival. For detailed programme and ticketing information, visit comedyfestival.co.nz; a brief rundown of local and visiting festival acts follows.

Westpac Stadium, Wellington
April 18 | Reviewed by Brannavan Gnanalingam

YOU CAN SAY what you like about this concert. Rockers who are passed their used-by date living off their former glory while playing their old hits released 40 years ago. Over-priced, over-hyped and cliché-driven stadium rock played by a band who will treat this simply as another completed venue in their half-a-billion dollar world tour. Yeah, but you guys weren’t there.