James Acaster "finds a sweet balance that treats serious matters with care while still leaving you breathless with laughter." Photo / supplied
James Acaster "finds a sweet balance that treats serious matters with care while still leaving you breathless with laughter." Photo / supplied
The New Zealand Herald's comedy festival reviewer Ethan Sills has kept busy throughout the first week of the NZ International Comedy Festival. Check out his highlights below - including the five-star set that blew him away:
James Acaster
"Fans of his Netflix Repertoire will find Acaster's frothing, mad-dash energy andeccentric, tightly crafted humour familiar, but the tone and theme of the show may surprise those expecting something more mad-cap and ludicrous. Cold Lasagne focuses on 2017, which Acaster describes as the worst year of his life. It's a more traditional and linear than past shows, one focused mainly on stories from his life, but the familiar set-up feels fresh in his hands.
"Despite swapping the comically over-exaggerated stories for more personal topics, Acaster finds a sweet balance that treats the serious matters with care while still leaving you breathless with laughter.... The crowd seemed to love it."
Australian comedian Becky Lucas. Photo / NZ Comedy Fest
"Lucas spices up a traditional routine with her fresh eye that comically eviscerates anything that comes her way... Often stand-up comics try to forge every joke together to form some sparkling mosaic of comedy, but Lucas simply sails by thanks to her quickfire delivery, acerbic wit, and charismatic cynicism.
"There is nothing grand, gimmicky or overcrafted about her set, it is simply pure comedy through and through, performed with an assured confidence that far outshines any weaker moments."
Leon Wadham
Leon Wadham for his new show 'Funk'. Photo / NZ Comedy Festival
"There is simply nothing else like it in the festival... It's not stand up or even really sketch comedy, more a manic, philosophical, physical monologue that blends those other elements in to create something that strikes initially as bizarre but morphs into something as hilarious as it is thought provoking.
"It is physical and surreal, Wadham playing different characters, different states of mind, even different species - his brief turn as a depressed fern encompasses all that is weird and wonderful about this show. There are stand up-esque stories in there, but ones as if directed by Kubrick, loud, bold and unhinged in the best possible way."
Two Hearts: The Winery Tour
Joseph Moore and Laura Daniel in Two Hearts: The Winery Tour. Photo / NZ Comedy Festival
"The results of The Winery Tour are expectantly hilarious and gloriously catchy, but the true comedy gold emerges with the return of their traditional pop and hip-hop parodies. A truly filthy rap about Dave Dobbyn and a ballad about having sex on Skype - complete with appropriately techno costume - allows Daniel's vocals, Moore's beats and their combined comedy talents to shine.
"The pair truly commit to their pop star personas, matching the enthusiasm of the crowd and playing like they've sold out Mt Smart. A funnier storyline would have helped, but when the songs are this good and the comedians this unstoppable, there's little to complain about."
Mincing
From left: Brynley Stent, Tom Sainsbury, Kura Forrester and Chris Parker in Mincing. Photo / NZ Comedy Fest
"(Mincing) is constantly silly but never simple, every moment loaded with ferociously funny jokes, whether they be backhanded compliments, feminist themed cupcakes or even a raised eyebrow whipped out at the right time... Mincing has been elegantly crafted to over-the-top perfection so that barely a moment passes without something new and unexpected emerging to force a laugh from you."
Chris Parker
"Shortly into Parker's 2019 return, Iconique, there was no doubt in my mind that I was witnessing something truly glorious. Parker has taken the camp elements from Binch and dialled them up to 11; beginning with a fluid and frisky song that featured every suffix of -onic possible, Parker launched into what may be his best performance yet."
