When was the last time you saw a comedian on stage, pouring tea during his act?

Well, that's Chris Brain for you - unpredictable and surprising on many levels. Even he admits that with the tea, it made him look like his grandma was doing stand up.....although there is a reason why he chose this beverage of choice.

Last year's Billy T award winner is back at this year's New Zealand International Comedy Festival with a show called The Oneforty which pulls in the online world of Twitter as it explores what's making Chris tick this year.

Chris appeared to be equal parts excited and scared as he unveiled his new show; a series of musings on life from his unique viewpoint. I'm sensing there were a few first night jitters but by the midway point of his set, Chris had found his groove.

With topics as wide and diverse as the Catholic Church, touring around New Zealand with Rhys Darby, being burgled, Jurassic Jesuses (or is it Jesi?), road rage (or Chris' wonderfully unique perspective on it) and social networking, Chris had the entire gamut covered.

He uses Twitter during his stand up to post on his site and explains how (like so many) he became addicted to this networking tool which allows you to interact with people without actually dealing one on one with them. "Time for a tweet" is his catchphrase this year - and he uses old Tweets or new ones (all of which are sophisticated and funny given the limitations of the tool - you can only use 140 characters to express yourself) to help him segue from one section to the next.

He has a wonderful way of peppering his anecdotes with some ferociously intelligent and killer one liners - that's not to say that this is not a show that you need to keep up with, but you do have to have your wits about you or you'll miss the amusing subtlety of some of what he's saying.

He's self deprecating too - whether it's a result of his own anxiety, I'm not sure - but it works really well to get the audience on his side. But he has a wonderfully different stage presence to anyone else I've seen on the stand up circuit; there's a nervousness which masks his real potential - because when he's got the metaphorical comic bit between his teeth, Chris has a piercing, vicious and commanding stage presence.

Reviewed by Darren Bevan

tvnz.co.nz

Being billed as the "greatest local comic you've never heard of" is quite the title.

Living it upto it though, is something Jarred Christmas does in spades.

Having first encountered his monumental stand up style in this year's Comedy Gala, I had high expectations for Jarred - and from the moment he dirty-danced out to the Backstreet Boys to the final moments which saw the audience trying for the high notes courtesy of a tricky to master song, Christmas certainly didn't disappoint.

(Please note this review is avoiding all puns on the yuletide festivities and Jarred's surname - which, when you see his show you'll understand. Because he's clearly suffered all manner of ribbing through his life given the family names dished out to his clan.)

Loosely speaking, Christmas' show covered his formative years at Shirley Boys High School in Christchurch, experiences in London and early stand up to a phenomenally funny story about being dissed by a Michael Jackson fan in Leicester Square after a notorious moment on a Big Brother companion show in the UK (seek it out on youtube - it's gold).

Wearing a trademark cowboy shirt, horn rimmed glasses and plenty of energy, Christmas certainly is one of the Festival's revelations. With solid funny material and an ability to work a crowd, it's clear Jarred is one of our best.

Non sequitur observations (filed under the Miscellaneous section of his show) amused - and Jarred's not afraid to unleash the spontaneity, which gave the show even more edge and crackle.

There's a slightly surreal edge - and a few tangents - to his show but not once did Christmas milk it for effect as he unleashed some killer one liners onto an audience who were 100% behind him.

But what's more, Jarred Christmas appears to be having fun; he's embracing being back in NZ and lavishing audiences with highly amusing stories which leave you with no choice but to indulge in belly laughter. I really was sorry that after 60 minutes our time was up. Really, I can't encourage you enough to go and see him - because you'll leave the show grinning from ear to ear.

Just one thing Jarred - don't leave it 10 years to come back again - please?

Reviewed by Darren Bevan

tvnz.co.nz

New Zealand International Comedy Festival.Review

As any parent will tell you, keeping the kids entertained is hard enough.

As any comedian may tell you, telling jokes for kids and keeping them entertained is probably even harder.

So enter into the fray, Mike Boon, part time teacher and part time comic - as you can see from his picture alongside this article, he certainly looks the part.

Loosely speaking, Mr Boon's Big Time Last Chance Kids Show sees Mike Boon desperately trying to get on New Zealand Television (not as easy as it sounds apparently). Despite much pestering of the man in charge, Boon's yet to get a break - but when a presenter's injured, Boon gets the chance to showcase his talents for the top man in TV.

This premise gives Mike Boon, via a series of auditions for a job, the chance to really offer an all round alternative to the rest of the mainstream comedy festival. This one man show (with support from Rob Callaghan and a certain Rhys Darby) takes the form of a series of sketches, silliness, songs and pie in the face fun. It's great to see comedy aimed at some of the younger end of the audience and really appreciate the talent and energy which Mike Boon packs in to try and keep the kids amused for 60 minutes.

Inevitably with children, it comes down to a winning combination of raspberries and a song which incorporates rhyming poos and wees (as Boon leaves the lyrics open to the obvious before messing with you completely.) There's a certain amount of audience participation which works well with the younger end. Particularly with the "What Sound Am I Making?" pie in the face competition - one eager kid was so excited to have the opportunity to splat him in the face, that she covered half the set in pie cream - much to the mirth of the audience and the genuine surprise of Mike himself.

There's also a great segment entitled How To Annoy Your Teacher in which "Dr" Boon reveals the 10 best ways to cause maximum irritation in the classroom - granted, he's probably been on the receiving end of some of these, but it seems likely that come Monday, the kids who've seen this part of the show may well be inflicting anarchy in class.

Comedy for kids is a tough game - the audience is a difficult one, but based on the reaction to Mike Boon's Big Time Last Chance Kids Show, I'd say Mr Boon certainly won over the kids within...and if we're honest, some of the adults too.

Reviewed by Darren Bevan

tvnz.co.nz

CRUISEY WITH KIDS

It’s Saturday afternoon and my family and I have returned home from an hour of the Mr Boon’s Big Time Last Chance Kids’ Show.

Minutes ago, I was treated to an impromptu performance by the kids’ dad through the kitchen window. Picture this: the man of our household is flailing his arms, wildly mouthing words in the dialect of idiot and making an impression akin to what I would describe as an overweight seabird that has chewing gum stuck on the tip of its wing. He dances on for 20 seconds or so until I click.

He wants to know if I want a cup of tea. His display is an infectious after-effect of an hour exposed to a children’s comedy show, and its creator, Comic Mike Boon.

Mr Boon’s Big Time Last Chance Kids’ Show has a ‘knack’ with the little people. “That Mike Boon is really cruisey with kids,” I comment this to the kids’ dad upon leaving. “He seems to actually like them,” and “I really liked the way his show works around their attention spans.” Imagine my elation when I read in the Comedy Fest programme Mike Boon is a part time teacher. Well that explains everything.

The lighting in the theatre may have him sweating, but his rapport with kids is natural.

His set is simple and the show content is reminiscent of an old-fashioned TV Show, sans gadgets and computers...just solid eye-to-eye contact with his audience. He sings, we laugh. He dances, we laugh. He picks his nose...well you get my drift.

We’re glad to interact and yell “thumbs up” at his behest.

Tentatively, I will add today’s show featured a special guest, Rhys Darby no less, known and loved by comedy connoisseurs around NZ and the world... He is, as always, hilariously funny and also‘cruisey with the kids’, but, I hasten to add, a cool bonus.

You see, Mr Boon’s Big Time Last Chance Kids’ Show is a winner on its own, with just Mr Boon, his pared back ‘do you wanna play cars with me?’ manner is a nice hark back to the old fashioned way kids were stimulated, before the rubbish of PS3 and Club Penguin seeped into childhoods.

My girls loved the show, the families in the audience were into it, and the biggest teller of all, the kids’ Dad (a recent convert), who now has a new way of asking me, “Do you want a cup of tea?"

Reviewed by Venus Stephens

theatreview.org.nz

The two enemies of the Breakfast radio airwaves take to the small stage.

Jeremy Corbett and Paul Ego have teamed up for this situation comedy which is now on at the New Zealand International comedy festival in Auckland's Herald Theatre.

With the stage set up to look like a radio booth, this show is more about a situation rather than stand up - and even though that may make you think it's scripted, don't. Based on the opening night's performance, it's more about the ad libbing and quick thinking as well as working around the premise rather than sticking rigidly to it.

It's a situationist play which is loosely about the two of them being thrust together on the breakfast radio front working for a station called Radio, complete with its dodgy jingles (which grow in awful absurdity) and terrible commercial plugs.

But it's also about two very talented radio geniuses who have a real affable presence. Jeremy Corbett has clearly got a penchant for having fun and is a bit of a guitar wizard and Paul Ego continues to amuse as well as croon the tunes (is there an album waiting for Ego to release yet?). Definitely my pick of the night was Ego's impression of the Movie voiceover guy - hysterical.

After an opening video about preparations for that 4am wake up call, a couple of technical gremlins on opening night didn't mean everything went as smoothly as it should. Aside from that and the semi lo fi feel of the show, what these issues showed to me was how quick witted the pair are and how they roll with the punches; the freeform dialogue and ad libbing was great fun - and made you question whether the gremlins were deliberate and part of the show - it's that kind of polished presence within this show - along with some nice giveaways - that makes it so enjoyable.

How much you love Radio will I think to a degree depend how much you know about the Breakfast radio industry - or the industry in general. Personally it's something I know a bit about, so in my eyes, there's a lot of universal truth and some satire in the show. The reality of what happens when the microphone goes off, dealing with creative agencies, the controlfreakery of absentee bosses and the absurdity of naming morning hosts - all great material which helps deconstruct the (apparent) intricacies of radio.

Ego and Corbett (or Corbett and Ego depending on how they feel) are a great pair; Paul's deadpan works as an excellent foil to Jeremy's mischievous nature - they're a good clever team who feel like an old married couple; they know each other's foibles, strengths and weaknesses as well as how to make each other laugh. Sure, there's professional rivalry within this set up but at the end of the day, it's just two blokes having a bit of fun - and you're all invited along to be part of it.

Advertisement

You'll never listen to the morning radio in the same way again.

One health warning though - this show contains Nickelback.

You have been warned.

Reviewed by Darren Bevan

tvnz.co.nz

Radio

Not surprisingly, Jeremy Corbett and Paul Ego have produced the perfect night out for people who love commercial radio. Slightly too ‘in house’in its current form to reach a broad audience, these two experienced giants of the airwaves, telly and stand up comedy circuit have the undeniable talent and craft to build this entertaining yet under-rehearsed two-hander into an extremely funny play.

As it is, over-reliance on technical wizardry, and a somewhat dishevelled game-plan, thwart Ego & Corbett’s & attempt to turn Radio into the best sum of their very capable parts.

While the premise and set design (a replica of a radio station’s DJ booth) are great, and while there is no denying the very radio-friendly opening night audience was thoroughly entertained, in general, to simply run an hour long theatre show as a radio show, with a lot of ad libs and a loose structure, doesn’t quite give the audience complete comedy pay-off on all levels.

But they are close – very close!! Perhaps Corbett & Ego saw this venture as simply stand up comedy rather than situation comedy, i.e. just a comedy gig in a DJ booth, rather than sketch comedy. But the set up demands more preparation as it is essentially, from the audience’s perspective, a play – a comedy status play with two characters jockeying for position.

Therefore, given how funny these two are (perfect casting), if they put this show in the hands of an experienced director of comedy, these two have an absolute hit on their hands. This all-important outside eye should bring a tighter structure and a more theatrical approach to the production, in particular lighting, audio, Megan’s role as the ‘promo-chick’ and the treatment of the special guest each night.

Poor Dai Henwood – it was just wrong to ask him to sit facing the DJs… with his back to the audience. Thankfully, he’s a pro, rolled with the punches, took full advantage of the situation and funny stuff happened.  

On saying that, there is still much to enjoy within this rough diamond. Ego fancies himself as a bit of a singer (he’s good), Corbett a bit of a guitarist (he’s good too), and while the old maxim “less is more” could be applied to their musical interludes, there are fabulous highlights, such as the Telecom-Ego-Gaga song.

Other highlights include: their hilarious pre-recorded AV introduction; not so subtle advertorial plugs; Corbetts’ instructions about how we can enter a competition; bickering over a voice-over recording; digs at advertising agencies and the regular damming of Nickelback.

One technical note, with all their boys’ toys, cables, wires, headphones, mics, computers and gadgets… they both forgot one simple rule of amplification in a theatre: when two people talk on mic at the same time – which happened regularly on opening night, given how much ad libbing went down – the audience cannot hear either.

Radio is absolutely worth seeing – for a start, like any good radio show, the prizes and giveaways are fab. But more than that, these guys are extremely smart and very funny. So like the married radio couple that they are, they will talk it all through, sort out the gremlins and get into this new groove: they know how to fine-tune this marriage and perfect it.

Reviewed by Kate Ward -Smythe

theatreview.org.nz

New Zealand International Comedy Festival review

Bigfoot, Yeti, El Chupacabra, The Loch Ness monster....

The list of unsolved mysteries within the animal world goes on and is a constant source of mystery to those who are enamoured of the Cryptozoological world.

Cryptozoology - for those of you who are new to the genre - is the study of hidden animals.

As well as Leigh Hart and his foray into our Mysterious Planet, two others who are interested in this world are Rhys Darby and David Farrier, who've teamed up to bring to the stage this live version of their weekly radio show as part of the NZ International Comedy Festival.

While this pair's banter is one of the major highlights of the show, it's actually the world which they delve into which is the real source of entertainment for this outing.

Starting with an actual recording of a 911 call with someone reporting a creature in their garden, The Cryptid Factor is a look into the strange world of hidden animals - along with a multimedia show and some live music thrown in for good measure.

Darby begins by telling the crowd that the show is "unscripted and may be a bit shambolic" but what lies ahead is a wonderful snapshot of how this duo - along with Buttons, their technical guy - got intrigued and had their lives changed by this cryptozoological interest. There's a kind of chat show feel to this live stage show with guest contributors brought in to explain their sightings and a slideshow to demonstrate how the dynamic duo have followed their passion. Throw into the mix the live songs of Boono, a regular contributor who pens music and lyrics about Nessie, Bigfoot as well as a truly infectious number about the mousse of Fiordland and you've got the formula for a winning 90 minutes.

There's a lot of self effacing humour in The Cryptid Factor, but it's clear those involved aren't actually mocking the subject; it's treated with a genuine warmth and desire to share their hobby; a great deal of the warm glow of the show arises from the rapport the trio have and onstage banter doesn't feel forced ; there's a genuine energy and interest on stage that Farrier seems genuinely upset they're running out of time and still have much to cover.

It strikes me no two versions of The Cryptid Factor will be the same - with a revolving door policy for contributors and a level of audience interaction, there's clearly much to be had from this - both in terms of fun and also in learning. Recommended for broadening the mind - as well as the smile on your face.

Reviewed by Darren Bevan

tvnz.co.nz

One ticket, two great acts.

Local standup legends Jeremy Corbett and Brendhan Lovegrove unite to bring you the ultimate homegrown recession relief.

Jeremy Corbett, host of 'Deal or No Deal', More FM Breakfast and one of NZ's best loved comedy talents.

Brendhan Lovegrove, winner of every NZ comedy award including the Fred and the Billy T Awards. Lovegrove has appeared on 'Rove', 'Jaquie Brown Diaries' and 'Pulp Comedy' and is one of the top headline acts on the international comedy circuit.

"Slick as hell, superb audience rapport... brilliantly twisted" - THE SCOTSMAN, UK

You may know him as 'Producer' Paul from The Rock's Morning Rumble, but nearly a decade ago Paul Ego won the Billy T Comedy Award and hosted Pulp Comedy on TV. Yes, back in 2000 Paul Ego was literally the biggest thing hitting the NZ comedy stages and now it's time to come back!

In his first full-length show in nine years, Paul the radio guy returns to the stage to talk the talk and croon his way back to the top.

"Paul Ego has enormous charm and a lovely mellow voice, especially when he pays tribute to The Crooners, singing a catalogue of diseases in the style of Dean Martin that is as sweet as any love song" - NZ Herald

It's THE PAUL EGO COMEBACK SPECIAL. Where were you when Ego made his comeback?

NZ International Comedy Festival
The Paul Ego Comeback Special
Presented by The Rock & Awesomeness International

at Cadbury Crunchie Comedy Chamber, Auckland
From 12 May 2009 to 16 May 2009

Reviewed by Joanna Davies, 13 May 2009

Paul Ego was the winner of the Billy T Comedy Award in 2000 and there wasn't a Kiwi comedy show, televised or otherwise, where he wasn't seen. After a nine-year break (possibly because late-night comedy gigs don't mix well with early-morning breakfast radio starts), he's back.

What prompted his return? It might have been comments like "aren't you that guy who used to be funny?" and "didn't you used to be a comedian?", or perhaps he's recapturing his youth. Either way, it's a good thing.

The show's a little bit cabaret - a little Vegas if you will - and anything that has a mirror ball is a hit in my books. Paul was introduced by the show's producer, Rhys Darby (who was present in voice only) and he kicked things off with a song.

Paul has a great singing voice (boy, can he croon), but sadly the venue's acoustics swallowed some of the lyrics. It took a while for him to find his groove, but he relaxed into things with material about his family, made astute observations about how you realise you're getting on a bit, and had a terrific rapport with his audience.

At times the show felt less like comedy and more as though I was being drawn into a fascinating story. He was entertaining, insightful and at times controversial - which prompted applause from one or two misogynists in the audience. To be fair "misogynist" might be a tad harsh - let's go with brow-beaten but emboldened.

I thoroughly enjoyed my hour with Paul. It was a relaxed opening night, he was in his element and I predict his performance will become even sharper during the week.

Paul, it's good to have you back.