FASITUA AMOSA is the INFO-CRACK WHORE!
Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Te Aro, Wellington
02/05/2012 - 05/05/2012
Q Theatre, The Vault, Auckland
09/05/2012 - 12/05/2012
NZ International Comedy Festival 2012
Production Details
THE ‘RUUFLESS’ GUY IS BACK WITH INFORMATIONAL ‘CRACK’
Following up on his successful debut show ‘Ruufless’, Samoa’s most daring comic is back with a confession. He’s addicted to information. “Its my crack. I’ll read almost anything and everything that will tell me anything about everything. If that makes sense” he says “Apart from the Bible, I haven’t read a fiction for about 10 years.” Fighting talk from the Ministers son, who admits his obsession is starting to get out of control. “Once, I bought a book for ten dollars called ‘Speed Cleaning’. It was filled with so many awesome tips and shortcuts that when the day comes that I actually want to clean my house; I’ll know how to do it in the shortest time. Until then, Mum’s doing a great job”
Opening in Wellington’s Cavern Club on the 2nd of May before closing at Auckland’s Q Theatre Vault on the 12th, Info-Crack Whore is a hilarious ramble through all the various informational ‘crack’ Fasitua has exposed himself to. From the three thousand dollars he spent on a Quantum physics based, human transformation weekend, to the other three thousand dollars he spent learning about Whole Food medicine, to the time he fasted 7 days on water and then ate chocolate donuts that made himself thinner, Info-Crack Whore will make you laugh and you may even learn something new along the way.
Fasitua Amosa has been performing most of his adult life as an Actor. He trained at Unitec School of Performing and Screen Arts. He began doing stand up as a performance challenge and because acting work was “rather thin”. He was recently on the hugely successful TVNZ Web series “Auckland Daze” and is the current voice of Mitre 10.
“Lewd, racist, real and true” Venus Stephens, Theatreview
“…bright-eyed, amiable, cheeky, laid back and quietly wise comic” John Smythe
“The man has charisma to burn, and a confidence that is magnetic.” Coup de Main
As part of the NZ International Comedy Festival 2012
WELLINGTON
Dates: 2nd– 5th May, 10pm
Venue: The Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Te Aro
Tickets: Adults $25, Conc. $20
Bookings: Ph: 021 906 453 / clubcavern@gmail.com
AUCKLAND
Dates: 9th-12th May, 10pm
Venue: Vault at Q, 305 Queen St, City
Tickets: Adults $25 Conc. $20
Bookings: Ph: 09 309 9771 / www.qtheatre.co.nz
1hr
A crafted, confident performer
Review by Maraea Rakuraku 04th May 2012
It takes me a while to figure out why Fasitua Amosa looks familiar and even then, I get it wrong. It’s only when he’s 10 minutes into his set and busting out a few actors moves, I realise I’m looking at Matt, from the brilliant drama series – The Insiders Guide to Happiness (2004). Then, he was a graduate of the Unitec’s School of Performing and Screen Arts and it was his first crack at TV. Now, he’s a church-going, pontoon relaxing, Shakespeare teaching, French market coffee drinking, information-seeking JASA (just another Samoan Aucklander).
There are certain givens about Comedy gigs. It’s likely you’ll laugh or perhaps cringe and inevitably there is someone in the audience whose laugh will irritate you. As the owner of such a laugh I tend to be forgiving. However, the punter pre-empting the punch line and laughing abnormally heartily when Amosa first kicks off is a little distracting. However, as anyone who’s ever attended anything where the audience is buzzing with expectation, it settles down.
The only other expectation I’m sure I share with those present is: you’re brown, that equals funny. And it does. Amosa knows how to covey a punchline and tell a yarn and he really delivers when he combines performing with the telling of story.
The Parnell coffee stand is brilliant. I’m still laughing a day later about that one. I even heard hints of Russell Peters’ ‘white boy’ coming out in some of it. But it was hints and I can’t help but think that the time (10pm), venue (Cavern Club) and the placement of stage and seating (right by the toilet) dampens the energy of the performance.
That’s not to say his material isn’t good. It is, and as wide-ranging as the publicity blurb says. He is an info glutton. At the time I didn’t quite believe him about the Infancy Gospel of Thomas yet it exists, I Googled.
The humour is clever and the audience was appreciative and he has that combination of just being on the right side of good taste. Though, I have no doubt with different circumstances that could change.
Partway through the set I start to wonder if he’s a little bored as he takes an umpteenth sip from his wine glass but it’s all a device to gain thinking time, switch topic or maybe even calm nerves. Though, I doubt it as he’s meant for stage. And that’s all ok until as an audience you start to expect it. Every. Single. Time.
Comedy audiences are an unrelentingly demanding lot. We want funny and we want it now. Amosa is a crafted, confident performer with loads more to share and given the right location and crowd, he could really go off.
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