The Fringe Bar is set up with tables and chairs cabaret-style. But Keep up New Zealand isn’t cabaret – it’s a socio-political comedy show featuring up-and-comers Louis Tait and Jundas Capone.  

A loud blast of ‘God Defend New Zealand’ introduces these two and assures us of their admirable intentions. “If you’ve come for jokes, you’ve come to the wrong place,” we get told. And that’s one of the ticks I give this show: the material is serious stuff and it’s treated in a way that doesn’t detract from that. It’s our current preoccupation with toilet paper (yes, that’s serious!), the likely fate of seals and dolphins, traumatised stick insects and bees, and gender norms. Depression gets redefined as selfishness. Hmmmm.  

The two alternate before the microphone, a presentation technique that allows them to interact according to audience reaction. We even get blamed for being here!

The second big tick I give these two is the complete absence of expletives. I was beginning to think that the ‘f’ word was an essential ingredient of this sort of comedy: this show is a shining example of delivering material without it. There’s also an appealing kind of honesty – some of the jokes do fall flat, and our pair’s reaction is to acknowledge it – albeit wryly.

The audience here is largely complicit – after all, we can be as relaxed as the two onstage. It’s a fresh offer in the comedy area – keep (it) up Tait and Capone! 

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If comedy duo Jundas Capone and Louis Tait of the show Keep up New Zealand are looking for a target audience who feel reflected in their humour and politics, I’m sorry to say that it certainly does not include me.

I was excited by the idea of socio-political comedy; something aware and in touch. And yes, was on board with the idea that it was going to be a send up of Wellingtonians’ high opinions of themselves. I am open to the idea of laughing at myself given the opportunity.

However, in the show itself there is a disarming lack of clarity in structure, presentation and character that leaves me at a loss. 

Loius Tait takes on a strong authoritative voice which I think is intended to offer contrast and act as comedic fodder when offset with Jundas Capone’s floor glancing, nervous characterisation and tendency to go off on tangents. Potentially joyous comic moments are lost as he is told off by Tait. The inherent comedy in that relationship is underdeveloped and results in one performer shutting down the other performer’s offers.

This is particularly unhelpful as the belittled Capone then extends the same treatment to the audience, shutting down potential collaboration. We are asked, for example, to contribute a song and are told no, no, not that, until the comedians feel they’ve rejected enough ideas to barrel on through with their rehearsed joke.

Maybe this sense of over confidence in this moment is meant to make comedy but for me falls flat.

We are led in a slurred, mono tonal way through a series of jokes which we, as an audience, are not given the space to process.  

Finally the choice to resort to crude sexual humour is uncomfortable. It seems to me that laughing at Joyce for having a dildo thrown at him or laughing at the awful rape jokes Key has made on talk back is not enough. Having these events retold by people who know they are awful does not make for clever or comfortable comedy. A dick joke is not political just because the dick belongs to a politician. Neither does it make clever commentary.

As a “left-voting, latte-sipping Wellington lesbian” myself who is supposed to enjoy reflecting on the “pretentiousness” of my various identities, I instead find myself feeling defensive of the right wing, as lines like, “I’m not saying Key is a paedophile” are quipped and moved briskly past.

I think in this case the project of self-deprecatingly intelligent comedy is pushed too far into dangerous and potentially triggering territory and in my case the jokes come at the expense of my enjoyment. I am disappointed because I have seen shining examples of informed comedy both in and outside of this Fringe and know that it is possible to create a safe experience for your audience and still be unflinchingly critical, thought provoking and genuinely, sympathetically funny.

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