ADAM WRIGHT and RICK THRELFO in GLORIOUSLY AVERAGE
Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Te Aro, Wellington
08/05/2013 - 11/05/2013
NZ International Comedy Festival 2007-09, 2013
Production Details
THE WAR ON MEDIOCRITY HAS BEGUN
In three years time you will look back on Gloriously Average as the show that launched two of New Zealand’s top comedic talents. Either that, or you will see two fat white men in their thirties crying into bowls of coco pops, pining for the shattered dreams that fell by the wayside. On May 8th 2013 we will be one step closer to knowing which of these fanciful futures is the more likely, when Adam Wright and Rick Threlfo make their long awaited debut in the NZ International Comedy Festival.
Gloriously Average is a 1 hour comedy show, split in half to give 2 different accounts of life as an average guy. This show will leave you outraged and demanding to know when the heterosexual white man will catch a break. The other option is that after an hour of observational comedy, you will realize that both Wright and Threlfo have minds that work half a step quicker than most, and a massive streak of narcissism that makes for a side splitting journey into the minds of 2 deeply disturbed men that haven’t quite grasped the social convention the rest of us take for granted.
As NZ International Comedy Festival debutantes, it would be ridiculous to claim that Wright and Threlfo have one of the must see shows of 2013. That being said, Wright and Threlfo have one of the must see shows of 2013. Two exciting talents that have emerged out of the Wellington comedy scene over the last 12-18 months, both acts were RAW Comedy Quest finalists. Adam Wright, in his first year of comedy, became a regular performer at The Medicine, Wellington’s premier weekly comedy night, and supported Cori Gonzalez Macuer.
Steve Wrigley called him “Clever, Funny and a great story teller. Recommended!”
Rick Threlfo enjoyed a fruitful breakthrough year in 2012 and founded the aforementioned “Medicine” comedy night. A wry observationalist who can’t understand why the universe keeps kicking him, he has held his own on stage performing alongside James Nokise, Jerome Chandrahasen and was invited to perform alongside international stars of comedy at the 2012 Late Laughs show.
As part of the 2013 NZ International Comedy Festival
ADAM WRIGHT & RICK THRELFO IN GLORIOUSLY AVERAGE
WELLINGTON
Dates: Weds 8 – Sat 11 May, 10 pm
Venue: Cavern Club, 22 Allen Street
Tickets: $8 – $14 (booking fees may apply)
Bookings: 0800Ticketek (842 538) www.ticketek.co.nz
Like a sour-sweet lemon cake?
Review by Shannon Friday 11th May 2013
The show actually starts with the host, Rob Harris, doing 5 minutes of warm-up comedy. He does his job well, jumping between a couple of topics to find what gets us all laughing. A bit about cigarette packet warnings gets us nice and toasty. This familiar stand-up format, riffing on the foibles of modern life, sets the tone for the evening.
Rick Threlfo goes first of the billed comedians. He’s got a great eye for the absurd, and is building his talent with the take-down. Rick’s set is full of great ideas – celebrity Tweets as Bible/Talmud verses? Genius! – but when a few of his early jokes go south, Rick starts apologizing for himself. Look – I’m still with you. If a joke isn’t working, just move on to the next material without apology and we’ll move with you.
A late set of callous one-liners in the vein of Jimmy Carr is darkly funny, but Rick’s lack of confidence keeps me from feeling comfortable enough to laugh.
Adam Wright feels really familiar as comedian, and I mean that in a good way. He’s personable and friendly. He starts his bit by stating the three big events in his life this year, and these events form the backbone of his set. I’m laughing along to his observations about the ‘joys’ of home ownership, even though I don’t own a house.
Adam’s humour is observational and funny without being offensive. A shout-out to his present girlfriend gets a huge laugh, and his set feels like it could go for longer.
All in all, the show is a bit uneven, but there’s a great chance here for Adam and Rick to balance each other out really well, like a sour-sweet lemon cake. I’d say it’s worth a go if you find yourself in the Cavern Club area at that time of night (10pm).
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