CLASS COMEDIANS SHOWCASE 2016
Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
08/05/2016 - 08/05/2016
Hannah Playhouse, Cnr Courtenay Place & Cambridge Terrace, Wellington
14/05/2016 - 14/05/2016
Flick 2016 NZ International Comedy Festival
Production Details
THE FUNNEST BOOT CAMP BRINGS OUT THE BEST COMEDY TALENT
NEW ZEALAND COMEDY TRUST PRESENTS CLASS COMEDIANS SHOWCASE STARRING THE 2016 CLASS COMEDIANS
Start ’em young, we say!
This year’s line-up of talented high school students have made it through their intensive comedy training; and are amped to unleash their stand-up skills in front of an audience in the Class Comedians Showcase. These students are ready to deliver their comedy gold for the first time on Sunday 8th May at Q Theatre Auckland and Saturday 14th May at Hannah Playhouse Wellington in their graduation ceremony from the Class Comedians programme. Every year the quality of the material dished out by these performers blows our mind. You’ll be impressed at the level of talent these high schoolers possess!
The Class Comedians programme has provided the NZ comedy circuit with a plethora of home grown comics, with many graduates going on to perform their own shows during the annual Festival. As seen with previous Class Comedians graduates Rose Matafeo (TV3’s Jono and Ben, Funny Girls), Rhys Mathewson (Best Bits), James Roque (TV3’s AotearoHA, Jono and Ben) and James Malcolm (2016 Billy T nominee), you never know who might start out as a Class Comedian and move on to become your next favourite comedian. So who’ll discover their flare for live comedy this year? The schools this year’s Class Comedians hail from are: AUCKLAND –Westlake Girls; Westlake Boys;
So who’ll discover their flare for live comedy this year? The schools this year’s Class Comedians hail from are:
AUCKLAND –Westlake Girls; Westlake Boys; Takapuna Grammar; St. Cuthberts; Onehunga High; Rutherford College; Long Bay College; and Western Springs College. WELLINGTON – Onslow College; Tawa College; Wellington College; Wellington High; Paraparaumu College; Heretaunga College; and Kapiti College. If you are interested in interviewing any of the Class Comedians, please contact Bex Martelletti. CLASS COMEDIANS SHOWCASE: AUCKLAND Dates: Sun 8 May, 5pm Venue: Loft at Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings:
WELLINGTON – Onslow College; Tawa College; Wellington College; Wellington High; Paraparaumu College; Heretaunga College; and Kapiti College. If you are interested in interviewing any of the Class Comedians, please contact Bex Martelletti. CLASS COMEDIANS SHOWCASE: AUCKLAND Dates: Sun 8 May, 5pm Venue: Loft at Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings:
CLASS COMEDIANS SHOWCASE: AUCKLAND Dates: Sun 8 May, 5pm Venue: Loft at Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings:
AUCKLAND Dates: Sun 8 May, 5pm Venue: Loft at Q Theatre, 305 Queen Street, Auckland Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings: qtheatre.co.nz // 09 309 9771 WELLINGTON Dates: Sat 14 May, 3pm Venue: Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings: iticket.co.nz // 0508
WELLINGTON Dates: Sat 14 May, 3pm Venue: Hannah Playhouse, 12 Cambridge Terrace Tickets: $15 – $25 (service fees may apply) Bookings: iticket.co.nz // 0508 ITICKET (484 253) As part of the 2016 NZ International Comedy Festival powered by Flick Electric Co. from 22 April –
As part of the 2016 NZ International Comedy Festival powered by Flick Electric Co
Comedy , Theatre ,
90 mins
Laughing still matters for the next gen comedians
Review by Aminata Hamadi 09th May 2016
This year’s Auckland Class Comedians Showcase, hosted by Pax Assadi, features fourteen up in coming teen comedians. Armed with a few minutes and their best jokes up their sleeves, these teens are tasked with making a full audience of family and friends, strangers and lovers – laugh. This is no easy feat, fighting nerves, blinded by the bright stage lights, and with a hundred and fifty pair of eyes staring right back at you.
The evening offers up a range of sets as diverse as the acts themselves. It is great to see most of them talk about their own life experiences reimagined through the lens of humour. This makes the sets really relatable. From the tough times of working in a supermarket, to rivalry between schools, literal whipping and naenaeing to recreating the famous Titanic scene where Jack and Rose sail into the wind, there is a creative and colourful palette of comedy on offer. And being Mother’s Day, there is no shortage of homages paid to mothers for deeply scarring their children.
That said, I have three memorable acts from this year’s honour roll. Watch out for these cool cats on the big stage in the not too distant future.
Kicking off the show is Maia Smith with the tragic problem of how quickly she falls in love. She proves three seconds of eye contact can be fatal. The first acknowledges the other’s existence, the second maintains connection and by the third, as girls are all too aware, the next ten years are mapped out. Maia’s five minutes on stage are confident and engaging – I could only think this is what a young Urzila Carlson would have been like.
The very cool Loxmyn McDonald Ness takes the stage with a topical discussion about finding comedy material while walking down Queen St – all the while trying not to get arrested, be mistaken for a homeless man, or become a drug addict. It is and intelligent and socially aware observation that is unexpected yet refreshing. Being a cultural hybrid makes for great comedy and the African, Pakeha and Pacific side of Loxmyn gets some airtime too.
Ukulele-strumming and song-singing Ruby Esther takes the stage like a pro and absolutely dominates it! Her content is intelligently crafted and confidently delivered. Her engagement with the audience brings the set full circle. With the subject matter of being misidentified as gay, she takes what can be an awkward teen topic and makes it refreshingly funny. This girl could have her own show at next year’s comedy festival and I’d pay to go and see that.
On the whole, it is great to see the array of young people and talent in this year’s showcase. If these aspiring teens are anything to go by, the future of New Zealand’s comedy scene is in good hands and you can rest assured that your funny bone will continuously be tickled with a great calibre of comedians. It’s great to know that these treasure the gift of laughter.
Congratulations to all the Class Comedians of 2016!
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