Pax Assadi, James Roque and Jamaine Ross are Frickin’ Dangerous Bro: three Auckland comedians who decided late one night at a Denny’s to form a sketch comedy group. That may sound inauspicious but their work is anything but. While I am conscious a white guy from Dunedin writing a Theatreview review for their show could almost be the beginning of one of their sketches, I will give it a go.

The trio possess undeniable charm and chemistry. They bounce off each other with incredible energy and camaraderie.  Each sketch is followed by a loose and informal debrief between the three. They do not care about convention or rigid structure. They care about making people laugh. Often their improvisations are just as funny as their sketches. There are constant call backs, foreshadowing and riffing on whatever pops into their heads. It feels wild, magic – like anything could happen.

The subject matter of the sketches shifts around.  Tonally the trio are just as happy to explore absurd stuff like re-rehearsing a guy opening a box over and over, as they are to discuss the inconsistencies in New Zealand First’s immigration policy.

The sketches alternate from things that feel like three guys just writing stuff that make each other (and the audience) laugh to not tip-toeing around issues they see are important and need to be discussed, such as New Zealand’s chequered history of race relations.  

Equally adept at both, their work consistently feels fresh, distinctive and authentic. The trio may have had an inauspicious origin story, but these guys seemed destined for bigger things.

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