Is This It? is James Nokise’s is the third instalment of a trilogy in which he uses stand up to try and understand watershed events in his life and his relationship to others.

His previous shows, Beige Against the Machine and The Adventures of Jimi Samoa dealt with sibling rivalry, relationship break ups and personal breakdowns. However, they are all loosely based on growing up and self discovery.

After a bit of warm up banter, Nokise tells us that Is This It? was prompted by receiving an invitation to the anniversary of ten years since he left high school. Nokise decided to track down some of his 7^th form “bros” and discovers he’s the only one who has not gotten hitched, mortgaged or reproduced. Despite feeling like he hasn’t grown up at all, a bruising altercation with an ‘immortal’ 19 year old on the rugby field has brought it home to him how much he has aged.

Having now seen all three parts of the trilogy, what I really enjoy is the use of humour to explore what are deeply personal and serious issues. Is This It? is significantly more light-hearted than Jimi Samoa, and ultimately the musing doesn’t really have much of a conclusion. However, Nokise’s comedic gift lies in being a charming and humorous story teller.

The yarn about his teacher mate’s brush with a prostitute, a pimp and the police while stewarding some school boys around Christchurch is particularly hilarious. 

I felt that Is This It? was the least well thought out and enlightening of the three shows on this theme. I wasn’t sure if this was the debut of the material, and Nokise disclosed early on that he was a little worse for wear, but I felt the material was too loosely structured. I preferred moments of the show that flowed naturally into each other, and I disliked the musical interludes and blackouts that punctuated Nokise’s stories about his friends.

However, Nokise’s mix of wit, insight and self-deprecation is sure to entertain most.

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