Michele and Jeremy are nearing the end of a solid nationwide tour to over 27 towns but they show no signs of flagging as they pop out for introductions and check to see if we know what sort of touring comedy couple they are, actually. Turns out they’re a real one, 19 years in fact, and like many long-standing double-acts, they have an obvious connection and a few rituals. One of these is conducting a coin toss to see who takes the first half. Michele wins and sends Jeremy out “to be the canary down the coalmine.” The audience laughs, it bodes well.

This is the first time I’ve seen Jeremy Elwood performing comedy live; I’ve seen some TV galas and his appearances on shows like 7 Days but it is great to see him in a sustained set beyond those brief glimpses.

Elwood is boisterous and lively on stage, and he’s a terrific storyteller. His set showcases the range of his humour and intelligence as he explores the New Zealand psyche, identity, history, achievements and our place in the world, all the while adding stories and observations.

He highlights absurdities, and his ability to show both the insider and outsider’s view is great as he ranges across topics from Disneyland, homosexual law reform and Brexit. Thanks to him I will never think of a whale stranding the same way again (never: mind blown!). He is both funny and provocative, and his affable style means the audience are well on side from the get go.

After the break, Michele A’Court bounces out, and I say bounce in an affirming powerful way, like she’s full of good stuff. She is bouncy, and a bit spiky and provocative. To be honest, I have loved Michele ever since she appeared on kids TV in the late 1980s but, as with Elwood, this is my first live comedy show with her.

She commands the stage space with confidence: a strong and funny everywoman telling stories about ageing, sex, dieting, swearing and parenting that the audience relate to and laugh with. As a bonus, the women (sisters… ladies… ) in the audience get multiple, hilarious and handy tips on how to manage the gender pay gap and beat the evolutionary instincts of the male of the species.

Michele has that rare charisma of being both accessible and extraordinary, leaving you feeling like you’d be instant best friends should you happen to meet over a glass of something.

After twenty-two shows, they show no signs of flagging. I’d venture to say they are national comedy treasures and we should fuel them by going to their show and supplying them with cheese and red wine whenever possible.  

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Comedy couple Jeremy Elwood and Michele A’Court keep their audience laughing out loud on Sunday evening at the Sherwood in Queenstown.  

Winning the toss, Elwood is first up and it seems nothing and nobody will escape his comic scrutiny. Canadian by birth but bred in New Zealand his humour is more ‘international’.

A self-confessed news junkie, Elwood bemoans the sad state of New Zealand where he says some weeks there simply isn’t any – or at least none of any significance – and he offers an example from ten years ago.

America on the other hand provides Elwood with rich pickings. Gun laws and the Trump supporters who believe teachers should be armed especially concern Elwood, given how such a policy might have affected his very presence tonight. Trump and Brexit in the UK are both great for stand-up comedy, although Elwood admits it is actually impossible to keep up with Trump.

Back in New Zealand, beached whales in Canterbury prompt some amusing musing. He is a hard act to follow but his comic partner and wife, Michele A’Court, with her more ‘personal’ humour proves to be no less funny than her husband.

His proposal gets a mention. As a feminist, A’Court applauds stay-at-home dads in New Zealand and has some cogent advice for working women. Her views on shopping in relation to keeping husbands happy display female logic at its best, I think.

Body shapes, the diet brigade and the mysteries of aging also get the A’Court treatment. At times outrageous, always provocative, A’Court is an out there woman, using her humour to support her feminist beliefs while making us laugh at ourselves and our feminine foibles.

Both Jeremy and Michele make us think as well as laugh – just what the best comedy should do.

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A good crowd has turned out to greet this comedic duo on the first night of their tour which will see them visit twenty seven small towns the length and breadth of New Zealand. Thanks to Steve Thomas of Arts on Tour NZ, audiences will be treated to this punchy performance and a whole host of laughs.

Just to dispel any doubts the two make clear that yes; not only are they partners in performance, they are also partners in life having been married Las Vegas style a few years back.

The pair team up to introduce the show and then deliver two separate stand-up routines.

Michele wins the rights to bat first and leads the audience on a round of fast paced, political and topical taunts: not for the faint hearted. There are laughs a-plenty as she focuses on being a woman in a man’s world and the ridiculousness this often entails. There are a few high-profile personages who come in for a roasting that have the audience oohing and aahing but also chortling in what could only be a show of agreement.

The second half sees Jeremy entertain us with tales of his travels, also touching on the political and the personal. A natural story teller he draws us in and has people laughing long and hard.

The purpose of comedy is often to point out the foibles in human nature, the things that we all relate to. And at times to voice what we would like to say but feel afraid to. But most of all it’s to come together to enjoy a laugh and to realise that we are all pretty much the same. This show ticks all those boxes.

A bright start to a flying tour, this is a delightful evening’s entertainment. If you are in one of New Zealand’s smaller towns, you should make the effort to get along to it – and bring a group of friends so you can all laugh together.

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