Five burgeoning comedians display their talents in Miscellaneous Etc, playing at Happy Bar until Saturday.  Sourced from the Wellington Raw Comedy Quest, it’s a bit of a mixed bag but the intimate nature of Happy means that we’re not expecting these acts to be at international standard just yet.  It’s very much a case of kicking back and giving yourself to the entertainment.

First up is Nathan Winter, who starts off the show with a few jokes which are a little on the nose at times yet never overly insulting.  It’s the kind of stuff you love to cringe at and hey, at least someone’s saying what we’re thinking.

Danni Taylor gives the impression she is very laid back and confident offstage although her rapid speech onstage suggests a slight rattling of nerves.  Her material starts well but it looses its wit somewhere before the end. However there is still plenty here which works for her – most notably her ability to make intelligence very sexy.

Following Danni is Bernard Stewart who is probably a bit drunk and gives us a very ‘schizophrenic’ yet undeniably crack-up act.  Bernard is significantly more ribald than the other acts. Again, at least somebody’s got the guts to stand up there and say it.

However, with her astute style and competent thematics, it is Cruzanne MacAlister who is easily the highlight of the evening.  Cruzanne sure tells a great yarn and her set is very nicely structured, following through with thematic devices and maintaining a proper through-line.  She hits the punchlines with ease and is certainly the most developed comedian of the show.

Gabriel Page closes the night with a couple of jokes and songs a la Flight of the Conchords – although without the hilarity.  His songs are nice to listen to musically, but as far as humour goes they’re a bit lacking.  He does at least have a point of difference and I think he could make this work with a fresh brainstorming session before next year’s festival.

The five acts are held together by a particularly good-looking guitar player, Benjamin Norton, who sits to the side and plays intro and outro riffs.  When I say he’s good looking, I really mean it – sit to the side so you can see his profile; that alone is worth the price of the ticket!

These five up and comers, while probably not the pinnacle of the festival, are fun enough to be worth seeing on a late May evening.  Check it out if you want something a little off the beaten path, and one of the great things about this show is it will develop across the run as the performers build their confidence and style.
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